Sirach

CHAPTER 48

his words a flaming furnace.^a

and in his zeal he made them few in number.

and three times brought down fire.^b

Whose glory is equal to yours?

from Sheol, by the will of the LORD.^c

and nobles, from their beds of sickness.^d

at Horeb avenging judgments.^e

the prophet to succeed in your place.^f

in a chariot with fiery horses.^g

to put an end to wrath before the day of the LORD,

To turn back the hearts of parents toward their children,

and to re-establish the tribes of Israel.^h

ELISHA was filled with his spirit;^*

He worked twice as many marvels,ⁱ

and every utterance of his mouth was wonderful.

During his lifetime he feared no one,

nor was anyone able to intimidate his will.

and from where he lay buried, his body prophesied.^*

and after death, marvelous deeds.

nor did they give up their sins,

Until they were uprooted from their land

and scattered all over the earth.

Judah

But Judah remained, a tiny people,

with its ruler from the house of David.^k

but others were extremely sinful.

Hezekiah and Isaiah^*

and had water brought into it;^l

With bronze tools he cut through the rocks

and dammed up a mountain site for water.^*

and sent his adjutant;

He shook his fist at Zion

and blasphemed God in his pride.^m

and they were in anguish like that of childbirth.

and lifted up their hands to him;

He heard the prayer they uttered,

and saved them through ISAIAH.ⁿ

and routed them with a plague.^o

and held fast to the paths of David,

As ordered by the illustrious prophet

Isaiah, who saw truth in visions.

and prolonged the life of the king.^p

and consoled the mourners of Zion;

hidden things yet to be fulfilled.

* [48:11] Verse 11b is not extant in the Hebrew; it is represented in the Greek tradition by “for we too shall certainly live.” But this can hardly be the original reading.

* [48:12–16] Elisha continued Elijah’s work (vv. 12–14), but the obstinacy of the people eventually brought on the destruction of the kingdom of Israel and the dispersion of its subjects. Judah, however, survived under the rule of Davidic kings, both good and bad (vv. 15–16).

* [48:13] The reference in v. 13b seems to be to 2 Kgs 13:21 where it is related that a dead man, thrown into Elisha’s grave, came back to life.

* [48:17–25] The fidelity of King Hezekiah (vv. 17, 22), the zeal of the prophet Isaiah, and the prayer of the people (v. 20) were effective. The Assyrian oppressors under Sennacherib withdrew (vv. 18–19, 21). The king’s life was prolonged. The people were consoled by Isaiah’s words about the future (vv. 23–25); the “consolations” refer to Is 40–66.

* [48:17] The reference is to the famous Siloam tunnel in present-day Jerusalem.

a. [48:1] 1 Kgs 17:1.

b. [48:3] 2 Kgs 1:9–14.

c. [48:5] 1 Kgs 17:17–23.

d. [48:6] 1 Kgs 21:19; 2 Kgs 1:17.

e. [48:7] 1 Kgs 19:8–15.

f. [48:8] 1 Kgs 19:16–17.

g. [48:9] 2 Kgs 2:11.

h. [48:10] Mal 3:23–24; Mt 17:10.

i. [48:12] 2 Kgs 2:9–12.

j. [48:13–14] 2 Kgs 13:21.

k. [48:15] 2 Kgs 15:29; 18:11–12.

l. [48:17] 2 Kgs 20:20; 2 Chr 32:30.

m. [48:18] 2 Kgs 18:13–37; Is 36:1–22.

n. [48:20] 2 Kgs 19:20.

o. [48:21] 2 Kgs 19:35; Is 37:36.

p. [48:23] 2 Kgs 20:11; Is 38:8.

q. [48:24–25] 2 Kgs 20:17; Is 40:1–11; 42:9; 46:10; 48:6; 61:2–3.