Sirach 49 - Common English Bible (CEB)

Josiah

49 The memory[a] of Josiah
is like a blend of incense,
prepared with skill by a perfumer.
It will be sweet in the mouth, like honey,
like music at a wine-drinking party.
2 He succeeded in turning around
the people,
and he removed unlawful displays
of idolatry.
3 He directed his heart toward the Lord;
at a time of lawlessness,
he made devotion to God stronger.

Destruction of Jerusalem

4 Except for David, Hezekiah, and Josiah,
all of them struck a bad chord,
because they abandoned
the Law of the Most High.
The kings of Judah came to an end.
5 They gave their power[b] to others
and their glory to a foreign nation,
6 which set fire to Jerusalem, the chosen city, and its sanctuary
and made its streets desolate,
as Jeremiah said.
7 They mistreated him,
even though he had been set apart
from the womb to be a prophet
to uproot, ruin, destroy,
and likewise to build and plant.

Ezekiel

8 Ezekiel saw a vision of glory,
when God showed him
the chariot of the winged creatures.
9 He remembered the enemies
in the storm,
and favored those keeping
to a righteous path.[c]
10 May the bones of the twelve prophets
sprout new life from their
burial places,
because they comforted Jacob
and rescued them
with hopeful confidence.

Zerubbabel, Joshua, and Nehemiah

11 How should we praise Zerubbabel?
He also was like a signet ring
on the right hand,
12 as was Joshua, Jozadak’s son.
In their time, they built a house
and raised a holy temple to the Lord,
prepared for everlasting glory.

13 Nehemiah’s memory is lasting;
he who raised our fallen walls,
set up gates and bars,
and rebuilt our buildings.

Miscellaneous ancestors

14 No one was created on the earth
who was like Enoch,
for he was taken up from the earth.
15 Nor has any man been born like Joseph,
a leader of his brothers,
a support for the people.[d]
They took special care
even of his bones.
16 Shem and Seth were honored
among human beings,[e]
and above every living thing in creation
was Adam.

Footnotes

  1. Sirach 49:1 Heb name
  2. Sirach 49:5 LXX horn
  3. Sirach 49:9 Heb God also remembered Job, a prophet, who held fast to all the ways of righteousness.
  4. Sirach 49:15 Heb lacks a support for the people.
  5. Sirach 49:16 Heb adds Enosh to the list.

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Sirach 49 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

49 The mind (or the memory) of Josiah made in the making of odour, is (like) the work of a pigment-maker. In each mouth his mind (or his memory) shall be made (as) sweet as honey, and as music [or as melody] in the feast of wine. 2 He was (ad)dressed (or directed) of (or by) God in the penance of (t...
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Sirach 49 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Josiah and Other Worthies49 The memory of Josi′ah is like a blending of incense prepared by the art of the perfumer;it is sweet as honey to every mouth, and like music at a banquet of wine.2 He was led aright in converting the people, and took away the abominations of iniquity.3 He set his heart upo...
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Sirach 49 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Josiah and Other Worthies49 The memory of Josi′ah is like a blending of incense prepared by the art of the perfumer;it is sweet as honey to every mouth, and like music at a banquet of wine.2 He was led aright in converting the people, and took away the abominations of iniquity.3 He set his heart upo...
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Sirach 49 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Josiah and Other Worthies49 The name[a] of Josiah is like blended incense prepared by the skill of the perfumer;his memory[b] is as sweet as honey to every mouth, and like music at a banquet of wine.2 He did what was right by reforming the people, and removing the wicked abominations.3 He kept his h...
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Sirach 49 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Josiah and Other Worthies49 The name[a] of Josiah is like blended incense prepared by the skill of the perfumer;his memory[b] is as sweet as honey to every mouth and like music at a banquet of wine.(A)2 He did what was right by reforming the people and removing the lawless abominations.(B)3 He kept ...
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Sirach 49 - Good News Translation (GNT)

Josiah49 (A)The memory of Josiah is as sweet as the fragrance of expertly blended incense, sweet as honey to the taste,[a] like music with wine at a banquet. 2 He followed the correct policy of reforming the nation and removed the horrors of idolatry. 3 He was completely loyal to the Lord and streng...
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Sirach 49 - Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)

49 The memory of Josias is like the composition of a sweet smell made by the art of a perfumer: 2 His remembrance shall be sweet as honey in every mouth, and as music at a banquet of wine. 3 He was directed by God unto the repentance of the nation, and he took away the abominations of wickedness. 4 ...
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Sirach 49 - Common English Bible (CEB)

Josiah49 The memory[a] of Josiahis like a blend of incense, prepared with skill by a perfumer.It will be sweet in the mouth, like honey, like music at a wine-drinking party.2 He succeeded in turning aroundthe people, and he removed unlawful displays of idolatry.3 He directed his heart toward the Lor...
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