Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 36
A Prayer for Israel
1O Lord God of the universe, look upon us and have mercy. 2Make every nation stand in fear of you. 3Take action against the foreign nations, and let them witness your power! 4You have used us to show them how holy you are; now use them to show us how great you are. 5Let them learn, as we have learnt, that there is no God, O Lord, but you. 6Give new signs, perform new miracles; show us your glorious strength! 7-9Bring on that appointed time when everyone can talk about the great things you do. Pour out your furious, flaming anger, and let none of our enemies survive. Destroy those who have oppressed your people. 10Crush all those enemy rulers who think they are the only people in the world who matter! 11Gather the tribes of Israel together again, and give them back their land as you gave it to them long ago. 12Lord, have mercy on Israel, the people who are known by your name, whom you called your firstborn son. 13Take pity on Jerusalem, your holy city, where you chose to stay. 14Fill your Temple on Mount Zion with your glory and with hymns of praise. 15Testify for your people, whom you created in the beginning; fulfil the prophecies that have been spoken in your name. 16Reward those who have put their faith in you, and vindicate your prophets. 17You have always been gracious to your people; listen to your servants as we pray. Then everyone on earth will recognize that you are the Lord, the God of the ages.
Choosing a Wife
18Any kind of food can be eaten, but some foods are better than others. 19And just as the tongue can distinguish the flavours of different kinds of meat, so a sharp mind can detect lies. 20A person with a warped mind causes trouble, but an experienced person knows how to pay it back.
21A woman has to take any man as a husband, but a man must choose his wife carefully. 22A woman's beauty makes a man happy; there is no fairer sight for the human eye to see. 23If the woman is kind and gentle in her speech, her husband is the most fortunate of men. 24When a man marries, he gets the finest thing he will ever have — a wife to help and encourage him.
25If property is not fenced in, thieves will wander in and help themselves. And if a man has no wife, he is a sighing wanderer; 26people have no more trust in a homeless person who sleeps in a different place every night than they have in a wandering thief who goes from town to town.
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