Sirach Chapter 15

Other Translations

vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)

1 Qui timet Deum, faciet bona: et qui continens est iustitiæ, apprehendet illam,

2 et obviabit illi quasi mater honorificata, et quasi mulier a virginitate suscipiet illum.

3 Cibabit illum pane vitæ et intellectus, et aqua sapientiæ salutaris potabit illum: et firmabitur in illo, et non flectetur:

4 et continebit illum, et non confundetur: et exaltabit illum apud proximos suos,

5 et in medio Ecclesiæ aperiet os eius, et adimplebit illum spiritu sapientiæ et intellectus, et stola gloriæ vestiet illum.

6 Iucunditatem et exultationem thesaurizabit super illum, et nomine æterno hereditabit illum.

7 Homines stulti non apprehendent illam, et homines sensati obviabunt illi, homines stulti non videbunt eam: longe enim abest a superbia et dolo.

8 viri mendaces non erunt illius memores: et viri veraces invenientur in illa, et successum habebunt usque ad inspectionem Dei.

9 Non est speciosa laus in ore peccatoris:

10 quoniam a Deo profecta est sapientia. sapientiæ enim Dei astabit laus, et in ore fideli abundabit, et dominator dabit eam illi.

11 Non dixeris: Per Deum abest: quæ enim odit ne feceris.

12 Non dicas: Ille me implanavit: non enim necessarii sunt ei homines impii.

13 Omne execramentum erroris odit Dominus, et non erit amabile timentibus eum.

14 Deus ab initio constituit hominem, et reliquit illum in manu consilii sui.

15 Adiecit mandata et præcepta sua:

16 si volueris mandata servare, conservabunt te, et in perpetuum fidem placitam facere.

17 Apposuit tibi aquam et ignem: ad quod volueris, porrige manum tuam.

18 Ante hominem vita et mors, bonum et malum: quod placuerit ei, dabitur illi:

19 quoniam multa sapientia Dei, et fortis in potentia, videns omnes sine intermissione.

20 Oculi Domini ad timentes eum, et ipse agnoscit omnem operam hominis.

21 Nemini mandavit impie agere, et nemini dedit spatium peccandi:

22 non enim concupiscit multitudinem filiorum infidelium et inutilium.

Explanations by Age Level

Explain Like I'm 5

A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!

Explain Like I'm 10

Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.

Explain Like I'm 15

Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).