Sirach 50

Common English Bible

High Priest Simon

50 Simon, Onias’ son, was
a great high priest.^[a]
    During his life, he repaired the house
    and, in his time,
    strengthened the temple’s defenses.
²He made the foundation
for the courtyard wall,
    a high fortification for the
    temple enclosure.
³In his time, he dug out a storage basin
for water,
    a reservoir with a circumference
    like a lake’s.
⁴He gave forethought to keeping
his people from disaster,
    and he strengthened the city
    against sieges.
⁵How glorious he was as the people thronged around him
        when he came out from behind
        the curtain and left the temple!^[b]
⁶    Like a morning star
    in the midst of a cloud,
    like the full moon at the time of a feast,
⁷    like the sun shining
    on the temple of the Most High,
    like a rainbow gleaming
    in glorious clouds,
⁸    like a rose blossom in springtime,
    like lilies by streams of water,
    like a fresh shoot of the incense tree
    in the summertime,
⁹    like fire and incense
    in an incense burner,
    like an object of hammered gold
        adorned with all sorts
        of precious stones,
¹⁰    like an olive tree sprouting fruit,
    and like a cypress towering
    to the clouds.
¹¹When he put on his glorious robe
    and clothed himself
    with perfect splendor,^[c]
    when he stepped up to the holy altar,
    he brought glory to the courts
    of the temple.

¹²When he received the portions
of the sacrificial animals^[d]
from the priests’ hands,
        standing beside the altar’s hearth, surrounded by a wreath of brothers,
        he was like a new cedar of Lebanon,
    and they surrounded him
    like palm-tree trunks.
¹³All Aaron’s sons were in their glory,
    and they held the Lord’s offering
    in their hands
    in front of the entire assembly
    of Israel.
¹⁴When he was finishing his service
at the altar,
    after he had arranged an offering
    to the Most High, the almighty,
¹⁵    he stretched out his hand
    for the cup used for drink offerings
        and he poured a libation of wine.^[e]
        He poured it out at the base
        of the altar,
        a pleasing aroma to the Most High,
        the king of all.
¹⁶Then Aaron’s sons cheered;
    they blew trumpets
    made of hammered metal
    and caused a great sound to be heard
    as a reminder before the Most High.
¹⁷Then all at once, all the people
put their faces to the ground,
    bowing down to worship their Lord,
    the almighty, God Most High.

¹⁸The singers, accompanied by harps,
    sang praises with their voices;
        they made a sweet melody
        with a full-bodied sound.
¹⁹The people of the Lord Most High
offered prayers before the merciful one
    until the order of the Lord’s service
    was completed,
        and they finished their
        worship duties to him.
²⁰Then Simon came down
and raised his hands
    over the entire assembly
    of the Israelites
    to give the Lord’s blessing from his lips
    and to glorify his name.
²¹And they bowed down to worship
a second time,
    to receive the blessing
    from the Most High.

²²Now bless the God of all
    who everywhere does great things,
    who raises us up from our birth
    and deals mercifully with us.
²³May he give us gladness in our hearts,
    and may there be peace in our time,
    in Israel as in times past.
²⁴May he grant us his mercy,
    and may he rescue us in our lifetime.^[f]

Epilogue

²⁵My spirit takes offense at two nations,
    and the third is not even a nation:
²⁶    those who settled on Samaria’s hills,^[g]
        the Philistines,
        and the foolish people
        who dwell in Shechem.

²⁷Instruction in understanding
and knowledge
were inscribed in this scroll
    by Jesus, Sirach’s son and grandson
    of Eleazar the Jerusalemite.^[h]
    He poured forth wisdom from his heart.
²⁸Favored are those who devote their time
to these things;
    when they take them to heart,
    they will be wise.
²⁹Indeed, if they do these things,
they will be up to any task,
    because the fear of the Lord
    is their path.^[i]

Footnotes

Sirach 50:1 Heb Distinguished among his brothers and the glory of his people was the high priest Simon son of Onias.
Sirach 50:5 Heb when he gazed out of the temple
Sirach 50:11 Heb and when he put on splendid clothes
Sirach 50:12 Gk lacks of the sacrificial animals.
Sirach 50:15 LXX blood of the grape
Sirach 50:24 Heb in 50:24 May his kindness to Simon endure, and may he fulfill the covenant of Phineas, so that it won’t be cut off from him or his descendants as long as the heavens last.
Sirach 50:26 Heb the ones settling in Seir
Sirach 50:27 LXX lacks grandson; Heb Jesus, Eleazar’s son and Sirach’s grandson.
Sirach 50:29 LXX^badds and he gave wisdom to the godly. Bless the Lord forever. Amen. Amen.