Sirach 16:24-17

Common English Bible

²⁶ The Lord’s works in creation
existed from the beginning,
    and he defined their exact stations
    when he made them.
²⁷ He set their works in order forever,
    and arranged their spheres of authority
    for as long as they last.
They have never gotten hungry
or grown weary,
    and they have never
    abandoned their tasks.
²⁸ None of them crowd out their neighbor,
    and none will ever disobey his word.
²⁹ Afterward, the Lord looked at the earth
    and filled it with his good things.
³⁰ He covered its surface
with every living being,
    and they return into it.

17 The Lord created a human being
out of earth,
    and he returned that human being
    into it again.
² God gave human beings a set number
of days and a fixed time,
    and he gave them authority
    over the things that are upon the earth.
³ God endowed them with strength like his, and he made them according
to his image.
⁴ God made all living beings afraid of them, so that they might exercise dominion over the animals and birds.^[b]
6 God gave them the capacity to plan,
a tongue and eyes,
    ears and a mind^[c] for thinking.
⁷ God filled them with common sense,
    and he showed them
    good things and bad.
⁸ God put awe for him in their hearts,
    in order to show them the greatness
    of his works.^[d]
9 So that they might tell of the magnificence of his works,
¹⁰     they will praise his holy name.
¹¹ God placed knowledge before them,
    and he gave them a code for living.^[e]
12 God established an eternal covenant
with them,
    and he showed them his decrees.
¹³ They saw the majesty of his glory
with their own eyes,
    and they heard his glorious voice
    with their own ears.
¹⁴ God said to them,
“Beware of every injustice,”
    and he gave each of them commandments concerning
    their neighbor.

¹⁵ Their ways are always before him;
    they won’t be hidden from his sight.^[f]
17 God appointed a leader for each nation,
    and Israel is
    the Lord’s responsibility.^[g]
19 All of their deeds are before him
as plain as the sun,
    and his eyes are always on their ways.
²⁰ Their wrongs are not hidden from him,
    and all their sins are exposed
    in the Lord’s presence.^[h]
22 A person’s acts of charity
are like a seal with him,
    and he will treasure a person’s generosity like the apple of his eye.^[i]
23 Afterward God will rise up
and repay them;
    he will deliver their repayment
    upon their heads.
²⁴ However, for those who changed their hearts and minds, God granted a way back, and he encouraged those
who were abandoning hope.