Sirach Chapter 48

Other Translations

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

1 Et surrexit Elias propheta, quasi ignis, et verbum ipsius quasi facula ardebat.

2 Qui induxit in illos famem, et irritantes illum invidia sua pauci facti sunt. non enim poterant sustinere præcepta Domini.

3 Verbo Domini continuit cælum, et deiecit de cælo ignem ter.

4 sic amplificatus est Elias in mirabilibus suis. Et quis potest similiter sic gloriari tibi?

5 Qui sustulisti mortuum ab inferis de sorte mortis in verbo Domini Dei.

6 Qui deiecisti reges ad pernicem, et confregisti facile potentiam ipsorum, et gloriosos de lecto suo.

7 Qui audis in Sina iudicium, et in Horeb iudicia defensionis.

8 Qui ungis reges ad pœnitentiam, et prophetas facis successores post te.

9 Qui receptus es in turbine ignis, in curru equorum igneorum.

10 Qui scriptus es in iudiciis temporum lenire iracundiam Domini: conciliare cor patris ad filium, et restituere tribus Iacob.

11 Beati sunt, qui te viderunt, et in amicitia tua decorati sunt.

12 nam nos vita vivimus tantum, post mortem autem non erit tale nomen nostrum.

13 Elias quidem in turbine tectus est, et in Eliseo completus est spiritus eius: in diebus suis non pertimuit principem, et potentia nemo vicit illum.

14 nec superavit illum verbum aliquod et mortuum prophetavit corpus eius.

15 In vita sua fecit monstra, et in morte mirabilia operatus est.

16 In omnibus istis non pœnituit populus, et non recesserunt a peccatis suis usque dum eiecti sunt de terra sua, et dispersi sunt in omnem terram:

17 et relicta est gens perpauca, et princeps in domo David.

18 Quidam ipsorum fecerunt quod placeret Deo: alii autem multa commiserunt peccata.

19 Ezechias munivit civitatem suam, et induxit in medium ipsius aquam, et fodit ferro rupem, et ædificavit ad aquam puteum.

20 In diebus ipsius ascendit Sennacherib, et misit Rabsacen, et sustulit manum suam contra illos, et extulit manum suam in Sion, et superbus factus est potentia sua.

21 Tunc mota sunt corda, et manus ipsorum: et doluerunt quasi parturientes mulieres.

22 Et invocaverunt Dominum misericordem, et expandentes manus suas, extulerunt ad cælum: et sanctus Dominus Deus audivit cito vocem ipsorum.

23 Non est commemoratus peccatorum illorum, neque dedit illos inimicis suis, sed purgavit eos in manu Isaiæ sancti prophetæ.

24 Deiecit castra Assyriorum, et contrivit illos Angelus Domini.

25 nam fecit Ezechias quod placuit Deo, et fortiter ivit in via David patris sui, quam mandavit illi Isaias propheta magnus, et fidelis in conspectu Dei.

26 In diebus ipsius retro rediit Sol, et addidit regi vitam.

27 Spiritu magno vidit ultima, et consolatus est lugentes in Sion. Usque in sempiternum

28 ostendit futura et abscondita antequam evenirent.

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).