Sirak 47

¹Ve bundan sonra, Davut'un döneminde peygamberlik hizmetini yerine getirmek üzere Natan ortaya çıktı.

²Şükran kurbanından ayrılıp kutsanan en seçkin iç yağı nasılsa, Davut da İsrailoğulları arasından öylece seçilip kutsandı.

³Gençliğinde aslanlarla sanki birer oğlakmış gibi oynadı ve ayılarla koyun sürüsünün kuzularıymış gibi kolayca başa çıktı.

⁴Gençlik yıllarında sapanındaki taşla elini kaldırıp Golyat'ın kibrini yere sererek bir devi öldürmedi mi ve halkın üzerindeki utancı kaldırmadı mı?

⁵Çünkü Yüce Rab'be yakardı ve Rab onun sağ eline savaşta güçlü olan o adamı yok etmesi ve halkının gücünü yükseltmesi için kudret verdi.

⁶Bu yüzden on binlerce insan onu onurlandırdı, kendisine görkem tacı giydirildiğinde onu Rab'bin kutsamalarıyla övdüler.

⁷Çünkü o, her taraftaki düşmanları yok etti, hasımları olan Filistlileri bozguna uğrattı ve onların gücünü bugüne dek tamamen kırdı.

⁸Yaptığı her işte Kutsal ve Yüce Olan'a görkemli sözlerle şükranlarını sundu; bütün yüreğiyle ezgiler söyleyerek kendisini Yaratan'ı sevdi.

⁹Sunağın önüne mezmur okuyan şarkıcılar yerleştirdi ki onların seslerinin tınısıyla ezgiler tatlansın.

¹⁰Bayramlara görkem kattı ve kutsal adını övsünler, tapınak sabahtan itibaren ilahilerle çınlasın diye ibadet vakitlerini sonuna kadar kusursuzca düzenledi.

¹¹Rab onun günahlarını bağışladı, gücünü sonsuza dek yükseltti; ona krallık antlaşmasını ve İsrail'de görkem tahtını verdi.

¹²Ondan sonra bilge bir oğul tahta çıktı ve onun hatırı için geniş ve huzurlu topraklarda refah içinde yaşadı.

¹³Süleyman barış günlerinde krallık yaptı; Tanrı kendi adına bir tapınak inşa etmesi ve sonsuza dek kalacak kutsal mekanı hazırlaması için onu her tarafta huzura kavuşturdu.

¹⁴Gençliğinde ne kadar da bilgeydin ve adeta bir nehir gibi anlayışla doldun!

¹⁵Şöhretin ve bilgin tüm yeryüzünü kapladı; dünyayı bilmecelerle dolu mesellerle doldurdun.

¹⁶Adın uzak adalara kadar ulaştı ve sağladığın barış sayesinde çok sevildin.

¹⁷Söylediğin ezgiler, özdeyişler, meseller ve yaptığın bilgece yorumlarla ülkeleri kendine hayran bıraktın.

¹⁸İsrail'in Tanrısı olarak çağrılan Rab Tanrı'nın adıyla, altını kalay gibi topladın ve gümüşü kurşun kadar bollaştırdın.

¹⁹Fakat bedenini kadınlara teslim ettin, arzularının esiri olarak kendi bedeninin üzerindeki denetimini kaybettin.

²⁰Görkemine leke sürdün ve soyunu kirlettin; öyle ki çocuklarının üzerine ilahi gazap getirdin ve senin bu akılsızlığına yüreğim sızladı.

²¹Bu yüzden egemenlik ikiye bölündü ve Efrayim'den asi, itaatsiz bir krallık çıktı.

²²Ama Rab merhametinden asla vazgeçmez, kendi işlerinden hiçbirini yok etmez; ne seçtiğinin soyunu ortadan kaldırır ne de kendisini sevenin neslini kurutur. Bu yüzden Yakup'a bir kalıntı ve Davut'a kendisinden çıkan bir kök bağışladı.

²³Süleyman atalarıyla birlikte uyudu ve arkasında kendi soyundan, halkın akılsızlığının somut bir örneği olan ve anlayıştan yoksun Rehavam'ı bıraktı; o ki kendi öğüdüyle halkı yoldan çıkardı. Bir de Nebat oğlu Yarovam vardı ki, İsrail'i günaha sürükledi ve Efrayim'e günah yolunu açtı.

²⁴Onların günahları o kadar çok çoğaldı ki, sonunda kendi topraklarından sürülüp uzaklaştırıldılar.

²⁵Üzerlerine ilahi ceza gelene kadar her türlü kötülüğün peşinden ısrarla gittiler.

¹ΚΑΙ μετὰ τοῦτο ἀνέστη Νάθαν προφητεύειν ἐν ἡμέραις Δαυίδ.

²ὥσπερ στέαρ ἀφωρισμένον ἀπὸ σωτηρίου, οὕτως Δαυὶδ ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν ᾿Ισραήλ.

³ἐν λέουσιν ἔπαιξεν ὡς ἐν ἐρίφοις καὶ ἐν ἄρκοις ὡς ἐν ἄρνασι προβάτων.

⁴ἐν νεότητι αὐτοῦ οὐχὶ ἀπέκτεινε γίγαντα καὶ ἐξῇρεν ὀνειδισμὸν ἐκ λαοῦ ἐν τῷ ἐπᾶραι χεῖρα ἐν λίθῳ σφενδόνης καὶ καταβαλεῖν γαυρίαμα τοῦ Γολιάθ;

⁵ἐπεκαλέσατο γὰρ Κύριον τὸν ῞Υψιστον καὶ ἔδωκεν ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ αὐτοῦ κράτος ἐξᾶραι ἄνθρωπον δυνατὸν ἐν πολέμῳ, ἀνυψῶσαι κέρας λαοῦ αὐτοῦ.

⁶οὕτως ἐν μυριάσιν ἐδόξασαν αὐτὸν καὶ ᾔνεσαν αὐτὸν ἐν εὐλογίαις Κυρίου ἐν τῷ φέρεσθαι αὐτῷ διάδημα δόξης·

⁷ἐξέτριψε γὰρ ἐχθροὺς κυκλόθεν καὶ ἐξουδένωσε Φυλιστιεὶμ τοὺς ὑπεναντίους· ἕως σήμερον συνέτριψεν αὐτῶν κέρας.

⁸ἐν παντὶ ἔργῳ αὐτοῦ ἔδωκεν ἐξομολόγησιν ἁγίῳ ῾Υψίστῳ ῥήματι δόξης· ἐν πάσῃ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ ὕμνησε καὶ ἠγάπησε τὸν ποιήσαντα αὐτόν.

⁹καὶ ἔστησε ψαλτῳδοὺς κατέναντι τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου καὶ ἐξ ἠχοῦς αὐτῶν γλυκαίνειν μέλη·

¹⁰ἔδωκεν ἐν ἑορταῖς εὐπρέπειαν καὶ ἐκόσμησε καιροὺς μέχρι συντελείας ἐν τῷ αἰνεῖν αὐτοὺς τὸ ἅγιον ὄνομα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπὸ πρωΐ ἠχεῖν τὸ ἁγίασμα.

¹¹Κύριος ἀφεῖλε τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀνύψωσεν εἰς αἰῶνα τὸ κέρας αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ διαθήκην βασιλέων καὶ θρόνον δόξης ἐν τῷ ᾿Ισραήλ. -

¹²Μετὰ τοῦτον ἀνέστη υἱὸς ἐπιστήμων καὶ δι᾿ αὐτὸν κατέλυσεν ἐν πλατυσμῷ·

¹³Σαλωμὼν ἐβασίλευσεν ἐν ἡμέραις εἰρήνης, ᾧ ὁ Θεὸς κατέπαυσε κυκλόθεν, ἵνα στήσῃ οἶκον ἐπ᾿ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ καὶ ἑτοιμάσῃ ἁγίασμα εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.

¹⁴ὡς ἐσοφίσθης ἐν νεότητί σου καὶ ἐνεπλήσθης ὡς ποταμὸς συνέσεως.

¹⁵γῆν ἐπεκάλυψεν ἡ ψυχή σου, καὶ ἐνέπλησας ἐν παραβολαῖς αἰνιγμάτων·

¹⁶εἰς νήσους πόρρω ἀφίκετο τὸ ὄνομά σου, καὶ ἠγαπήθης ἐν τῇ εἰρήνῃ σου·

¹⁷ἐν ᾠδαῖς καὶ παροιμίαις καὶ παραβολαῖς καὶ ἐν ἑρμηνείαις ἀπεθαύμασάν σε χῶραι.

¹⁸ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἐπικεκλημένου Θεοῦ ᾿Ισραήλ, συνήγαγες ὡς κασσίτερον τὸ χρυσίον καὶ ὡς μόλυβδον ἐπλήθυνας ἀργύριον.

¹⁹παρανέκλινας τὰς λαγόνας σου γυναιξὶ καὶ ἐνεξουσιάσθης ἐν τῷ σώματί σου·

²⁰ἔδωκας μῶμον ἐν τῇ δόξῃ σου καὶ ἐβεβήλωσας τὸ σπέρμα σου ἐπαγαγεῖν ὀργὴν ἐπὶ τὰ τέκνα σου καὶ κατενύγην ἐπὶ τῇ ἀφροσύνῃ σου,

²¹γενέσθαι δίχα τυραννίδα καὶ ἐξ ᾿Εφραὶμ ἄρξαι βασιλείαν ἀπειθῆ.

²²ὁ δὲ Κύριος οὐ μὴ καταλίπῃ τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐ μὴ διαφθείρῃ ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ, οὐδὲ μὴ ἐξαλείψῃ ἐκλεκτοῦ αὐτοῦ ἔκγονα καὶ σπέρμα τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντος αὐτὸν οὐ μὴ ἐξάρῃ· καὶ τῷ ᾿Ιακὼβ ἔδωκε κατάλειμμα καὶ τῷ Δαυὶδ ἐξ αὐτοῦ ρίζαν. -

²³Καὶ ἀνεπαύσατο Σαλωμὼν μετὰ τῶν πατέρων αὐτοῦ καὶ κατέλιπε μετ᾿ αὐτὸν ἐκ τοῦ σπέρματος αὐτοῦ λαοῦ ἀφροσύνην καὶ ἐλασσούμενον συνέσει, Ῥοβοάμ, ὃς ἀπέστησε λαὸν ἐκ βουλῆς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ῾Ιεροβοὰμ υἱὸν Ναβάτ, ὃς ἐξήμαρτε τὸν ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ ἔδωκε τῷ ᾿Εφραὶμ ὁδὸν ἁμαρτίας.

²⁴καὶ ἐπληθύνθησαν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι αὐτῶν σφόδρα ἀποστῆσαι αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς αὐτῶν·

²⁵καὶ πᾶσαν πονηρίαν ἐξεζήτησαν, ἕως ἐκδίκησις ἔλθῃ ἐπ᾿ αὐτούς.

¹And after him rose up Nathan to prophesy in the time of David.

²As is the fat taken away from the peace offering, so was David chosen out of the children of Israel.

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 reproach from the people, when he lifted up his hand with the stone in the sling, and beat down the boasting of Goliath?

⁵For he called upon the most high Lord; and he gave him strength in his right hand to slay that mighty warrior, and set up the horn of his people.

⁶So the people honoured him with ten thousands, and praised him in the blessings of the Lord, in that he gave him a crown of glory.

⁷For he destroyed the enemies on every side, and brought to nought the Philistines his adversaries, and brake their horn in sunder unto this day.

⁸In all his works he praised the Holy One most high with words of glory; with his whole heart he sung songs, and loved him that made him.

⁹He set singers also before the altar, that by their voices they might make sweet melody, and daily sing praises in their songs.

¹⁰He beautified their feasts, and set in order the solemn times until the end, that they might praise his holy name, and that the temple might sound from morning.

¹¹The Lord took away his sins, and exalted his horn for ever: he gave him a covenant of kings, and a throne of glory in Israel.

¹²After him rose up a wise son, and for his sake he dwelt at large.

¹³Solomon reigned in a peaceable time, and was honoured; for God made all quiet round about him, that he might build an house in his name, and prepare his sanctuary for ever.

¹⁴How wise wast thou in thy youth and, as a flood, filled with understanding!

¹⁵Thy soul 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 proverbs, and parables, and interpretations.

¹⁸By the name of the Lord God, which is called the Lord God 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 honour, and pollute thy seed: so that thou broughtest wrath upon thy children, and wast grieved for thy folly.

²¹So the kingdom was divided, and out of Ephraim ruled a rebellious kingdom.

²²But the Lord will never leave off his mercy, neither shall any of his works perish, neither will he abolish the posterity of his elect, and the seed of him that loveth him he will not take away: wherefore he gave a remnant unto Jacob, and out of him a root unto David.

²³Thus rested Solomon with his fathers, and of his seed he left behind him Roboam, even the foolishness of the people, and one that had no understanding, who turned away the people through his counsel. There was also Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin, and shewed Ephraim the way of sin:

²⁴And their sins were multiplied exceedingly, that they were driven out of the land.

²⁵For they sought out all wickedness, till the vengeance came upon them.