Sirach 38

1Honor the physician with the honor due him, And also according to your need of him, For the Lord created him.

τίμα ἰατρὸν πρὸς τὰς χρείας αὐτοῦ τιμαῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸν ἔκτισεν κύριος

2Healing comes from the Most High, And he will receive a gift from the king.

παρὰ γὰρ ὑψίστου ἐστὶν ἴασις καὶ παρὰ βασιλέως λήμψεται δόμα

3The physician's skill will lift up his head, And he shall be admired in the presence of the great.

ἐπιστήμη ἰατροῦ ἀνυψώσει κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔναντι μεγιστάνων θαυμασθήσεται

4The Lord created medicines from the earth, And a sensible man will not loathe them.

κύριος ἔκτισεν ἐκ γῆς φάρμακα καὶ ἀνὴρ φρόνιμος οὐ προσοχθιεῖ αὐτοῖς

5Is not water made sweet by wood That its strength might be known?

οὐκ ἀπὸ ξύλου ἐγλυκάνθη ὕδωρ εἰς τὸ γνωσθῆναι τὴν ἰσχὺν αὐτοῦ

6And He gave skill to men That He might be glorified in His wonders.

καὶ αὐτὸς ἔδωκεν ἀνθρώποις ἐπιστήμην ἐνδοξάζεσθαι ἐν τοῖς θαυμασίοις αὐτοῦ

7By them He heals and takes away pain, A druggist making a compound of them.

ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐθεράπευσεν καὶ ἦρεν τὸν πόνον αὐτοῦ μυρεψὸς ἐν τούτοις ποιήσει μεῖγμα

8God's works are never finished, And from Him health is upon the face of the earth.

καὶ οὐ μὴ συντελεσθῇ ἔργα αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰρήνη παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἐστιν ἐπὶ προσώπου τῆς γῆς

9My son, do not be negligent when you are sick, But pray to the Lord and He will heal you.

τέκνον ἐν ἀρρωστήματί σου μὴ παράβλεπε ἀλλ᾿ εὖξαι κυρίῳ καὶ αὐτὸς ἰάσεταί σε

10Depart from transgression and direct your hands aright, And cleanse your heart from every sin.

ἀπόστησον πλημμέλειαν καὶ εὔθυνον χεῖρας καὶ ἀπὸ πάσης ἁμαρτίας καθάρισον καρδίαν

11Offer a sweet-smelling sacrifice And a memorial of the finest wheat flour; And pour oil on your offering, as if you are soon to die.

δὸς εὐωδίαν καὶ μνημόσυνον σεμιδάλεως καὶ λίπανον προσφορὰν ὡς μὴ ὑπάρχων

12And keep in touch with your physician, For the Lord created him; And do not let him leave you, For you need him.

καὶ ἰατρῷ δὸς τόπον καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸν ἔκτισεν κύριος καὶ μὴ ἀποστήτω σου καὶ γὰρ αὐτοῦ χρεία

13There is a time when success is also in their hands,

ἔστιν καιρὸς ὅτε καὶ ἐν χερσὶν αὐτῶν εὐοδία

14For they will pray to the Lord To give them success in bringing relief and healing, For the sake of preserving your life.

καὶ γὰρ αὐτοὶ κυρίου δεηθήσονται ἵνα εὐοδώσῃ αὐτοῖς ἀνάπαυσιν καὶ ἴασιν χάριν ἐμβιώσεως

15He who sins before the One who made him, May he fall into the hands of a physician.

ὁ ἁμαρτάνων ἔναντι τοῦ ποιήσαντος αὐτὸν ἐμπέσοι εἰς χεῖρας ἰατροῦ

16My son, let your tears fall for the dead, And as one suffering grievously, begin the lament. With the honor due him, wrap his body And take care of his burial.

τέκνον 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

17Weep bitterly and lament fervently; Do your mourning according to what he deserves For a day or two to avoid slander; Then be comforted for your grief.

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

18For grief is a cause of death, And a grief-stricken heart will sap your strength.

ἀπὸ λύπης γὰρ ἐκβαίνει θάνατος καὶ λύπη καρδίας κάμψει ἰσχύν

19Grief also abides in misery, And the life of a poor man weighs down his heart.

ἐν ἐπαγωγῇ παραμένει καὶ λύπη καὶ βίος πτωχοῦ κατὰ καρδίας

20Do not give your heart to grief; Drive it away, remembering the end of life.

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

21Do not forget, for there is no coming back; And you cannot help the dead man by grieving, But will only injure yourself.

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

22Remember my end, since yours is also like it: 'Mine yesterday, yours today.'

μνήσθητι τὸ κρίμα μου ὅτι οὕτως καὶ τὸ σόν ἐμοὶ ἐχθὲς καὶ σοὶ σήμερον

23When the dead man is at rest, let his remembrance cease, And be comforted for him in the exodus of his spirit.

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

24The wisdom of a scribe depends on his opportunity for quiet, For when he has little business, he will be made wise.

σοφία γραμματέως ἐν εὐκαιρίᾳ σχολῆς καὶ ὁ ἐλασσούμενος πράξει αὐτοῦ σοφισθήσεται

25How will he who handles the plow be made wise? For he boasts in the shaft of the goad, And he drives oxen and is occupied with their labors, And his talk is about young bulls.

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

26His heart is set on plowing furrows, And he keeps watch to feed his heifers.

καρδίαν αὐτοῦ δώσει ἐκδοῦναι αὔλακας καὶ ἡ ἀγρυπνία αὐτοῦ εἰς χορτάσματα δαμάλεων

27The same is true for every craftsman and architect Who works by night as well as by day— Those who engrave the signets of seals— He is diligent to make great variety; His heart set on creating a lifelike image And keeping watch to perfect his work.

οὕτως πᾶς τέκτων καὶ ἀρχιτέκτων ὅστις νύκτωρ ὡς ἡμέρας διάγει οἱ γλύφοντες γλύμματα σφραγίδων καὶ ἡ ἐπιμονὴ αὐτοῦ ἀλλοιῶσαι ποικιλίαν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ δώσει εἰς ὁμοιῶσαι ζωγραφίαν καὶ ἡ ἀγρυπνία αὐτοῦ τελέσαι ἔργον

28So too is the blacksmith sitting near the anvil, Examining closely his iron works, The breath of the fire melting his flesh As he struggles with the heat of the furnace. He inclines his ear to the sound of the hammer, And his eyes are focused on the likeness of the object. He sets his heart on the completion of his works And keeps watch to perfect its detail.

οὕτως χαλκεὺς καθήμενος ἐγγὺς ἄκμονος καὶ καταμανθάνων ἔργα σιδήρου ἀτμὶς πυρὸς τήξει σάρκας αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν θέρμῃ καμίνου διαμαχήσεται φωνῇ σφύρης κλινεῖ τὸ οὖς αὐτοῦ καὶ κατέναντι ὁμοιώματος σκεύους οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτοῦ καρδίαν αὐτοῦ δώσει εἰς συντέλειαν ἔργων καὶ ἡ ἀγρυπνία αὐτοῦ κοσμῆσαι ἐπὶ συντελείας

29The potter as well, sitting by his work And turning the potter's wheel with his feet, He is always careful about the quality of his work And also the quantity of his output.

οὕτως 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

30With his arm he molds the clay, And with his feet he curves it. His heart is set on finishing the glazing, And he is careful to clean the furnace.

ἐν βραχίονι αὐτοῦ τυπώσει πηλὸν καὶ πρὸ ποδῶν κάμψει ἰσχὺν αὐτοῦ καρδίαν ἐπιδώσει συντελέσαι τὸ χρῖσμα καὶ ἡ ἀγρυπνία αὐτοῦ καθαρίσαι κάμινον

31All these trust in their hands, And each is skilled in his work.

πάντες οὗτοι εἰς χεῖρας αὐτῶν ἐνεπίστευσαν καὶ ἕκαστος ἐν τῷ ἔργῳ αὐτοῦ σοφίζεται

32Without them a city will not be livable, Nor will any one sojourn or live there.

ἄνευ αὐτῶν οὐκ οἰκισθήσεται πόλις καὶ οὐ παροικήσουσιν οὐδὲ περιπατήσουσιν

33Yet they will not be sought out for the council of the people, And they will not gain prominence in the assembly. They do not sit in the judge's seat, Nor will they understand the sentence of judgment.

ἀλλ᾿ εἰς βουλὴν λαοῦ οὐ ζητηθήσονται καὶ ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ οὐχ ὑπεραλοῦνται ἐπὶ δίφρον δικαστοῦ οὐ καθιοῦνται καὶ διαθήκην κρίματος οὐ διανοηθήσονται

34They cannot give instruction in discipline or judgment, Nor will they be found using parables; But they will keep the fabric of the world stable, And their prayer is in the practice of their craft.

οὐδὲ μὴ ἐκφάνωσιν παιδείαν καὶ κρίμα καὶ ἐν παραβολαῖς οὐχ εὑρεθήσονται ἀλλὰ κτίσμα αἰῶνος στηρίσουσιν καὶ ἡ δέησις αὐτῶν ἐν ἐργασίᾳ τέχνης