Whoever fears the Lord and keeps the law will obtain wisdom: she will meet him like a mother and feed him with the bread of understanding, while fools and liars will never see her. The second half answers a familiar excuse: 'Say not thou, It is through the Lord that I fell away.' God made man from the beginning and 'left him in the hand of his counsel': if you will, you can keep the commandments. He has set fire and water before you, life and death, and each will be given what he chooses. God has commanded no man to do wickedly, nor given anyone licence to sin.
Sirach 15 - Summary
Summary
Read Sirach Chapter 15 Summary
Original
Characters in This Chapter
Noah
Found perfect and righteous, kept as a remnant when the flood came, with an everlasting covenant
Abraham
Father of many nations, faithful when tested, to whom God swore to bless the nations in his seed
Moses
Beloved of God and men, brought into the cloud and given the law of life; the law he commanded is identified with Wisdom
Aaron
Given an everlasting priesthood; his vestments are described at length
David
Chosen out of Israel, slayer of Goliath, singer who set singers before the altar, given a covenant of kings
Solomon
Wise king of peace who built the temple, then stained his honour through his women
Elijah
Prophet 'as fire', taken up in a chariot of fire and appointed to turn the heart of the father to the son
Ben Sira
Author and sage of Jerusalem, who signs the book, praises the fathers and closes with his own prayer
Places in This Chapter
Position in Book
The Fear of the LordChapters 1-2
Parents, the Poor and Wisdom's DisciplineChapters 3-4
Speech, Friendship and PrudenceChapters 5-9
Pride, Wealth and GenerosityChapters 10-14
Free Will and God's MercyChapters 15-18
Man is free to choose life or death; God judges the wicked, created man in his image, chose Israel, and is patient with all flesh.
The Tongue and the FoolChapters 19-23
Wisdom Praises HerselfChapters 24
Wives and the HouseholdChapters 25-26
Honest Dealing and ForgivenessChapters 27-32
God's Order, True Worship and a Prayer for IsraelChapters 33-36
Counsellors, Physicians and the ScribeChapters 37-39
Life, Death and the Glory of CreationChapters 40-43
The Praise of the FathersChapters 44-50
Thanksgiving and the Search for WisdomChapters 51