Sirach Chapter 25

Other Translations

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

1 In tribus placitum est spiritui meo, quæ sunt probata coram Deo, et hominibus:

2 Concordia fratrum, et amor proximorum, et vir et mulier bene sibi consentientes.

3 Tres species odivit anima mea, et aggravor valde animæ illorum:

4 Pauperem superbum: divitem mendacem: senem fatuum et insensatum.

5 Quæ in iuventute tua non congregasti, quomodo in senectute tua invenies?

6 Quam speciosum canitiei iudicium, et presbyteris cognoscere consilium!

7 Quam speciosa veteranis sapientia, et gloriosus intellectus, et consilium!

8 Corona senum multa peritia, et gloria illorum timor Dei.

9 Novem insuspicabilia cordis magnificavi, et decimum dicam in lingua hominibus:

10 Homo, qui iucundatur in filiis, vivens et videns subversionem inimicorum suorum.

11 Beatus, qui habitat cum muliere sensata, et qui lingua sua non est lapsus, et qui non servivit indignis se.

12 Beatus, qui invenit amicum verum, et qui enarrat iustitiam auri audienti.

13 Quam magnus, qui invenit sapientiam et scientiam! sed non est super timentem Dominum.

14 timor Dei super omnia se superposuit:

15 beatus homo, cui donatum est habere timorem Dei: qui tenet illum, cui assimilabitur?

16 Timor Dei initium dilectionis eius: fidei autem initium agglutinandum est ei.

17 Omnis plaga tristitia cordis est: et omnis malitia, nequitia mulieris.

18 Et omnem plagam, et non plagam videbit cordis:

19 et omnem nequitiam, et non nequitiam mulieris:

20 et omnem obductum, et non obductum odientium:

21 et omnem vindictam, et non vindictam inimicorum.

22 Non est caput nequius super caput colubri:

23 et non est ira super iram mulieris. Commorari leoni et draconi placebit, quam habitare cum muliere nequam.

24 Nequitia mulieris immutat faciem eius: et obcæcat vultum suum tamquam ursus: et quasi saccum ostendit. In medio proximorum eius

25 ingemuit vir eius, et audiens suspiravit modicum.

26 Brevis omnis malitia super malitiam mulieris, sors peccatorum cadat super illam.

27 Sicut ascensus arenosus in pedibus veterani, sic mulier linguata homini quieto.

28 Ne respicias in mulieris speciem, et non concupiscas mulierem in specie.

29 Mulieris ira, et irreverentia, et confusio magna.

30 Mulier si primatum habeat, contraria est viro suo.

31 Cor humile, et facies tristis, et plaga cordis, mulier nequam.

32 Manus debiles, et genua dissoluta, mulier quæ non beatificat virum suum.

33 A muliere initium factum est peccati, et per illam omnes morimur.

34 Non des aquæ tuæ exitum, nec modicum: nec mulieri nequam veniam prodeundi.

35 Si non ambulaverit ad manum tuam, confundet te in conspectu inimicorum.

36 A carnibus tuis abscinde illam, ne semper te abutatur.

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).