1 But do not let yourself be led astray by any of the things that follow.
2 Do not be ashamed
of the law of the Most High and his covenant,
of judging even the wicked fairly,
3 of keeping accounts with a traveling com panion,
and of sharing your inheritance with friends,
4 of checking weights and scales,
5 of making a profit whether small or great,
of bargaining with traders, and of being strict with children,
of severe corporal punishment for a servant who deserves it.
6 With a prying wife or when many pe ple are around, it is wise to make use
of seal and lock!
7 For deposits it is essential to reckon by number and weight and keep a
written record of what you give and receive.
8 Do not be ashamed of correcting some one who is foolish or stupid or an
old man who has become childish.
Doing that, you prove that you are a well-educated person and you will be ge
nerally respected.
9 A daughter causes her father hidden worries; anxiety on her account keeps
him awake:
Is she young? She may not marry. Is she married? She may be disliked;
10 Is she a virgin? She may be seduced and be come pregnant in her father¡¯s
house!
Is she married? She may be unfaithful or un able to have children!
11 Your daughter is unruly? Watch her well, or she may make you a
laughingstock to your enemies, the talk of the town and a public disgrace.
12 Do not be taken by human beauty and do not sit down in the company of
women;
13 for just as a moth comes out of a garment, woman¡¯s wickedness comes out
of a woman.
14 Better a man¡¯s wickedness than a wo man¡¯s kindness; women bring shame and
disgrace.
Second Part: God¡¯s Wisdom in History
Wonders of nature
15 Now I shall remind you of the works of the Lord and relate what I have
seen.
The Lord¡¯s works depend on his word, and creation obeys his will.
16 The sun shines on everything and the work of the Lord is filled with his
glory.
17 Not even to his holy ones has the Lord given full knowledge of all his
marvelous works.
The Lord, Master of the universe, has ordained that all should stand firm in
his glory.
18 He penetrates both the depth of the abyss and the human heart and knows
their secrets.
For the Most High has full knowledge and ordains the signs of the heavens.
19 He knows the past and foretells the future and reveals the traces of the
world¡¯s mysteries.
20 No thought escapes him, no word is hidden from him.
21 He has ordered the marvelous works of his wisdom, from ever and for ever.
Nothing can be added, nothing can be taken away and he has no need of
counsel.
22 All his works are beautiful, even to the smallest spark of light.
23 All this lives and endures forever: all is useful and obedient to his
will.
24 All things are in pairs, one opposite the other, and nothing he makes is
in any way de ficient.
25 One thing emphasizes the excellence of the other; who could ever weary of
admiring his glory?
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Comments Sirach, Chapter 42
• 42.9 Sirach¡¯s original text, written in Hebrew, was much longer in verse 9
and said: ¡°Her room should have no windows and she should not be able to see
the entrances to the house.¡± Such advice is one more proof of the male
domination in Hebrew culture which the Greek translator did not dare show
his readers who were more liberal-minded. However inspired the authors of
the Bible were, God did not miraculously free them from the limitations of
their culture.
• 15. Modern civilization separates peo ple from nature. In their work, many
people see fluorescent lights more often than they see the sun. Many do not
know either the silence or the sounds of nature, because noise has invaded
everything. However, as soon as we know something about science, we think we
know the mysteries of the universe. In our cities, it is increasingly more
difficult for us to ex perience the mystery and the beauty of the universe.
God speaks to us through his creation as authentically as he does in the
words of Christ. The lan guages are different, in the same sense that music
tells us something in a way that is dif ferent from words. Those who know
how to see God in the uni verse are also able to discover him in great human
achievements: dams, electronic computers, buildings, new materials, etc.
What emerges from hu man hands also belongs to God¡¯s creation.