Sirach Chapter 41

Other Translations

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

1 O mors quam amara est memoria tua homini pacem habenti in substantiis suis:

2 viro quieto, et cuius viæ directæ sunt in omnibus, et adhuc valenti accipere cibum!

3 O mors, bonum est iudicium tuum homini indigenti, et qui minoratur viribus,

4 defecto ætate, et cui de omnibus cura est, et incredibili, qui perdit patientiam!

5 Noli metuere iudicium mortis. Memento quæ ante te fuerunt, et quæ superventura sunt tibi: hoc iudicium a Domino omni carni:

6 et quid superveniet tibi in beneplacito Altissimi? sive decem, sive centum, sive mille anni.

7 Non est enim in inferno accusatio vitæ.

8 Filii abominationum fiunt filii peccatorum, et qui conversantur secus domos impiorum.

9 Filiorum peccatorum periet hereditas, et cum semine illorum assiduitas opprobrii.

10 De patre impio queruntur filii, quoniam propter illum sunt in opprobrio.

11 Væ vobis viri impii, qui dereliquistis legem Domini Altissimi.

12 Et si nati fueritis, in maledictione nascemini: et si mortui fueritis, in maledictione erit pars vestra.

13 Omnia, quæ de terra sunt, in terram convertentur: sic impii a maledicto in perditionem.

14 Luctus hominum in corpore ipsorum, nomen autem impiorum delebitur.

15 Curam habe de bono nomine: hoc enim magis permanebit tibi, quam mille thesauri pretiosi et magni.

16 Bonæ vitæ numerus dierum: bonum autem nomen permanebit in ævum.

17 Disciplinam in pace conservate filii. sapientia enim abscondita, et thesaurus invisus, quæ utilitas in utrisque?

18 Melior est homo, qui abscondit stultitiam suam, quam homo, qui abscondit sapientiam suam.

19 Verumtamen reveremini in his, quæ procedunt de ore meo.

20 Non est enim bonum omnem reverentiam observare: et non omnia omnibus bene placent in fide.

21 Erubescite a patre et a matre de fornicatione: et a præsidente et a potente de mendacio:

22 a principe et a iudice de delicto: a synagoga et plebe de iniquitate:

23 a socio et amico de iniustitia: et de loco, in quo habitas,

24 de furto, de veritate Dei, et testamento: de discubitu in panibus, et ab obfuscatione dati et accepti:

25 a salutantibus de silentio: a respectu mulieris fornicariæ: et ab aversione vultus cognati.

26 Ne avertas faciem a proximo tuo, et ab auferendo partem et non restituendo.

27 Ne respicias mulierem alieni viri, et ne scruteris ancillam eius, neque steteris ad lectum eius.

28 Ab amicis de sermonibus improperii: et cum dederis, ne improperes.

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).