Sirak 50

¹Onias oğlu Başkâhin Şimon, kendi ömrü boyunca tapınak evini onarıp tahkim etti ve kendi günlerinde tapınağı sağlamlaştırdı.

²Kutsal tapınak çevresinin yüksek istinat duvarı ve çift katlı sur yüksekliği onun tarafından temellendirildi.

³Onun günlerinde su toplama havuzu genişletilerek kazıldı ve çevresi deniz gibi geniş bir sarnıç yapıldı.

⁴Kendi halkını çöküşten korumak için kaygı duyan ve kuşatma altındaki kenti güçlendiren oydu.

⁵Perde arkasındaki kutsal bölmeden çıkıp halkın arasında göründüğünde ne kadar da görkemliydi!

⁶Bulutların arasından sıyrılan sabah yıldızı gibi, kendi günlerindeki dolunay gibiydi;

⁷En Yüce Olan'ın tapınağı üzerinde parıldayan güneş gibi ve görkemli bulutlarda ışık saçan gökkuşağı gibiydi;

⁸Turfanda günlerdeki gül goncası gibi, su kaynaklarının kenarındaki zambaklar gibi, yaz günlerindeki Lübnan ağacının taze filizi gibiydi;

⁹Buhurdanlıktaki ateş ve buhur gibi, her türlü değerli taşla bezenmiş som altından dövme bir kap gibiydi;

¹⁰Meyveyle donanmış yeşeren bir zeytin ağacı gibi ve bulutların içinde yükselen bir selvi ağacı gibiydi.

¹¹Görkemli kaftanını kuşandığında ve ihtişamının zirvesini giyindiğinde, kutsal sunağa çıkarken kutsal yerin çevresini onurlandırdı.

¹²Kurban parçalarını kâhinlerin ellerinden alırken, kendisi sunağın ocağının yanında dururdu; çevresinde kardeşlerinden oluşan bir taç vardı, tıpkı Lübnan'daki sedir filizleri gibi; ve onu hurma ağacının dalları gibi çevrelemişlerdi.

¹³Harun'un bütün oğulları kendi görkemleri içinde, ellerinde Rab'bin sunuları ile tüm İsrail cemaatinin önünde duruyorlardı.

¹⁴Sunağın üzerindeki hizmeti tamamlayıp Her Şeye Gücü Yeten En Yüce Olan'ın sunusunu süslerken,

¹⁵Elini sunu kâsesine uzattı ve üzümün kanından şarap sundu; sunağın temellerine, her şeyin kralı olan En Yüce Olan'a hoş kokulu bir sunu olarak akıttı.

¹⁶O zaman Harun'un oğulları haykırdı, dövme gümüş borularla ses verdiler; En Yüce Olan'ın önünde bir anma sunusu olarak yüksek ve işitilir bir ses çıkardılar.

¹⁷O zaman bütün halk hep birlikte aceleyle yüzüstü yere kapandı; kendi Rableri olan Her Şeye Gücü Yeten En Yüce Tanrı'ya tapınmak için.

¹⁸İlahiciler de sesleriyle övgüler sundular, tapınakta en tatlı ezgiler yankılandı.

¹⁹Halk, merhametli olanın önünde dua ederek En Yüce Rab'be yakardı; ta ki Rab'bin ayinsel düzeni tamamlanıncaya ve O'nun hizmetini bitirinceye dek.

²⁰Sonra aşağı indi ve dudaklarından Rab'bin kutsamasını vermek ve O'nun adıyla onurlanmak için ellerini tüm İsrail oğulları topluluğunun üzerine kaldırdı.

²¹Ve halk, En Yüce Olan'dan gelen kutsamayı kabul etmek için ikinci kez secdeye kapandı.

²²Şimdi her yerde harikalar yaratan, bizi ana rahminden itibaren yücelten ve bize merhametine göre davranan her şeyin Tanrısı'na övgüler sunun.

²³Bize yürek sevinci versin ve günlerimiz boyunca, İsrail'de sonsuza dek barış olsun.

²⁴Merhametini bizimle daim kılsın ve kendi günlerinde bizi kurtarsın.

²⁵Ruhum iki ulustan tiksiniyor, üçüncüsü ise bir ulus bile değil:

²⁶Samiriye dağında oturanlar, Filistliler ve Şekem'de yaşayan o ahmak halk.

²⁷Bilgelik ve bilgi eğitimini bu kitaba kazıyan, yüreğinden bilgelik akıtan Yeruşalimli Sirak oğlu İsa'dır.

²⁸Bunlarla meşgul olan kişiye ne mutlu! Bunları yüreğine yerleştiren bilge olacaktır.

²⁹Çünkü bunları yaparsa, her şeye gücü yetecektir; çünkü Rab'bin ışığı onun adımlarına yol gösterir.

¹ΣΙΜΩΝ ᾿Ονίου υἱὸς ἱερεὺς ὁ μέγας, ὃς ἐν ζωῇ αὐτοῦ ὑπέρραψεν οἶκον καὶ ἐν ἡμέραις αὐτοῦ ἐστερέωσε τὸν ναόν·

²καὶ ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἐθεμελιώθη ὕψος διπλῆς, ἀνάλημμα ὑψηλὸν περιβόλου ἱεροῦ·

³ἐν ἡμέραις αὐτοῦ ἠλαττώθη ἀποδοχεῖον ὑδάτων, λάκκος ὡσεὶ θαλάσσης τὸ περίμετρον·

⁴ὁ φροντίζων τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ πτώσεως καὶ ἐνισχύσας πόλιν ἐν πολιορκήσει.

⁵ὡς ἐδοξάσθη ἐν περιστροφῇ λαοῦ, ἐν ἐξόδῳ οἴκου καταπετάσματος·

⁶ὡς ἀστὴρ ἑωθινὸς ἐν μέσῳ νεφελῶν, ὡς σελήνη πλήρης ἐν ἡμέραις,

⁷ὡς ἥλιος ἐκλάμπων ἐπὶ ναὸν ῾Υψίστου καὶ ὡς τόξον φωτίζον ἐν νεφέλαις δόξης,

⁸ὡς ἄνθος ῥόδων ἐν ἡμέραις νέων, ὡς κρίνα ἐπ᾿ ἐξόδῳ ὕδατος, ὡς βλαστὸς λιβάνου ἐν ἡμέραις θέρους,

⁹ὡς πῦρ καὶ λίβανος ἐπὶ πυρίου, ὡς σκεῦος χρυσίου ὁλοσφύρητον κεκοσμημένον παντὶ λίθῳ πολυτελεῖ,

¹⁰ὡς ἐλαία ἀναθάλλουσα καρποὺς καὶ ὡς κυπάρισσος ὑψουμένη ἐν νεφέλαις.

¹¹ἐν τῷ ἀναλαμβάνειν αὐτὸν στολὴν δόξης καὶ ἐνδιδύσκεσθαι αὐτὸν συντέλειαν καυχήματος, ἐν ἀναβάσει θυσιαστηρίου ἁγίου ἐδόξασε περιβολὴν ἁγιάσματος·

¹²ἐν δὲ τῷ δέχεσθαι μέλη ἐκ χειρῶν ἱερέων, καὶ αὐτὸς ἑστὼς παρ᾿ ἐσχάρᾳ βωμοῦ κυκλόθεν αὐτοῦ στέφανος ἀδελφῶν, ὡς βλάστημα κέδρου ἐν τῷ Λιβάνῳ· καὶ ἐκύκλωσαν αὐτὸν ὡς στελέχη φοινίκων·

¹³καὶ πάντες οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ααρὼν ἐν δόξῃ αὐτῶν καὶ προσφορὰ Κυρίου ἐν χερσὶν αὐτῶν ἔναντι πάσης ἐκκλησίας ᾿Ισραήλ·

¹⁴καὶ συντέλειαν λειτουργῶν ἐπὶ βωμῶν κοσμῆσαι προσφορὰν ῾Υψίστου παντοκράτορος·

¹⁵ἐξέτεινεν ἐπὶ σπονδείου χεῖρα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔσπεισεν ἐξ αἵματος σταφυλῆς, ἐξέχεεν εἰς θεμέλια θυσιαστηρίου ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας ῾Υψίστῳ παμβασιλεῖ.

¹⁶τότε ἀνέκραγον υἱοὶ ᾿Ααρών, ἐν σάλπιγξιν ἐλαταῖς ἤχησαν, ἀκουστὴν ἐποίησαν φωνὴν μεγάλην εἰς μνημόσυνον ἔναντι ῾Υψίστου.

¹⁷τότε πᾶς ὁ λαὸς κοινῇ κατέσπευσε καὶ ἔπεσαν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν προσκυνῆσαι τῷ Κυρίῳ αὐτῶν παντοκράτορι Θεῷ τῷ ῾Υψίστῳ·

¹⁸καὶ ᾔνεσαν οἱ ψαλμῳδοὶ ἐν φωναῖς αὐτῶν, ἐν πλείστῳ οἴκῳ ἐγλυκάνθη μέλος.

¹⁹καὶ ἐδεήθη ὁ λαὸς Κυρίου ῾Υψίστου ἐν προσευχῇ κατέναντι ἐλεήμονος, ἕως συντελεσθῇ κόσμος Κυρίου, καὶ τὴν λειτουργίαν αὐτοῦ ἐτελείωσαν.

²⁰τότε καταβὰς ἐπῇρε χεῖρας αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν ἐκκλησίαν υἱῶν ᾿Ισραὴλ δοῦναι εὐλογίαν Κυρίῳ ἐκ χειλέων αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ καυχᾶσθαι.

²¹καὶ ἐδευτέρωσεν ἐν προσκυνήσει ἐπιδείξασθαι τὴν εὐλογίαν παρὰ ῾Υψίστου.

²²Καὶ νῦν εὐλογήσατε τῷ Θεῷ πάντων τῷ μεγαλοποιοῦντι πάντη, τὸν ὑψοῦντα ἡμέρας ἡμῶν ἐκ μήτρας καὶ ποιοῦντα μεθ᾿ ἡμῶν κατὰ τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ.

²³δῴῃ ἡμῖν εὐφροσύνην καρδίας καὶ γενέσθαι εἰρήνην ἐν ἡμέραις ἡμῶν ἐν ᾿Ισραὴλ κατὰ τὰς ἡμέρας τοῦ αἰῶνος·

²⁴ἐμπιστεύσαι μεθ᾿ ἡμῶν τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις αὐτοῦ λυτρωσάσθω ἡμᾶς. -

²⁵᾿Εν δυσὶν ἔθνεσι προσώχθισεν ἡ ψυχή μου, καὶ τὸ τρίτον οὐκ ἔστιν ἔθνος.

²⁶οἱ καθήμενοι ἐν ὄρει Σαμαρείας καὶ Φυλιστιεὶμ καὶ ὁ λαὸς μωρὸς ὁ κατοικῶν ἐν Σικίμοις.

²⁷Παιδείαν συνέσεως καὶ ἐπιστήμης ἐχάραξα ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τούτῳ, ᾿Ιησοῦς υἱὸς Σειρὰχ ῾Ιεροσολυμίτης, ὃς ἀνώμβρησε σοφίαν ἀπὸ καρδίας αὐτοῦ.

²⁸μακάριος ὃς ἐν τούτοις ἀναστραφήσεται, καὶ θεὶς αὐτὰ ἐπὶ καρδίαν αὐτοῦ σοφισθήσεται·

²⁹ἐὰν γὰρ αὐτὰ ποιήσῃ, πρὸς πάντα ἰσχύσει, ὅτι φῶς Κυρίου τὸ ἴχνος αὐτοῦ.

¹Simon the high priest, the son of Onias, who in his life repaired the house again, and in his days fortified the temple:

²And by him was built from the foundation the double height, the high fortress of the wall about the temple:

³In his days the cistern to receive water, being in compass as the sea, was covered with plates of brass:

⁴He took care of the temple that it should not fall, and fortified the city against besieging:

⁵How was he honoured in the midst of the people in his coming out of the sanctuary!

⁶He was as the morning star in the midst of a cloud, and as the moon at the full:

⁷As the sun shining upon the temple of the most High, and as the rainbow giving light in the bright clouds:

⁸And as the flower of roses in the spring of the year, as lilies by the rivers of waters, and as the branches of the frankincense tree in the time of summer:

⁹As fire and incense in the censer, and as a vessel of beaten gold set with all manner of precious stones:

¹⁰And as a fair olive tree budding forth fruit, and as a cypress tree which groweth up to the clouds.

¹¹When he put on the robe of honour, and was clothed with the perfection of glory, when he went up to the holy altar, he made the garment of holiness honourable.

¹²When he took the portions out of the priests’ hands, he himself stood by the hearth of the altar, compassed about, as a young cedar in Libanus; and as palm trees compassed they him round about.

¹³So were all the sons of Aaron in their glory, and the oblations of the Lord in their hands, before all the congregation of Israel.

¹⁴And finishing the service at the altar, that he might adorn the offering of the most high Almighty,

¹⁵He stretched out his hand to the cup, and poured of the blood of the grape, he poured out at the foot of the altar a sweetsmelling savour unto the most high King of all.

¹⁶Then shouted the sons of Aaron, and sounded the silver trumpets, and made a great noise to be heard, for a remembrance before the most High.

¹⁷Then all the people together hasted, and fell down to the earth upon their faces to worship their Lord God Almighty, the most High.

¹⁸The singers also sang praises with their voices, with great variety of sounds was there made sweet melody.

¹⁹And the people besought the Lord, the most High, by prayer before him that is merciful, till the solemnity of the Lord was ended, and they had finished his service.

²⁰Then he went down, and lifted up his hands over the whole congregation of the children of Israel, to give the blessing of the Lord with his lips, and to rejoice in his name.

²¹And they bowed themselves down to worship the second time, that they might receive a blessing from the most High.

²²Now therefore bless ye the God of all, which only doeth wondrous things every where, which exalteth our days from the womb, and dealeth with us according to his mercy.

²³He grant us joyfulness of heart, and that peace may be in our days in Israel for ever:

²⁴That he would confirm his mercy with us, and deliver us at his time!

²⁵There be two manner of nations which my heart abhorreth, and the third is no nation:

²⁶They that sit upon the mountain of Samaria, and they that dwell among the Philistines, and that foolish people that dwell in Sichem.

²⁷Jesus the son of Sirach of Jerusalem hath written in this book the instruction of understanding and knowledge, who out of his heart poured forth wisdom.

²⁸Blessed is he that shall be exercised in these things; and he that layeth them up in his heart shall become wise.

²⁹For if he do them, he shall be strong to all things: for the light of the Lord leadeth him.