Sirach 44:1-15

Hymn to the ancestors

1 Now allow us to praise famous people and our ancestors, generation by generation.
2 The Lord created great glory, his majesty from eternity.
3 They ruled in their kingdoms, and made a name with their power, some giving counsel by their intelligence; some making pronouncements in prophecies;
4 some leading the people by their deliberations, and by their understanding of the people's learning, giving wise words in their instruction;
5 others devising musical melodies, and composing poems;
6 rich people endowed with strength, living in peace in their dwellings—
7 all of these were honored in their generation, a source of pride in their time.
8 Some of them left behind a name so that their praises might be told.
9 For some there is no memory, and they perished as though they hadn't existed. These have become as though they hadn't been born, they and even their children after them.
10 But these were compassionate people whose righteous deeds haven't been forgotten.
11 This will persist with their children; their descendants will be a good legacy.
12 Their descendants stand by the covenants, and their children also, for their sake.
13 Their descendants will last forever, and their glory will never be erased.
14 Their bodies were buried in peace, but their name lives for generations.
15 The people will tell of their wisdom, and the congregation will proclaim their praise.

Footnotes 3

  • [a]. Heb in their generations
  • [b]. Heb measured out
  • [c]. Heb Their goods will remain with their descendants, and their inheritance will be for their grandchildren.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible