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Wisdom of Ben Sira 14:17-19
New Catholic Bible
Wisdom of Ben Sira 14:17-19
New Catholic Bible
17 As is true of a garment, all flesh wears away;
the age-old decree is: all must die.
18 [a]Like thick foliage on a spreading tree,
with some leaves falling and others sprouting,
so with the generations of flesh and blood:
one dies and another is born.
19 All work decays and ceases to exist,
and its author will pass away with it.[b]
Footnotes
- Wisdom of Ben Sira 14:18 These verses touch upon the precarious character of human existence (see also Sir 30:17; 41:1-4; Pss 39:5, 7, 12; 62:10; Eccl 6:12).
- Wisdom of Ben Sira 14:19 The Book of Revelation (Rev 14:13) modifies the notion that all human works will perish, indicating that a person’s works will follow after him into the glory of a new life: “They will find rest from their labors, for their deeds go with them.”
