Chapter Fifteen

Seek wisdom, and it will rest upon you. The wicked are far from wisdom. The Lord commands piety but does not constrain man’s free will: before man are good and evil, life and death, and what he himself wishes to choose is given to him.

Sirach 15:1. He who fears the Lord will act thus, and he who is firm in the law will obtain her. Sirach 15:2. And she will meet him like a mother, and embrace him like a chaste wife; Sirach 15:3. she will feed him with bread of understanding and give him water of wisdom to drink. Sirach 15:4. He will be firmly established on her and will not be shaken; he will cling to her and will not be put to shame. Sirach 15:5. And she will exalt him above his neighbors, and in the midst of the assembly she will open his mouth. Sirach 15:6. He will inherit gladness and a crown of joy and an eternal name. 1-6. These conclude the thought expressed in verses 21-27 of the preceding chapter.

Sirach 15:7. The foolish will not attain her, and sinners will not see her. Sirach 15:8. She is far from arrogance, and deceitful men do not think of her. Sirach 15:9. Praise is unpleasant in the mouth of a sinner, for it is not sent from the Lord. Sirach 15:10. Praise will be uttered by wisdom, and the Lord will prosper it. 9-10. In the language of Holy Scripture the concepts of wisdom and piety are identical with each other; as are opposite to them: foolishness and impiety. True wisdom of man consists in understanding the good and perfect will of God and following it in his life. Such wisdom brings man true prosperity. The absence of this wisdom is ruinous for man and testifies to his foolishness. Praise in the mouth of a sinner ought not to be pleasant, because it may testify to agreement with the sinner; such praise is not sent by the Lord, but suggested by sin. Joyful and pleasant is praise in the mouth of the righteous, because it testifies to the triumph of virtue and God’s blessing.

Sirach 15:11. Do not say: “I have departed because of the Lord”; for He hates what you ought not to do. Sirach 15:12. Do not say: “He has led me astray,” for He has no need of a sinful man. Sirach 15:13. All abomination the Lord hates, and it is unpleasant to those who fear Him. Sirach 15:14. He created man from the beginning and left him in the hand of his own will. Sirach 15:15. If you wish, you will keep the commandments and preserve faithful loyalty. Sirach 15:16. He has set before you fire and water: stretch out your hand to whatever you wish. Sirach 15:17. Before man are life and death, and what he wishes will be given to him. Sirach 15:18. Great is the wisdom of the Lord, and He is mighty in power and sees all things. Sirach 15:19. His eyes are on those who fear Him, and He knows every deed of man. Sirach 15:20. He has not commanded anyone to act impiously and has not given anyone permission to sin. 11-20. The Lord has not commanded anyone to act impiously and has not given anyone permission to sin. Men do good and sin by the movement of their own free will: the Lord created man from the beginning and left him in the hand of his own will, as if saying: if you wish you will keep the commandments, preserve faithful loyalty, and obtain salvation; if you do not wish, you will transgress the commandments and lose salvation. Before man are life and death; what he wishes will be given to him: if he desires the salvation of spiritual life and with God’s help obtains this life, if he turns toward spiritual death - rejection of God - this death will overtake him.