Sirach 17

Sirach chapter 17 from the New American Bible, Revised Edition, as provided by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website.

Creation of Human Beings

1 The Lord created human beings from the earth, and makes them return to earth again.

2 A limited number of days he gave them, but granted them authority over everything on earth.

3 He endowed them with strength like his own, and made them in his image.

4 He put fear of them in all flesh, and gave them dominion over beasts and birds.

6 Discernment, tongues, and eyes, ears, and a mind for thinking he gave them.

7 With knowledge and understanding he filled them; good and evil he showed them.

8 He put fear of him into their hearts to show them the grandeur of his works,

9 That they might describe the wonders of his deeds

10 and praise his holy name.

11 He set before them knowledge, and allotted to them the law of life.

12 An everlasting covenant he made with them, and his commandments he revealed to them.

13 His majestic glory their eyes beheld, his glorious voice their ears heard.

14 He said to them, “Avoid all evil”; to each of them he gave precepts about their neighbor.

15 Their ways are ever known to him, they cannot be hidden from his eyes.

17 Over every nation he appointed a ruler, but Israel is the Lord’s own portion.

19 All their works are clear as the sun to him, and his eyes are ever upon their ways.

20 Their iniquities cannot be hidden from him; all their sins are before the Lord.

22 Human goodness is like a signet ring with God, and virtue he keeps like the apple of his eye.

23 Later he will rise up and repay them, requiting each one as they deserve.

Appeal for a Return to God

24 But to the penitent he provides a way back and encourages those who are losing hope!

25 Turn back to the Lord and give up your sins, pray before him and make your offenses few.

26 Turn again to the Most High and away from iniquity, and hate intensely what he loathes.

27 Who in Sheol can glorify the Most High in place of the living who offer their praise?

28 The dead can no more give praise than those who have never lived; they who are alive and well glorify the Lord.

29 How great is the mercy of the Lord, and his forgiveness for those who return to him!

30 For not everything is within human reach, since human beings are not immortal.

31 Is anything brighter than the sun? Yet it can be eclipsed. How worthless then the thoughts of flesh and blood!

32 God holds accountable the hosts of highest heaven, while all mortals are dust and ashes.

The Book of Sirach

The Book of Sirach, also known as Ecclesiasticus or the Wisdom of Ben Sira, is a Jewish wisdom text from the deuterocanonical books of the Bible. Chapter 17 forms part of this book, focusing on themes of human creation, free will, and divine law.

The book was authored by Jesus ben Sirach (also called Yeshua ben Eleazar ben Sira), a Jewish scribe and sage living in Jerusalem. It was originally written in Hebrew between approximately 200 and 175 BC, during the Hellenistic period under Seleucid rule. Ben Sirach’s grandson later translated it into Greek around 132 BC, adding a prologue that confirms the authorship and origin.

The text draws from earlier Jewish wisdom literature, such as Proverbs, and reflects the cultural and religious context of Second Temple Judaism, emphasizing practical ethics and piety. It was included in the Septuagint and accepted in Catholic and Orthodox canons but excluded from the Protestant Bible and Jewish Tanakh.