Ben Sira 1:10-12
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
10 upon every living thing according to his bounty,
lavished her upon those who love him.
Fear of the Lord Is Wisdom[a]
11 The fear of the Lord[b] is glory and exultation,
gladness and a festive crown.
12 The fear of the Lord rejoices the heart,
giving gladness, joy, and long life.[c]
Footnotes
- 1:11–30 This is one of several poems of 22 bicola, or poetic lines, corresponding to the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet. Ben Sira uses the expression “fear of the Lord” twelve times and the noun “wisdom” seven times to emphasize the connection between the two ideas. He describes the blessings that come to those who fear the Lord, i.e., those who practice true religion by loving and serving God and keeping the Law (2:7–10, 15–17; 4:11–16; see Dt 6:1–5, 24). Such blessings recur throughout the book.
- 1:11 Fear of the Lord: Ben Sira identifies wisdom with the fear of the Lord (vv. 26–27).
- 1:12
Other ancient texts read as v. 12cd:
Fear of the Lord is the Lord’s gift;
also for love he makes firm paths.
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.