Ben Sira 33:6-16

6 A sarcastic friend is like a wild horse that neighs no matter who tries to ride him.
7 Why are some days holier than others, even though the same sun rises on every day of the year?
8 It is because the Lord made them different by setting them apart as religious holidays and festivals.
9 He made some days holy and important, and made other days ordinary.
10 Every human being was made from the earth, just as Adam was.
11 But the Lord, in his wisdom, made them all different and gave them different tasks.
12 He blessed some, making them honored and holy, keeping them near him. Others he cursed, humbling them and removing them from their positions.
13 Just as clay is in the potter's hands for him to shape as he pleases, so we are in the hands of our Creator for him to do with as he wishes.
14 Good is the opposite of evil, life is the opposite of death, and sin is the opposite of devotion to the Lord.
15 Think about it: the Most High has made everything in pairs, each thing the opposite of something else.
16 As for me, I have been the last to come on duty, as if going through vineyards to gather whatever the grape-pickers had left behind. But the Lord blessed me, and I did well, like a grape-picker who has filled the wine press.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. did well; [or] overtook the others.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.