1It was Simon, the son of Onias, the ¹⁹⁴great priest,
Who in his life repaired the house,
And in his days strengthened the temple:

2And by him was built from the foundation the height of the double wall,
The lofty underworks of the inclosure of the temple:

3In his days the cistern of waters was ¹⁹⁵diminished,
The brazen vessel in compass as the sea.

4It was he that took thought for his people that they should not fall,
And fortified the city ¹⁹⁶against besieging:

5How glorious was he when the people gathered round him
At his coming forth out of the ¹⁹⁷sanctuary!

6As the morning star in the midst of a cloud,
As the moon at the full:

7As the sun shining forth upon the temple of the Most High,
And as the rainbow giving light in clouds of glory:

8As the flower of roses in the days of new fruits,
As lilies at the waterspring,
As the shoot of the frankencense tree in the time of summer:

9As fire and incense in the censer,
As a vessel all of beaten gold
Adorned with all manner of precious stones:

10As an olive tree budding forth fruits,
And as a cypress growing high among the clouds.

11When he took up the robe of glory,
And put on the perfection of exultation,
In the ascent of the holy altar,
He made glorious the precinct of the sanctuary.

12And when he received the portions out of the priests’ hands,
Himself also standing by the hearth of the altar,
His brethren as a garland round about him,
He was as a young cedar in Libanus;
And as stems of palm trees compassed they him round about,

13And all the sons of Aaron in their glory,
And the Lord’s offering in their hands, before all the congregation of Israel.

14And finishing the service at the altars,
That he might adorn the offering of the Most High, the Almighty,

15He stretched out his hand to the ¹⁹⁸cup,
And poured out the cup of the grape;
He poured out at the foot of the altar
A sweet-smelling savour unto the Most High, the King of all.

16Then shouted the sons of Aaron,
They sounded the trumpets of beaten work,
They made a great noise to be heard,
For a remembrance before the Most High.

17Then all the people together hasted,
And fell down upon the earth on their faces
To worship their Lord, the Almighty, God Most High.

18The singers also praised him with their voices;
In the whole house was there made sweet melody.

19And the people besought the Lord Most High,
In prayer before him that is merciful.
Till the ¹⁹⁹worship of the Lord should be ended;
And so they accomplished his service.

20Then he went down, and lifted up his hands
Over the whole congregation of the children of Israel,
To give blessing unto the Lord with his lips,
And to glory in his name.

21And he bowed himself down in worship the second time,
To declare the blessing from the Most High.

22And now bless ye the God of all,
Which everywhere doeth great things,
Which exalteth our days from the womb,
And dealeth with us according to his mercy.

23May he grant us joyfulness of heart,
And that peace may be in our days in Israel for the days of eternity:

24To intrust his mercy with us;
And let him deliver us in his time!

25With two nations is my soul vexed,
And the third is no nation:

26They that sit upon the mountain of ²⁰⁰Samaria, and the Philistines,
And that foolish people that dwelleth in Sichem.

27I have ²⁰¹written in this book the instruction of understanding and knowledge,
I Jesus, the son of Sirach Eleazar, of Jerusalem,
Who out of his heart poured forth wisdom.

28Blessed is he that shall be exercised in these things;
And he that layeth them up in his heart shall become wise.

29For if he do them, he shall be strong to all things:
For the light of the Lord is his ²⁰²guide. ²⁰³