King James Version · Under the Greeks
Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 3
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1Hear me your , O children, and do thereafter, that ye may be safe. 2For hath given over the children, and hath confirmed the of the mother over the sons. 3Whoso honoureth his maketh an atonement for his : 4And he that honoureth his mother is as one that layeth up . 5Whoso honoureth his shall have joy of his own children; and when he maketh his , he shall be heard. 6He that honoureth his shall have a long life; and he that is obedient unto shall be a comfort to his mother. 7He that feareth will his , and will do unto his parents, as to his masters. 8 thy and mother both in word and deed, that a may come upon thee from them. 9For the of establisheth the houses of children; but the of the mother rooteth out foundations. 10 not in the dishonour of thy ; for thy ’s dishonour is no unto thee. 11For the of a man is from the of his ; and a mother in dishonour is a to the children. 12My son, help thy in his age, and grieve him not as long as he liveth. 13And if his understanding fail, have with him; and despise him not when thou art in thy full strength. 14For the relieving of thy shall not be forgotten: and instead of it shall be added to build thee up. 15In the day of thine affliction it shall be remembered; thy also shall melt away, as the ice in the fair warm weather. 16He that forsaketh his is as a blasphemer; and he that angereth his mother is : of . 17My son, go on with thy business in meekness; so shalt thou be beloved of him that is approved. 18The greater thou art, the more humble thyself, and thou shalt find before . 19Many are in , and of renown: but are unto the meek. 20For the of is great, and he is honoured of the lowly. 21Seek not out things that are too hard for thee, neither search the things that are above thy strength. 22But what is commanded thee, think thereupon with reverence, for it is not needful for thee to see with thine eyes the things that are in secret. 23Be not curious in unnecessary matters: for more things are shewed unto thee than men understand. 24For many are deceived by their own opinion; and an evil suspicion hath overthrown their . 25Without eyes thou shalt want : profess not the knowledge therefore that thou hast not. 26A shall fare evil at the last; and he that loveth danger shall therein. 27An shall be laden with sorrows; and man shall heap upon . 28In the punishment of the proud there is no remedy; for the plant of wickedness hath taken root in him. 29 of the prudent will understand ; and an attentive ear is the of a man. 30Water will quench a flaming ; and alms maketh an atonement for . 31And he that requiteth good turns is mindful of that which may come hereafter; and when he falleth, he shall find a stay.
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)