1 oratio iesu filii sirach
Confitebor tibi Domine rex
et conlaudabo te Deum salvatorem meum
2 confiteor nomini tuo
quoniam adiutor et protector factus es mihi
3 et liberasti corpus meum a perditione
a laqueo linguae iniquae et a labiis operantium mendacium
et in conspectu adstantium factus es mihi adiutor
4 et liberasti me secundum multitudinem misericordiae nominis tui
a rugientibus paratis
ad escam
5 de manibus quaerentium animam meam
et de portis tribulationis
quae circumdederunt me
6 a pressura flammae quae circumdedit me
et in medio ignis non sum aestuatus
7 de altitudine ventris inferi
et a lingua coinquinata et verbo mendacii
a rege iniquo et lingua iniusta
8 laudavit usque ad mortem anima mea Dominum
9 et vita mea adpropinquans erat infero deorsum
10 circumdederunt me undique et non erat qui adiuvaret
respiciens eram ad adiutorium meum et non erat
11 memoratus sum misericordiae tuae Domine
et operationis tuae quae a saeculo sunt
12 quoniam erues sustinentes te
et liberas eos de manibus gentium
13 exaltasti super terram habitationem meam
et pro morte defluenti deprecatus sum
14 invocavi Dominum patrem Domini mei
ut non derelinquat me in die tribulationis meae
et in tempore superborum sine adiutorio
15 laudabo nomen tuum adsidue
et conlaudabo illum in confessione
exaudita est oratio mea
16 liberasti me de perditione
et eripuisti me de tempore iniquo
17 propterea confitebor et laudem dicam tibi
et benedicam nomen Domini
18 cum adhuc iunior sum
priusquam oberrem
quaesivi sapientiam palam in oratione mea
19 ante tempus postulabam pro illa
et usque in novissimis inquiram eam
defloriet tamquam praecox uva
20 laetatum est cor meum in ea
ambulavit pes meus iter rectum
a iuventute mea investigabam eam
21 inclinavi modice aurem meam et excepi illam
22 multam inveni in me ipso sapientiam
multum profeci in ea
23 dans mihi sapientiam dabo gloriam
24 consiliatus sum enim ut facerem illam
zelatus sum bonum et non confundor
25 conluctata est anima mea in illa
et in faciendo eam confirmatus sum
26 manus meas extendi in altum
et insapientia eius
luxi
27 animam meam direxi ad illam
et in agnitione inveni eam
28 possedi cum ipsis cor ab initio
propter hoc non derelinquar
29 venter meus conturbatus est quaerendo illam
propterea possidebo bonam possessionem
30 dedit enim mihi Dominus linguam mercedem meam
et in ipsa laudabo eum
31 adpropiate ad me indocti
et congregate vos in domum disciplinae
32 quid adhuc retardatis et quid dicitis in his
animae vestrae sitiunt vehementer
33 aperui os meum et locutus sum
conparate vobis sine argento
34 et collum vestrum subicite sub iugo
et suscipiat anima vestra disciplinam
in proximo est enim invenire eam
35 videte oculis vestris quoniam modice
laboravi
et inveni mihi multam requiem
36 adsumite disciplinam in multo numero argenti
et copiosum aurum possidete in ea
37 laetetur anima vestra in misericordia eius
et non confundemini in laude ipsius
38 operamini opus vestrum ante tempus
et dabit vobis mercedem vestram in tempore suo
A Prayer of Jesus the son of Sirach.
1 I will thank thee, O Lord and King, and praise thee, O God my Saviour: I do give praise unto thy name:
2 For thou art my defender and helper, and has preserved my body from destruction, and from the snare of the slanderous tongue, and from the lips that forge lies, and has been mine helper against mine adversaries:
3 And hast delivered me, according to the multitude of thy mercies and greatness of thy name, from the teeth of them that were ready to devour me, and out of the hands of such as sought after my life, and from the manifold afflictions which I had;
4 From the choking of fire on every side, and from the midst of the fire which I kindled not;
5 From the depth of the belly of hell, from an unclean tongue, and from lying words.
6 By an accusation to the king from an unrighteous tongue my soul drew near even unto death, my life was near to the hell beneath.
7 They compassed me on every side, and there was no man to help me: I looked for the succour of men, but there was none.
8 Then thought I upon thy mercy, O Lord, and upon thy acts of old, how thou deliverest such as wait for thee, and savest them out of the hands of the enemies.
9 Then lifted I up my supplications from the earth, and prayed for deliverance from death.
10 I called upon the Lord, the Father of my Lord, that he would not leave me in the days of my trouble, and in the time of the proud, when there was no help.
11 I will praise thy name continually, and will sing praises with thanksgiving; and so my prayer was heard:
12 For thou savedst me from destruction, and deliveredst me from the evil time: therefore will I give thanks, and praise thee, and bless they name, O Lord.
13 When I was yet young, or ever I went abroad, I desired wisdom openly in my prayer.
14 I prayed for her before the temple, and will seek her out even to the end.
15 Even from the flower till the grape was ripe hath my heart delighted in her: my foot went the right way, from my youth up sought I after her.
16 I bowed down mine ear a little, and received her, and gat much learning.
17 I profited therein, therefore will I ascribe glory unto him that giveth me wisdom.
18 For I purposed to do after her, and earnestly I followed that which is good; so shall I not be confounded.
19 My soul hath wrestled with her, and in my doings I was exact: I stretched forth my hands to the heaven above, and bewailed my ignorances of her.
20 I directed my soul unto her, and I found her in pureness: I have had my heart joined with her from the beginning, therefore shall I not be foresaken.
21 My heart was troubled in seeking her: therefore have I gotten a good possession.
22 The Lord hath given me a tongue for my reward, and I will praise him therewith.
23 Draw near unto me, ye unlearned, and dwell in the house of learning.
24 Wherefore are ye slow, and what say ye to these things, seeing your souls are very thirsty?
25 I opened my mouth, and said, Buy her for yourselves without money.
26 Put your neck under the yoke, and let your soul receive instruction: she is hard at hand to find.
27 Behold with your eyes, how that I have but little labour, and have gotten unto me much rest.
28 Get learning with a great sum of money, and get much gold by her.
29 Let your soul rejoice in his mercy, and be not ashamed of his praise.
30 Work your work betimes, and in his time he will give you your reward.