Sirak 38

¹Hekimi, sana olan hizmetinden ötürü hak ettiği onur ve ücretle ödüllendir; çünkü onu da yaratan Rab'dir.

²Çünkü şifa En Yüce Olan'ın katından gelir ve hekim kraldan armağanlar alır.

³Hekimin bilgisi onun konumunu yükseltir ve soyluların huzurunda hayranlık uyandırır.

⁴Rab topraktan şifalı maddeler yarattı ve sağduyulu insan onları reddetmez.

⁵Tanrı'nın gücü bilinsin diye, acı su bir odun parçasıyla tatlılaşmadı mı?

⁶İnsanlar O'nun harikulade işleri aracılığıyla yücelik kazansın diye, Rab onlara bilgi verdi.

⁷Hekim bu şifalı maddelerle hastayı iyileştirdi ve onun acısını dindirdi.

⁸Eczacı bunlarla şifalı bir karışım hazırlar; böylece Rab'bin işleri asla son bulmaz ve O'nun esenliği yeryüzünün her yanına yayılır.

⁹Oğlum, hastalandığında kendini ihmal etme; Rab'be dua et, O seni iyileştirecektir.

¹⁰Hatalarından vazgeç, ellerini doğru işlere yönelt ve yüreğini her türlü günahtan arındır.

¹¹Kendini adeta ölmüş gibi tamamen adayarak, hoş kokulu sunu ve ince undan anmalık sun; adaklarını yağlı sunularla zenginleştir.

¹²Sonra hekime hak ettiği yeri aç, çünkü onu da yaratan Rab'dir; yanından ayrılmasına izin verme, çünkü ona gereksinimin var.

¹³Öyle anlar vardır ki, tedavinin başarısı hekimlerin ellerindedir.

¹⁴Çünkü onlar da hastaya rahatlık vermek ve yaşamını sürdürmesini sağlamak amacıyla şifa bulması için Rab'ye yakarırlar.

¹⁵Kendisini Yaratan'a karşı günah işleyen kişi, hekimin eline düşsün!

¹⁶Oğlum, ölen biri için gözyaşı dök ve büyük bir acı çekiyormuş gibi ağıt yakmaya başla; bedenini usulüne göre kefenle ve gömülmesini ihmal etme.

¹⁷Acı acı ağla, dövünerek feryat et; topluluk tarafından kınanmamak için değerine yaraşır biçimde bir veya iki gün yas tut, sonra kederini dağıtıp teselli bul.

¹⁸Çünkü keder ölüm getirir ve yürekteki keder insanın gücünü tüketir.

¹⁹Felaketle birlikte keder de kalıcı olur, yoksulun yaşamı ise yüreğini kemiren bir yüktür.

²⁰Yüreğini kedere teslim etme; kendi ölümlülüğünü düşünerek kederi kendinden uzaklaştır.

²¹Unutma ki ölen için geri dönüş yoktur; ona hiçbir yararın dokunmaz, ancak kendine zarar verirsin.

²²Onun üzerindeki ölüm hükmünü hatırla, çünkü aynı hüküm senin için de geçerlidir: "Dün bana, bugün sana!"

²³Ölü huzura kavuştuğunda, onun anısını da huzura bırak; ruhu bedenden ayrıldığında, onun için teselli bul.

²⁴Yasa bilgininin bilgeliği, boş vakit bulabildiği ölçüde artar; işi az olan kişi bilgeleşir.

²⁵Saban tutan, üvendire değneğiyle övünen, sığırları süren ve onların işleriyle uğraşan, tek konuşması boğalar üzerine olan kişi nasıl bilgeleşebilir?

²⁶Bütün yüreğini saban izleri açmaya verir ve düvelere yem yetiştirmek için uykusuz kalır.

²⁷Geceyi gündüze katarak çalışan her marangoz ve usta da böyledir; mühür oyanlar, sürekli yeni desenler yaratmaya çalışanlar, resimleri aslına benzetmek için yüreklerini ortaya koyanlar ve işi bitirmek için uykusuz kalanlar da böyledir.

²⁸Örsün yanında oturan ve demir işini inceleyen demirci de böyledir; ateşin sıcağı onun etini kurutur, o ise fırının sıcağıyla mücadele eder. Çekicin sesi kulaklarını sersemletir, gözleri sürekli yapacağı kabın modelindedir; işini tamamlamak için yüreğini ortaya koyar ve onu kusursuzca süslemek için uykusuz kalır.

²⁹İşinin başında oturan ve çarkını ayaklarıyla döndüren çömlekçi de böyledir; her zaman işi için kaygılanır ve yaptığı her işi sayıyla, ölçüyle yapar.

³⁰Kollarıyla kile şekil verir ve ayaklarının önünde gücünü büker; kabın cilasını tamamlamak için yüreğini ortaya koyar ve fırını temizlemek için uykusuz kalır.

³¹Bunların hepsi ellerine güvenir ve her biri kendi işinde uzmanlaşır.

³²Onlar olmadan bir kent kurulamaz, insanlar orada yaşayamaz ve gezip dolaşamaz.

³³Ama halkın meclisinde onlara danışılmaz ve topluluk içinde ön saflarda yer almazlar; yargıç kürsüsüne oturmazlar ve yasanın hükümlerini kavrayamazlar. Ne adaleti ve doğruluğu açıklayabilirler, ne de mesellerin söylendiği yerlerde bulunurlar.

³⁴Ancak onlar dünyanın düzenini ayakta tutarlar ve bütün duaları mesleklerinin işleri üzerinedir.

¹ΤΙΜΑ ἰατρὸν πρὸς τὰς χρείας αὐτοῦ τιμαῖς αὐτοῦ, καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸν ἔκτισε Κύριος·

²παρὰ γὰρ ῾Υψίστου ἐστὶν ἴασις, καὶ παρὰ βασιλέως λήψεται δόμα.

³ἐπιστήμη ἰατροῦ ἀνυψώσει κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔναντι μεγιστάνων θαυμασθήσεται.

⁴Κύριος ἔκτισεν ἐκ γῆς φάρμακα, καὶ ἀνὴρ φρόνιμος οὐ προσοχθιεῖ αὐτοῖς.

⁵οὐκ ἀπὸ ξύλου ἐγλυκάνθη ὕδωρ εἰς τὸ γνωσθῆναι τὴν ἰσχὺν αὐτοῦ;

⁶καὶ αὐτὸς ἔδωκεν ἀνθρώποις ἐπιστήμην ἐνδοξάζεσθαι ἐν τοῖς θαυμασίοις αὐτοῦ·

⁷ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐθεράπευσε καὶ ἦρε τὸν πόνον αὐτοῦ,

⁸μυρεψὸς ἐν τούτοις ποιήσει μεῖγμα, καὶ οὐ μὴ συντελέσῃ ἔργα αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἰρήνη παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἐστιν ἐπὶ προσώπου τῆς γῆς. -

⁹Τέκνον, ἐν ἀρρωστήματί σου μὴ παράβλεπε, ἀλλ᾿ εὖξαι Κυρίῳ, καὶ αὐτὸς ἰάσεταί σε.

¹⁰ἀπόστησον πλημμέλειαν καὶ εὔθυνον χεῖρας, καὶ ἀπὸ πάσης ἁμαρτίας καθάρισον καρδίαν.

¹¹δὸς εὐωδίαν καὶ μνημόσυνον σεμιδάλεως καὶ λίπανον προσφορὰν ὡς μὴ ὑπάρχων.

¹²καὶ ἰατρῷ δὸς τόπον, καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸν ἔκτισε Κύριος, καὶ μὴ ἀποστήτω σου, καὶ γὰρ αὐτοῦ χρεία.

¹³ἔστι καιρὸς ὅτε καὶ ἐν χερσὶν αὐτῶν εὐοδία·

¹⁴καὶ γὰρ αὐτοὶ Κυρίου δεηθήσονται, ἵνα εὐοδώσῃ αὐτοῖς ἀνάπαυσιν καὶ ἴασιν χάριν ἐμβιώσεως.

¹⁵ὁ ἁμαρτάνων ἔναντι τοῦ ποιήσαντος αὐτὸν ἐμπέσοι εἰς χεῖρας ἰατροῦ.

¹⁶Τέκνον, ἐπὶ νεκρῷ κατάγαγε δάκρυα καὶ ὡς δεινὰ πάσχων ἔναρξαι θρήνου, κατὰ δὲ τὴν κρίσιν αὐτοῦ περίστειλον τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ καὶ μὴ ὑπερίδῃς τὴν ταφὴν αὐτοῦ.

¹⁷πίκρανον κλαυθμὸν καὶ θέρμανον κοπετὸν καὶ ποίησον τὸ πένθος κατὰ τὴν ἀξίαν αὐτοῦ ἡμέραν μίαν καὶ δύο χάριν διαβολῆς καὶ παρακλήθητι λύπης ἕνεκα·

¹⁸ἀπὸ λύπης γὰρ ἐκβαίνει θάνατος, καὶ λύπη καρδίας κάμψει ἰσχύν.

¹⁹ἐν ἐπαγωγῇ παραβαίνει καὶ λύπη, καὶ βίος πτωχοῦ κατὰ καρδίας.

²⁰μὴ δῷς εἰς λύπην τὴν καρδίαν σου, ἀπόστησον αὐτὴν μνησθεὶς τὰ ἔσχατα·

²¹μὴ ἐπιλάθῃ, οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἐπάνοδος, καὶ τοῦτον οὐκ ὠφελήσεις καὶ σεαυτὸν κακώσεις.

²²μνήσθητι τὸ κρίμα αὐτοῦ, ὅτι οὕτω καὶ τὸ σόν· ἐμοὶ ἐχθὲς καὶ σοὶ σήμερον.

²³ἐν ἀναπαύσει νεκροῦ κατάπαυσον τὸ μνημόσυνον αὐτοῦ καὶ παρακλήθητι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐν ἐξόδῳ πνεύματος αὐτοῦ.

²⁴Σοφία γραμματέως ἐν εὐκαιρίᾳ σχολῆς, καὶ ὁ ἐλασσούμενος πράξει αὐτοῦ σοφισθήσεται.

²⁵τί σοφισθήσεται ὁ κρατῶν ἀρότρου καὶ καυχώμενος ἐν δόρατι κέντρου, βόας ἐλαύνων καὶ ἀναστρεφόμενος ἐν ἔργοις αὐτῶν, καὶ ἡ διήγησις αὐτοῦ ἐν υἱοῖς ταύρων;

²⁶καρδίαν αὐτοῦ δώσει ἐκδοῦναι αὔλακας, καὶ ἡ ἀγρυπνία αὐτοῦ εἰς χορτάσματα δαμάλεων.

²⁷οὕτως πᾶς τέκτων καὶ ἀρχιτέκτων, ὅστις νύκτωρ ὡς ἡμέρας διάγει· οἱ γλύφοντες γλύμματα σφραγίδων, καὶ ἡ ὑπομονὴ αὐτοῦ ἀλλοιῶσαι ποικιλίαν· καρδίαν αὐτοῦ δώσει εἰς τὸ ὁμοιῶσαι ζωγραφίαν, καὶ ἡ ἀγρυπνία αὐτοῦ τελέσαι ἔργον.

²⁸οὕτως χαλκεὺς καθήμενος ἐγγὺς ἄκμονος καὶ καταμανθάνων ἔργα σιδήρου· ἀτμὶς πυρὸς πήξει σάρκας αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐν θέρμῃ καμίνου διαμαχήσεται· φωνὴ σφύρης καινιεῖ τὸ οὖς αὐτοῦ, καὶ κατέναντι ὁμοιώματος σκεύους οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτοῦ· καρδίαν αὐτοῦ δώσει εἰς συντέλειαν ἔργων, καὶ ἡ ἀγρυπνία αὐτοῦ κοσμῆσαι ἐπὶ συντελείας.

²⁹οὕτως κεραμεὺς καθήμενος ἐν ἔργῳ αὐτοῦ καὶ συστρέφων ἐν ποσὶν αὐτοῦ τροχόν, ὃς ἐν μερίμνῃ κεῖται διὰ παντὸς ἐπὶ τὸ ἔργον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐναρίθμιος πᾶσα ἡ ἐργασία αὐτοῦ.

³⁰ἐν βραχίονι αὐτοῦ τυπώσει πηλὸν καὶ πρὸ ποδῶν κάμψει ἰσχὺν αὐτοῦ· καρδίαν ἐπιδώσει συντελέσαι τὸ χρῖσμα, καὶ ἡ ἀγρυπνία αὐτοῦ καθαρίσαι κάμινον. -

³¹Πάντες οὗτοι εἰς χεῖρας αὐτῶν ἐνεπίστευσαν, καὶ ἕκαστος ἐν τῷ ἔργῳ αὐτοῦ σοφίζεται.

³²ἄνευ αὐτῶν οὐκ οἰκισθήσεται πόλις, καὶ οὐ παροικήσουσιν οὐδὲ περιπατήσουσιν,

³³ἀλλ᾿ εἰς βουλὴν λαοῦ οὐ ζητηθήσονται καὶ ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ οὐχ ὑπεραλοῦνται· ἐπὶ δίφρον δικαστοῦ οὐ καθιοῦνται καὶ διαθήκην κρίματος οὐ διανοηθήσονται, οὐδὲ μὴ ἐκφάνωσι δικαιοσύνην καὶ κρίμα, καὶ ἐν παραβολαῖς οὐχ εὑρεθήσονται,

³⁴ἀλλὰ κτίσμα αἰῶνος στηρίσουσι, καὶ ἡ δέησις αὐτῶν ἐν ἐργασίᾳ τέχνης.

¹Honour a physician with the honour due unto him for the uses which ye may have of him: for the Lord hath created him.

²For of the most High cometh healing, and he shall receive honour of the king.

³The skill of the physician shall lift up his head: and in the sight of great men he shall be in admiration.

⁴The Lord hath created medicines out of the earth; and he that is wise will not abhor them.

⁵Was not the water made sweet with wood, that the virtue thereof might be known?

⁶And he hath given men skill, that he might be honoured in his marvellous works.

⁷With such doth he heal men, and taketh away their pains.

⁸Of such doth the apothecary make a confection; and of his works there is no end; and from him is peace over all the earth,

⁹My son, in thy sickness be not negligent: but pray unto the Lord, and he will make thee whole.

¹⁰Leave off from sin, and order thine hands aright, and cleanse thy heart from all wickedness.

¹¹Give a sweet savour, and a memorial of fine flour; and make a fat offering, as not being.

¹²Then give place to the physician, for the Lord hath created him: let him not go from thee, for thou hast need of him.

¹³There is a time when in their hands there is good success.

¹⁴For they shall also pray unto the Lord, that he would prosper that, which they give for ease and remedy to prolong life.

¹⁵He that sinneth before his Maker, let him fall into the hand of the physician.

¹⁶My son, let tears fall down over the dead, and begin to lament, as if thou hadst suffered great harm thyself; and then cover his body according to the custom, and neglect not his burial.

¹⁷Weep bitterly, and make great moan, and use lamentation, as he is worthy, and that a day or two, lest thou be evil spoken of: and then comfort thyself for thy heaviness.

¹⁸For of heaviness cometh death, and the heaviness of the heart breaketh strength.

¹⁹In affliction also sorrow remaineth: and the life of the poor is the curse of the heart.

²⁰Take no heaviness to heart: drive it away, and member the last end.

²¹Forget it not, for there is no turning again: thou shalt not do him good, but hurt thyself.

²²Remember my judgment: for thine also shall be so; yesterday for me, and to day for thee.

²³When the dead is at rest, let his remembrance rest; and be comforted for him, when his Spirit is departed from him.

²⁴The wisdom of a learned man cometh by opportunity of leisure: and he that hath little business shall become wise.

²⁵How can he get wisdom that holdeth the plough, and that glorieth in the goad, that driveth oxen, and is occupied in their labours, and whose talk is of bullocks?

²⁶He giveth his mind to make furrows; and is diligent to give the kine fodder.

²⁷So every carpenter and workmaster, that laboureth night and day: and they that cut and grave seals, and are diligent to make great variety, and give themselves to counterfeit imagery, and watch to finish a work:

²⁸The smith also sitting by the anvil, and considering the iron work, the vapour of the fire wasteth his flesh, and he fighteth with the heat of the furnace: the noise of the hammer and the anvil is ever in his ears, and his eyes look still upon the pattern of the thing that he maketh; he setteth his mind to finish his work, and watcheth to polish it perfectly:

²⁹So doth the potter sitting at his work, and turning the wheel about with his feet, who is alway carefully set at his work, and maketh all his work by number;

³⁰He fashioneth the clay with his arm, and boweth down his strength before his feet; he applieth himself to lead it over; and he is diligent to make clean the furnace:

³¹All these trust to their hands: and every one is wise in his work.

³²Without these cannot a city be inhabited: and they shall not dwell where they will, nor go up and down:

³³They shall not be sought for in publick counsel, nor sit high in the congregation: they shall not sit on the judges’ seat, nor understand the sentence of judgment: they cannot declare justice and judgment; and they shall not be found where parables are spoken.

³⁴But they will maintain the state of the world, and all their desire is in the work of their craft.