Nathan
47 After him, Nathan rose up
to prophesy at the time of David.
David
2 Just as the fat is separated
from the offering of well-being,
so David was set apart
from the Israelites.
3 He played with lions
as if they were young goats,
and with bears
as if they were lambs from the flock.
4 Didn’t he kill a giant in his youth
and take away disgrace from the people,
when he raised his hand with a stone shot from a sling
and struck down
the arrogant Goliath?
5 David called upon the Lord Most High,
and the Lord gave strength
to his strong arm
to do away with a mighty warrior,
to assert the power of his people.
6 For this, they glorified him
in throngs of thousands.
They praised him,
calling down the Lord’s blessings,
when they brought him
a glorious crown.
7 David destroyed his enemies
on every side,
and he despised the Philistines,
his adversaries;
he shattered their power,
which has never recovered.
8 In everything he did, he gave thanks
to the holy one, the Most High,
with glorious words.
He sang hymns with all his heart,
and he loved his maker.
9 He appointed singers with harps
before the altar
to make sweet melody with their sounds.
10 He brought dignity to the festivals,
and he adorned the whole cycle
of sacred seasons,
as they were praising God’s holy name,
and from early morning
the sanctuary resounded.
11 The Lord took away David’s sins,
and he exalted his power forever.
He established his kingdom by agreement;
and a glorious throne in Israel.
Solomon
12 After David a well-instructed son arose,
and because of David,
he enjoyed a large kingdom.
13 Solomon reigned at a time of peace.
God gave him tranquillity on every side,
so that he might build a house
for God’s name
and prepare a sanctuary
that would last forever.
14 How wise you were in your youth!
You were filled
like a river with understanding.
15 Your spirit filled the earth,
and you were full of puzzling proverbs.
16 Your name reached faraway islands,
and you were dearly loved because of your peaceful rule.
17 Countries marveled at you
on account of your songs, parables, proverbs, and teachings.
18 In the Lord God’s name,
who is called God over Israel,
you collected gold like tin,
and you amassed silver like lead.
19 You gave yourself to women,
and you were subdued
by your own body.
20 You brought disgrace on your honor,
and you polluted your offspring,
so that you brought punishment
upon your children
and caused pain
because of your foolishness.
21 Your empire became divided,
and a rival kingdom sprang up
out of Ephraim.
22 But the Lord will never
abandon his mercy,
and none of his words will perish.
He will never wipe out
the descendants of his chosen one,
and never take away the descendants
of the one who loved him.
Therefore, he gave a remnant to Jacob
and a root to David from his family.
Establishment of the northern kingdom
23 Solomon rested with his ancestors,
and he left behind one of his offspring—
Rehoboam, a foolish man among the people, one lacking understanding.
He caused the people to rebel
because of his policy,
led by Jeroboam, Nebat’s son,
who made Israel sin
and set Ephraim on its sinful path.
24 Their sins increased greatly
until they were removed from their land.
25 They explored every kind of wickedness
until vengeance overtook them.
Footnotes
- Sirach 47:5
- Sirach 47:7
- Sirach 47:9
- Sirach 47:10
- Sirach 47:11
- Sirach 47:12
- Sirach 47:19
- Sirach 47:23
