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| [1][A Prayer of Jesus the son of Sirach.] I will thank thee, O Lord and King, and praise thee, O God my Saviour: I do give praise unto thy name: |
[1]I wyll thanke thee O Lorde and king, and prayse thee O God my sauiour: I wyll yeelde prayse vnto thy name. |
| [2]For thou art my defender and helper, and has preserved my body from destruction, and from the snare of the slanderous tongue, and from the lips that forge lies, and has been mine helper against mine adversaries: |
[2]For thou art my defender and helper, and hast preserued my body from destruction, from the snares of trayterous tongues, and from the lippes that are occupied with lyes. |
| [3]And hast delivered me, according to the multitude of they mercies and greatness of thy name, from the teeth of them that were ready to devour me, and out of the hands of such as sought after my life, and from the manifold afflictions which I had; |
[3]Thou hast ben my helper from such as stoode vp against me, and hast deliuered me after the multitude of thy mercie, and for thy holy names sake, from the roring of them that prepared them selues to deuour me, out of the handes of such as sought after my lyfe, from the multitude of them that troubled me, |
| [4]From the choking of fire on every side, and from the midst of the fire which I kindled not; |
[4]And from them that went about to set fyre vpon me on euery side, so that I am not brent in the middest of the fyre: |
| [5]From the depth of the belly of hell, from an unclean tongue, and from lying words. |
[5]From the deepe of hell, from an vncleane tongue, from lying wordes, from false accusation to the king, and from an vnrighteous tongue. |
| [6]By an accusation to the king from an unrighteous tongue my soul drew near even unto death, my life was near to the hell beneath. |
[6]My soule shall prayse the Lorde vnto death: for my lyfe drewe nye vnto hell downewarde. |
| [7]They compassed me on every side, and there was no man to help me: I looked for the succour of men, but there was none. |
[7]They compassed me round about on euery syde, and there was no man to helpe me: I loked about me if there were any man that would succour me: but there was none. |
| [8]Then thought I upon thy mercy, O Lord, and upon thy acts of old, how thou deliverest such as wait for thee, and savest them out of the hands of the enemies. |
[8]Then thought I vpon thy mercie O Lorde, and vpon thy actes that thou hast done euer of olde: [namely] that thou deliuerest such as put their trust in thee, and riddest them out of the handes of the heathen. |
| [9]Then lifted I up my supplications from the earth, and prayed for deliverance from death. |
[9]Thus lyft I vp my prayer from the earth, and prayed for deliueraunce from death. |
| [10]I called upon the Lord, the Father of my Lord, that he would not leave me in the days of my trouble, and in the time of the proud, when there was no help. |
[10]I called vpon the Lorde the father of my Lorde, that he would not leaue me without helpe in the day of my trouble, and in the time of the proude. |
| [11]I will praise thy name continually, and will sing praises with thanksgiving; and so my prayer was heard: |
[11]I wyll prayse thy name continually, yeelding honour and thankes vnto it: and so my prayer was heard. |
| [12]For thou savedst me from destruction, and deliveredst me from the evil time: therefore will I give thanks, and praise thee, and bless they name, O Lord. |
[12]Thou sauedst me from destruction, and deliueredst me from the vnrighteous time: therefore wyll I acknoweledge and prayse thee, and magnifie the name of the Lorde. |
| [13]When I was yet young, or ever I went abroad, I desired wisdom openly in my prayer. |
[13]When I was yet but young, or euer I went astray, I desired wysdome openly in my prayer. |
| [14]I prayed for her before the temple, and will seek her out even to the end. |
[14]I came therfore before the temple and sought her vnto the last: then florished she vnto me, as a grape that is soone rype. |
| [15]Even from the flower till the grape was ripe hath my heart delighted in her: my foot went the right way, from my youth up sought I after her. |
[15]My heart reioyced in her, then went my foote the right way: yea from my youth vp sought I after her. |
| [16]I bowed down mine ear a little, and received her, and gat much learning. |
[16]I bowed downe myne eare and receaued her: I founde me much wysdome, and prospered greatly in her. |
| [17]I profited therein, therefore will I ascribe glory unto him that giveth me wisdom. |
[17]Therfore wyll I ascribe the glory vnto him that geueth me wysdome. |
| [18]For I purposed to do after her, and earnestly I followed that which is good; so shall I not be confounded. |
[18]For I am aduised to do thereafter, I wyll be gelous to cleaue vnto the thing that is good, so shall I not be confounded. |
| [19]My soul hath wrestled with her, and in my doings I was exact: I stretched forth my hands to the heaven above, and bewailed my ignorances of her. |
[19]My soule hath wrestled with her, and I haue ben diligent to be occupied in her: I lift vp myne handes on hye, then was my soule lightened through wysdome that I knowledged my foolishnes. |
| [20]I directed my soul unto her, and I found her in pureness: I have had my heart joined with her from the beginning, therefore shall I not be foresaken. |
[20]I ordered my soule after her, she and I were one heart from the beginning, and I found her in cleannesse, and therfore shall I not be forsaken. |
| [21]My heart was troubled in seeking her: therefore have I gotten a good possession. |
[21]My heart longed after her, and I gat a good treasure. |
| [22]The Lord hath given me a tongue for my reward, and I will praise him therewith. |
[22]Through her the Lorde hath geuen me a new tongue, wherewith I wyll prayse him. |
| [23]Draw near unto me, ye unlearned, and dwell in the house of learning. |
[23]O come vnto me ye vnlearned, and dwell in the house of wysdome: |
| [24]Wherefore are ye slow, and what say ye to these things, seeing your souls are very thirsty? |
[24]Withdrawe not your selues from her, but talke & commune of these thinges: for your soules are very thirstie. |
| [25]I opened my mouth, and said, Buy her for yourselves without money. |
[25]I opened my mouth, and spake: O come and bye wysdome without money. |
| [26]Put your neck under the yoke, and let your soul receive instruction: she is hard at hand to find. |
[26]Bowe downe your necke vnder her yoke, and your soule shall receaue wysdome: she is harde at hande, and is content to be founde. |
| [27]Behold with your eyes, how that I have but little labour, and have gotten unto me much rest. |
[27]Beholde with your eyes, howe that I haue had but litle labour, & yet haue founde much rest. |
| [28]Get learning with a great sum of money, and get much gold by her. |
[28]O receaue wysdome, and ye shal haue plenteousnes of siluer and golde in possession. |
| [29]Let your soul rejoice in his mercy, and be not ashamed of his praise. |
[29]Let your minde reioyce in his mercie, and be not ashamed of his prayse. |
| [30]Work your work betimes, and in his time he will give you your reward. |
[30]Worke his worke betimes, and he shal geue you your rewarde in due season. |