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Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 1
Brenton's English Septuagint · Berean Standard Bible
[The Prologue to the Wisdom of] Jesus [the son of] Sirach Whereas many and great things have been delivered unto us by the law and the prophets, and by others that have followed their steps, for the which things Israel ought to be commended for learning and wisdom: and whereof not only the readers must needs become skilful themselves,
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Who can find out the height of heaven, and the breadth of the earth, and the deep, and wisdom?
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Wisdom hath been created before all things, and the understanding of prudence from everlasting.
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Whoso feareth the Lord, it shall go well with him at the last, and he shall find favour in the day of his death.
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To fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and it was created with the faithful in the womb.
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Wisdom raineth down skill and knowledge of understanding, and exalteth them to honour that hold her fast.
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The parables of knowledge are in the treasures of wisdom: but godliness is an abomination to a sinner.
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Distrust not the fear of the Lord when thou art poor; and come not unto him with a double heart.
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Exalt not thyself, lest thou fall, and bring dishonour upon thy soul, and so the Lord discover thy secrets, and cast thee down in the midst of the congregation, because thou camest not in truth to the fear of the Lord, but thy heart is full of deceit.
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but also they that desire to learn be able to profit them which are without, both by speaking and by writing: my grandfather Jesus, when he had much given himself to the reading of the law, and the prophets,
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and other books of our fathers, and had gotten therein good judgment, was drawn on also himself to write something pertaining to learning and wisdom; to the intent that those which are desirous to learn, and are addicted to these things, might profit much more in living according to the law.
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Wherefore let me intreat you to read it with favour and attention, and to pardon us, wherein we may seem to come short of some words,
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which we have laboured to interpret; for the same things uttered in Hebrew, and translated into another tongue, have not the same force in them. And not only these things, but the law itself, and the prophets,
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and the rest of the books, have no small difference, when they are spoken in their own language. For in the eight and thirtieth year coming into Egypt, when Euergetes was king, and continuing there some time, I found a book of no small learning:
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therefore I thought it most necessary for me to bestow some diligence and travail to interpret it: using great watchfulness and skill in that space to bring the book to an end, and set it forth for them also, which in a strange country are willing to learn,
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