Sirach 2

Common English Bible

Trusting in God

2 My child, if you come to serve the Lord,
    prepare yourself for testing.
²Set your heart straight, be steadfast,
    and don’t act hastily in a time of distress.
³Hold fast to God
and don’t keep your distance from him,
    so that you may find strength
    at your end.
⁴Accept whatever happens to you,
    and be patient
    when you suffer humiliation,
⁵        because gold is tested with fire,
        and acceptable people are tested
        in the furnace of humiliation.^[a]
⁶Trust him, and he will help you;
    make your ways straight,
    and hope in him.

⁷You who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy,
    and don’t turn aside
    or else you might fall.
⁸You who fear the Lord, trust him,
    and you won’t lose your reward.
⁹You who fear the Lord,
hope for good things,
    for unending joy and mercy.^[b]
¹⁰Look at the people
from long ago and see:
    Who trusted in the Lord
    and was put to shame?
    Or who remained firm in godly fear
    and was left behind?
    Or who called upon the Lord, and the Lord
overlooked him?
¹¹After all, the Lord is compassionate
and merciful;
    he forgives sins and rescues people
    in a time of hardship.

¹²How terrible it will be
for cowardly hearts and idle hands
    and for a sinner who sets foot
    upon two paths.
¹³How terrible it will be for the timid heart.
Because it doesn’t trust,
    therefore it won’t be protected.
¹⁴How terrible it will be for you
who have lost your stamina.
    What will you do when the Lord comes for his inspection?

¹⁵Those who fear the Lord
won’t disobey his words,
    and those who love him
    will keep his ways.
¹⁶Those who fear the Lord
will try to please him,
    and those who love him will be fully occupied with observing the Law.
¹⁷Those who fear the Lord
will prepare their hearts,
    and they will humble themselves before him.
¹⁸May we fall into the hands of the Lord
    and not into the hands of human beings,
    because his mercy
    is equal to his greatness.