| 德訓篇 |
Sirach |
| 1明智人必考究歷代古人的智慧，必專務先知的預言， |
1How different the man who devotes himself to the study of the law of the Most High! He explores the wisdom of the men of old and occupies himself with the prophecies; |
| 2必保留名人的言論，必領悟比喻的妙理， |
2He treasures the discourses of famous men, and goes to the heart of involved sayings; |
| 3必考究箴言的真諦，必玩味喻言的微妙。 |
3He studies obscure parables, and is busied with the hidden meanings of the sages. |
| 4他出入偉人之中，出現於王侯之前； |
4He is in attendance on the great, and has entrance to the ruler. |
| 5周遊異民的邦國，考察人間的善惡。 |
5He travels among the peoples of foreign lands to learn what is good and evil among men. |
| 6他清早起來，即將自己的心，交給造他的上主，並在至高者的面前祈禱。 |
6His care is to seek the LORD, his Maker, to petition the Most High, To open his lips in prayer, to ask pardon for his sins. Then, if it pleases the LORD Almighty, he will be filled with the spirit of understanding; He will pour forth his words of wisdom and in prayer give thanks to the LORD, |
| 7他開口念經，為自己的罪求饒。 |
7Who will direct his knowledge and his counsel, as he meditates upon his mysteries. |
| 8若偉大的上主願意，必使他充滿智慧的精神： |
8He will show the wisdom of what he has learned and glory in the law of the LORD'S covenant. |
| 9他就傾吐智言，有如落雨；在祈禱時，他必稱謝上主。 |
9Many will praise his understanding; his fame can never be effaced; Unfading will be his memory, through all generations his name will live; |
| 10他會支配自己的智謀和知識，時常默想天主的奧祕。 |
10Peoples will speak of his wisdom, and in assembly sing his praises. |
| 11他必將自己所得的知識，公諸世人，並因上主盟約的法律而自豪。 |
11While he lives he is one out of a thousand, and when he dies his renown will not cease. |
| 12眾人都要稱揚他的明智，他永遠不會被人遺忘； |
12 Once more I will set forth my theme to shine like the moon in its fullness! |
| 13他的紀念總不消失，他的美名永世常存。 |
13Listen, my faithful children： open up your petals, like roses planted near running waters; |
| 14民眾要傳揚他的智慧，集會要謳歌他的盛譽。 |
14Send up the sweet odor of incense, break forth in blossoms like the lily. Send up the sweet odor of your hymn of praise; bless the LORD for all he has done! |
| 15他在世時，名聲已超過千萬人，既死之後，更為顯着。 |
15Proclaim the greatness of his name, loudly sing his praises, With music on the harp and all stringed instruments; sing out with joy as you proclaim： |
| 16我深思之後，還要傳述我的思想，因為思想使我滿盈，有如月圓。 |
16The works of God are all of them good; in its own time every need is supplied. |
| 17有聲音說：虔敬的子孫啊！你們要聽信我，要生長，如同栽在溪水邊的玫瑰； |
17At his word the waters become still as in a flask; he had but to speak and the reservoirs were made. |
| 18要如同乳香，播散你們的幽香； |
18He has but to command and his will is done; nothing can limit his achievement. |
| 19要開花如同玉簪；要吐露你們的芬芳；要吟詠讚美的歌曲；要為上主的一切化工頌揚他。 |
19The works of all mankind are present to him; not a thing escapes his eye. |
| 20要尊崇他的聖名，稱揚讚美他；彈琴瑟，奏弦樂，唱歌曲，這樣讚美他說： |
20His gaze spans all the ages; to him there is nothing unexpected. |
| 21上主的一切化工，都美妙絕倫；他所指定的，無不依時成就。人不可說：「這是什麼？這有什麼用處？」因為一切，都要在預定的時候，被人發見。 |
21No cause then to say： "What is the purpose of this?" Everything is chosen to satisfy a need. |
| 22他一句話，水便停留，堆積起來；他口一出令，水就成池。 |
22His blessing overflows like the Nile; like the Euphrates it enriches the surface of the earth. |
| 23他喜愛的，一命即成；他的救恩，無人能夠阻止。 |
23Again, his wrath expels the nations and turns fertile land into a salt marsh. |
| 24各人的功行，都在他面前，沒有什麼可瞞過他的眼目。 |
24For the virtuous his paths are level, to the haughty they are steep; |
| 25他從永遠看到永遠，在他跟前，沒有什麼驚奇的事。 |
25Good things for the good he provided from the beginning, but for the wicked good things and bad. |
| 26人不可說：「這是什麼？這有什麼用處？」因為一切受造物，都有自己的用途。 |
26Chief of all needs for human life are water and fire, iron and salt, The heart of the wheat, milk and honey, the blood of the grape, and oil, and cloth; |
| 27上主的祝福，氾濫如尼羅河， |
27For the good all these are good, but for the wicked they turn out evil. |
| 28又如洪水浸潤大地；同樣，他必要將自己的義怒，發洩在不尋求他的異民身上， |
28There are storm winds created to punish, which in their fury can dislodge mountains; When destruction must be, they hurl all their force and appease the anger of their Maker. |
| 29就如他把一塊肥沃的土地，變成多鹽的曠野一樣。他的道路，為聖人們是平直的；但是為罪人們，卻是跌倒的原因。 |
29In his treasury also, kept for the proper time, are fire and hail, famine, disease, |
| 30幸福從開始就是為善人造的，禍患是為惡人造的。 |
30Ravenous beasts, scorpions, vipers, and the avenging sword to exterminate the wicked; |
| 31為人生命最需要的是：水、火、鐵、鹽、麵粉、奶、蜜、血紅的葡萄酒、油和衣服。 |
31In doing his bidding they rejoice, in their assignments they disobey not his command. |
| 32這一切為善人都是好的，為惡人卻都變成不好的。 |
32So from the first I took my stand, and wrote down as my theme： |
| 33有的風，是造了專為復仇的，天主將這些風當作自己義怒的鞭子； |
33The works of God are all of them good; every need when it comes he fills. |
| 34到了末日，風就發揮自己的威力，平息創造者的怒氣。 |
34No cause then to say： "This is not as good as that"; for each shows its worth at the proper time. |
| 35火、冰雹、饑饉、死亡：這一切都是造了為罰人的。 |
35So now with full joy of heart proclaim and bless the name of the Holy One. |
| 36獸牙、蠍子、青蛇和復仇的利劍，都是為毀滅惡人。 |
36 |
| 37這些受造物，都喜歡遵行天主的命令，在世上靜候，準備應時而動；時機一到，沒有不執行天主的號令的。 |
37 |
| 38因此，我起初就決定了經過一番計劃和沉思後，要把這事寫出來。 |
38 |
| 39上主的一切化工都是美好的，到了時候，必然供應它們的需要。 |
39 |
| 40你不應該說：「這一件事，不如那一件事」，因為一切事物，在適當的時候，必有它的特長。 |
40 |
| 41現在，請你們萬眾一心，眾口一詞地，歌頌稱揚上主的聖名。 |
41 |
