Ecclesiasticus, 47

1. After him arose Nathan, to prophesy in the time of David.

1. Joshua the son of Nun was mighty in war, and was the successor of Moses in prophesying. He became, in accordance with his name, a great savior of God's elect, to take vengeance on the enemies that rose against them, so that he might give Israel its inheritance.

2. As the fat is set apart from the communion sacrifice, so was David chosen out of the Israelites.

2. How glorious he was when he lifted his hands and stretched out his sword against the cities!

3. He played with lions as though with kids, and with bears as though with lambs.

3. Who before him ever stood so firm? For he waged the wars of the Lord.

4. While still a boy, did he not slay the giant and take away the people's shame, by hurling a stone from his sling and cutting short the boasting of Goliath?

4. Was not the sun held back by his hand? And did not one day become as long as two?

5. For he called on the Lord Most High, who gave strength to his right arm to put a mighty warrior to death and assert the strength of his own people.

5. He called upon the Most High, the Mighty One, when enemies pressed him on every side,

6. Hence they gave him credit for ten thousand, and praised him while they blessed the Lord, by offering him a crown of glory.

6. and the great Lord answered him with hailstones of mighty power. He hurled down war upon that nation, and at the descent of Beth-horon he destroyed those who resisted, so that the nations might know his armament, that he was fighting in the sight of the Lord; for he wholly followed the Mighty One.

7. For he destroyed the enemies on every front, he annihilated his foes, the Philistines, and crushed their strength for ever.

7. And in the days of Moses he did a loyal deed, he and Caleb the son of Jephunneh: they withstood the congregation, restrained the people from sin, and stilled their wicked murmuring.

8. In all his activities he gave thanks to the Holy One Most High in words of glory; he put all his heart into his songs out of love for his Creator.

8. And these two alone were preserved out of six hundred thousand people on foot, to bring them into their inheritance, into a land flowing with milk and honey.

9. He placed singers before the altar, melodiously to sing;

9. And the Lord gave Caleb strength, which remained with him to old age, so that he went up to the hill country, and his children obtained it for an inheritance;

10. he gave the feasts their splendour, the festivals their solemn pomp, causing the Lord's holy name to be praised and the sanctuary to resound from dawn.

10. so that all the sons of Israel might see that it is good to follow the Lord.

11. The Lord took away his sins, making his strength ever greater; he gave him a royal covenant, and a glorious throne in Israel.

11. The judges also, with their respective names, those whose hearts did not fall into idolatry and who did not turn away from the Lord -- may their memory be blessed!

12. A wise son succeeded him, who lived content, thanks to him.

12. May their bones revive from where they lie, and may the name of those who have been honored live again in their sons!

13. Solomon reigned in a time of peace, and God gave him peace all round so that he could raise a house to his name and prepare an everlasting sanctuary.

13. Samuel, beloved by his Lord, a prophet of the Lord, established the kingdom and anointed rulers over his people.

14. How wise you were despite your youth, like a river, brimming over with intelligence!

14. By the law of the Lord he judged the congregation, and the Lord watched over Jacob.

15. Your mind ranged the earth, you filled it with mysterious sayings.

15. By his faithfulness he was proved to be a prophet, and by his words he became known as a trustworthy seer.

16. Your name reached the distant islands, and you were loved for your peace.

16. He called upon the Lord, the Mighty One, when his enemies pressed him on every side, and he offered in sacrifice a sucking lamb.

17. Your songs, your proverbs, your sayings and your answers were the wonder of the world.

17. Then the Lord thundered from heaven, and made his voice heard with a mighty sound;

18. In the name of the Lord God, of him who is called the God of Israel, you amassed gold like so much tin, and made silver as common as lead.

18. and he wiped out the leaders of the people of Tyre and all the rulers of the Philistines.

19. You abandoned your body to women, you became the slave of your appetites.

19. Before the time of his eternal sleep, Samuel called men to witness before the Lord and his anointed: "I have not taken any one's property, not so much as a pair of shoes." And no man accused him.

20. You stained your honour, you profaned your stock, so bringing retribution on your children and affliction for your folly:

20. Even after he had fallen asleep he prophesied and revealed to the king his death, and lifted up his voice out of the earth in prophecy, to blot out the wickedness of the people.

21. the empire split in two, from Ephraim arose a rebel kingdom.

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22. But the Lord never goes back on his mercy, never cancels any of his words, will neither deny offspring to his elect nor stamp out the line of the man who loved him. And hence, he has granted a remnant to Jacob and to David a root sprung from him.

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23. Solomon rested with his ancestors, leaving one of his stock as his successor, the stupidest member of the nation, brainless Rehoboam, who drove the people to rebel.

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24. Next, Jeroboam son of Nebat, who made Israel sin, and set Ephraim on the way of evil; from then on their sins multiplied so excessively as to drive them out of their country;

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25. for they tried out every kind of wickedness, until vengeance overtook them.

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