King James Version · Under the Greeks
Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 17
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1 created man of the earth, and turned him into it again. 2He gave them few days, and a short time, and also over the things therein. 3He endued them with strength by themselves, and made them according to his , 4And put the fear of man upon , and gave him over and fowls. 5They received the use of the five operations of , and in the sixth place he imparted them understanding, and in the seventh speech, an interpreter of the cogitations thereof. 6, and a , and eyes, ears, and a , gave he them to understand. 7Withal he filled them with the knowledge of understanding, and shewed them good and evil. 8He set his eye upon their , that he might shew them the greatness of his works. 9He gave them to in his marvellous acts for ever, that they might declare his works with understanding. 10And the elect shall his name. 11Beside this he gave them knowledge, and of life for an heritage. 12He made an with them, and shewed them his judgments. 13Their eyes saw the majesty of his , and their ears heard his voice. 14And he said unto them, Beware of all unrighteousness; and he gave every man concerning his neighbour. 15Their ways are ever before him, and shall not be hid from his eyes. 16Every man from his youth is given to evil; neither could they make to themselves fleshy for stony. 17For in the division of the nations of the whole earth he set a ruler over every people; but Israel is ’s : 18Whom, being his , he nourisheth with , and giving him of his love doth not forsake him. 19Therefore all their works are as the sun before him, and his eyes are continually upon their ways. 20None of their unrighteous deeds are hid from him, but all their are before 21But being and knowing his workmanship, neither left nor forsook them, but spared them. 22The alms of a man is as a signet with him, and he will keep the good deeds of man as the apple of the eye, and give to his sons and daughters. 23Afterwards he will rise up and reward them, and render their recompence upon their heads. 24But unto them that , he granted them return, and comforted those that failed in . 25Return unto , and forsake thy , make thy before , and offend less. 26Turn again to , and turn away from : for he will lead thee out of into of health, and hate thou vehemently. 27Who shall in the , instead of them which live and give thanks? 28 perisheth from , as from one that is not: the living and sound in shall . 29How great is the of our , and his unto such as turn unto him in ! 30For all things cannot be in men, because is not immortal. 31What is brighter than the sun? yet thereof faileth; and and will imagine evil. 32He vieweth the of the height of ; and all men are but earth and .
The 1611 translation, public domain. Its original printing included the Apocrypha, which is why the deuterocanonical books can be read here. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
The world at this moment · Under the Greeks, 332 BC to 63 BC ›
Alexander's conquest and the kingdoms of his successors. Greek language and custom press in everywhere, and the crisis under Antiochus IV provokes the Maccabean revolt.
- The successors
- Alexander dies at thirty-two and his generals carve up the empire. Judea sits on the border between the Ptolemies in Egypt and the Seleucids in Syria, and is fought over by both for a century and a half, which is the ordinary condition of the corridor.
- Hellenism
- Not just conquest but a culture: the gymnasium, the theatre, Greek names, Greek dress, Greek as the language of anyone with ambitions. Some Jews embraced it, some resisted it, and the argument between them is the real subject of the Maccabean books. In Alexandria the Hebrew scriptures are translated into Greek, producing the Septuagint, which is the Bible most New Testament writers quote.
- The crisis
- Antiochus IV bans the practice of Judaism, plunders the temple, and sets up a pagan altar in it in 167 BC. The revolt under the Maccabees wins, the temple is rededicated in 164 BC, which is the origin of Hanukkah, and Judea has about eighty years of independence under the Hasmoneans before Rome arrives.
- Further afield
- Rome fights Carthage three times and ends up master of the Mediterranean. Euclid writes the Elements and Archimedes does his work at Syracuse. In China the Qin unify the country in 221 BC and the Han follow, opening what becomes the Silk Road.
All of Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)