King James Version · Under the Greeks
Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 47
Touch any underlined name to see who or where it is.
1And after him rose up to in the time of . 2As is taken away from the peace offering, so was chosen out of the . 3He played with lions as with kids, and with bears as with lambs. 4Slew he not a giant, when he was yet but young? and did he not take away from the people, when he lifted up his hand with the stone in the sling, and beat down the boasting of ? 5For he called upon ; and he gave him strength in his to that mighty warrior, and set up of his people. 6So the people honoured him with ten thousands, and praised him in the of , in that he gave him a of . 7For he destroyed the on every side, and brought to nought the his , and brake their in sunder unto this day. 8In all his works he praised the One with words of ; with his he sung songs, and loved him that made him. 9He set singers also before the , that by their voices they might make sweet melody, and daily sing in their songs. 10He beautified their feasts, and set in order the solemn times until the end, that they might his name, and that might sound from morning. 11 took away his , and exalted his for ever: he gave him a of kings, and a of in Israel. 12After him rose up a son, and for his sake he dwelt at large. 13 reigned in a peaceable time, and was honoured; for made all quiet round about him, that he might build an house in his name, and prepare his sanctuary for ever. 14How wast thou in thy youth and, as a flood, filled with understanding! 15Thy covered the whole earth, and thou filledst it with dark parables. 16Thy name went far unto the islands; and for thy peace thou wast beloved. 17The countries marvelled at thee for thy songs, and , and parables, and interpretations. 18By the name of , which is called of Israel, thou didst gather gold as tin and didst multiply silver as lead. 19Thou didst bow thy loins unto women, and by thy body thou wast brought into subjection. 20Thou didst stain thy , and pollute thy : so that thou broughtest upon thy children, and wast grieved for thy folly. 21So was divided, and out of ruled a rebellious kingdom. 22But will never leave off his mercy, neither shall any of his works , neither will he abolish the posterity of his elect, and the of him that loveth him he will not take away: wherefore he gave a unto , and out of him a root unto . 23Thus rested with his fathers, and of he left behind him Roboam, even the foolishness of the people, and one that had no understanding, who turned away the people through his . There was also Jeroboam the son of , who caused Israel to , and shewed of : 24And their were multiplied exceedingly, that they were driven out of the land. 25For they sought out all wickedness, till the came upon them.
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)