The Holy Bible – Knox Translation
The Book of Ecclesiasticus
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Chapter 50
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A great priest was Simon, son of Onias; in his day the house of God was repaired, to make the temple strong was his life’s task.
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The high part of the temple, where the building was of double thickness, and the towering walls about it, he underpinned;
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in his day, too, the cisterns received their full flow of water, rose beyond all measuring, sea-deep.
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So well he cared for his fellow-citizens; no enemy should be able to compass our ruin;
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nor lacked he means to enlarge the city’s span. See in what state he comes out to meet the people; entrance of temple and of temple-court lifted high above him!
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Bright he shone as the day-star amid the clouds, as the full moon in her season;
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nor sun ever shed on our own temple such generous rays as he.
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What shall be compared with him? Rainbow that lights up the clouds with sudden glory, rose in spring-time, lilies by the water-side, scent of olibanum on the summer air?
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Fire that glows brightly, and glow of incense on the fire?
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Ornament of pure gold, set with whatever stones are rarest;
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olive-tree that burgeons, tall cypress pointing to the sky? Such was he when he put on his robe of office, clad himself with the full majesty of his array;
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sacred the garments in which he went up to the sacred altar, yet were they ennobled by the man that wore them.

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There he stood, by the altar, with the priests handing him their portions, every one, for sacrifice; and all these standing about him were but Lebanon cedars standing about Lebanon,
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were but as palm branches growing from their parent stem, all these sons of Aaron in the splendour of their attire.
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Theirs to hold out, before assembled Israel, the offerings made to the Lord; and he, completing his task at the altar, for the due observance of the great King’s sacrifice,
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would reach out his hand for the cup, and with the grape’s blood offer libation.
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And as he poured out at the altar’s foot its consecrated fragrance,
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loud shouted the sons of Aaron, loud the silver trumpets blew; great was the cry raised to win God’s audience.
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And with that, down fell all the people, face to earth, worshipping the Lord their God and pouring out their prayers to him, the Almighty, to him, the most High.
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The singers, too, broke out into chants of praise; sweetly their voices echoed through the wide courts;
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nor would the people leave off their praying to the Lord, the most High, till the divine praise was completed, and all their duty done.
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And then Simon would come down, his hand outstretched over the assembly of Israel, a blessing on his lips, and his heart proud to serve such a Master;
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and so fell to prayer again, for the better manifesting of God’s power.

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Bless we now his name who is God over all; wide as earth is his wondrous power, the God that has granted us life since first we were borne in the womb, and most mercifully used us.
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Gladness of heart may he give us, and send Israel in our time peace that shall last for ever;
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and still may it be Israel’s faith that God’s mercy is with us, ready, when his time comes, to grant us deliverance.

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Two nations with all my heart I loathe; and a third I can name, that nation indeed is none;
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the hill-tribes of Edom, and the Philistines, and the miscreant folk that dwell at Sichem.

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The lessons of discernment and of true knowledge in this book contained were written down by Jesus, the son of Sirach, of Jerusalem; his heart ever a fountain of true wisdom.
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Blessed is he who lingers in these pleasant haunts, and treasures the memory of them; wisdom he shall never lack;
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and if by these precepts he live, nothing shall avail to daunt him; God’s beacon-light shews the track he shall tread.