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12 An everlasting covenant he established with them,
    and his decrees[a] he revealed to them.
13 Their eyes beheld his glorious majesty,
    and their ears heard the glory of his voice.[b]
14 He said to them, “Refrain from all wrongdoing,”
    and he gave them a commandment concerning duties toward one’s neighbor.

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Footnotes

  1. Wisdom of Ben Sira 17:12 An everlasting covenant . . . his decrees: a reference to the covenants that God made with human beings (e.g., Gen 2:15ff; 17:1-22, and especially the covenant of Mount Sinai when God gave the Mosaic Law, Ex 19:16ff).
  2. Wisdom of Ben Sira 17:13 The author evokes the Lord’s manifestation at Sinai (Ex 19:16-25).