Sirach 46

Wycliffe Bible

46 Jesus (or Joshua, the son of) Nun, the successor of Moses in prophets (or in prophecies), was strong in battle, that was great by [or after] his name. The greatest into the health (or the deliverance) of (the) chosen men of God, to overcome enemies rising against them, (so) that he should get the heritage of Israel.

² Which glory he got in raising (up) his hands, and in casting sharp arrows against (the) cities. [What glory he had in taking up his hands, and in casting against the cities two biting swords.]

³ Who before him against-stood so? for why the Lord himself smote the enemies. [Who before him so withstood? for why the enemies the Lord smote.]

⁴ Whether the sun was not letted (or hindered) in the wrathfulness of him, and one day was made as twain? [or as two?]

⁵ He called to help the highest God, mighty in overcoming enemies on each side; and God, great and holy, heard him, [He inwardly called the Highest, mighty in against-fighting his enemies on either side; and the great and holy God heard him,]

⁶ in stones of hail of full great virtue. He made assault against the folk enemy, and in the coming down he lost (or destroyed) the adversaries; (so) that (the) heathen men know the might of him, for it is not easy to fight against the Lord; and he (pur)sued (the) mighty men at the back. [in the great stones of hail of full great virtue. A rush he made against the hostile folk; in the going down he destroyed the contrarious; that the Gentiles know the might of him, for against the Lord to fight is not light (or easy); and he followed the mighty men behind.]

⁷ And in the days of Moses he and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, did mercy; to stand against the enemy, and to forbid the folk from sins, and to refrain the grudging (or the grumbling) of malice. [And in the days of Moses mercy did he, and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh; to stand against the enemy, and to forbid the folk from sins, and to draw away the grudging of the malice.]

⁸ And they twain [or they two] were steadfast, and were delivered from peril, of (or from) the number of six hundred thousand footmen, to bring them into the heritage, into the land that floweth (with) milk and honey.

⁹ And the Lord gave strength to that Caleb, and till into his eld (age) virtue (or strength) dwelled perfectly to (or with) him; (so) that he went up into the high place(s) of the land, and his seed got (an) heritage. [And the Lord gave to Caleb strength, and unto eld (age) abode still to him virtue; that he should ascend (or go up) into the high place of the earth, and the seed of him hold the heritage.]

¹⁰ And all the children of Israel saw, that it is good to obey to (the) holy God. [And all the sons of Israel saw, for it is good to obeish to the holy God.]

¹¹ And all (the) judges by their name, the heart of whom was not corrupt(ed) by avarice, but were strong in battle, (and) which were not turned away from the Lord by idolatry; (so) that the mind (or the memory) of them be in blessing,

¹² and their bones appear from their place; and their name dwelleth without end, for the glory of holy men dwelleth at (or with) the sons of them. [and the bones of them burgeon from their place, and the name of them abideth still into without end, the glory of those holy men abiding still to the sons of them.]

¹³ Samuel, the prophet of the Lord, that was loved of (or by) his Lord God, made new the empire, and anointed princes in (or over) his folk. [Samuel the prophet of the Lord, loved of the Lord his God, renewed the empire, and anointed princes in his folk.]

¹⁴ In the law of the Lord, he deemed the congregation, and he saw the Lord of Jacob,

¹⁵ and in his faith, he was proved a (true) prophet. And he was known faithful in (or by) his words, for he saw the Lord of light.

¹⁶ And he called into help the Lord Almighty, in overcoming enemies standing about on each side, in the offering of a man undefouled (or undefiled). [And he inwardly called the almighty Lord, in against-fighting the enemies about standing on each side, in the offering of the man undefouled.]

¹⁷ And the Lord thundered from heaven, and in (or with) [a] great sound he made his voice heard.

¹⁸ And he all-brake the princes of (the) men of Tyre, and the dukes of (the) Philistines. [And he trod (down) the princes of (the) Tyrians, and all the dukes of the Philistines.]

¹⁹ And before the time of (the) end of his life, and of the world, he gave witnessing in the sight of the Lord, and of Christ (or of his christ, or his anointed), that is, Saul, anointed into king; he took not of (or from) any man riches, yea, till to the shoe; and no man accused him. [And before the time of the end of his life, and he gave witnessing of the world, in the sight of the Lord, and of Christ; monies and unto the shoe, of all flesh he took not; and there accused him not a man.]

²⁰ And after this he slept, and he made known to the king, that is, (to) Saul, and he showed to him the end of his life; and he enhanced his voice from the earth in prophecy, to do away the wickedness of the folk. [And after that he slept, and made known to the king, and showed to him the end of his life; and enhanced his voice from the earth in prophecy, to do away the unpiousness of the folk.]