Sirach chapter 48

[This chapter is in Orthodox and Catholic Bibles] Elijah is a hero of the faith. Elisha is a hero of the faith. Hezekiah is a hero of the faith. Isaiah is a hero of the faith.

 


 

The Book of Sirach is recognized as Deuterocanonical Scripture by the Orthodox and Catholic Churches

 


 

ELIJAH IS A HERO OF THE FAITH

 

VERSE 1. Also there arose Elijah the prophet as fire, And his word burned like a torch:

NAB translation. Till there appeared the prophet whose words were as a flaming furnace.

a flaming furnace. Reading the prophets is like standing next to a blast furnace in the winter.

Most of us would like the heat, but we can’t stand to stand too close lest we get burnt.

The Bible sometimes associates fire with the presence of the Most High God. Read more »

 

VERSE 2. Who brought a famine upon them, And by his zeal made them few in number.

 

VERSE 3. By the word of the Lord he shut up the heaven: Thrice did he thus bring down fire.

 

VERSE 4. How was you glorified, O Elijah, in your wondrous deeds! And who shall glory like to you?

 

VERSE 5. Who did raise up a dead man from death, And from the place of the dead, by the word of the Most High:

 

VERSE 6. Who brought down kings to destruction, And honorable men from their bed:

 

VERSE 7. Who heard rebuke in Sinai, And judgments of vengeance in Horeb:

 

VERSE 8. Who anointed kings for retribution, And prophets to succeed after him:

 

VERSE 9. Who was taken up in a tempest of fire, In a chariot of fiery horses:

KJV translation. Who was taken up in a whirlwind of fire, and in a chariot of fiery horses:

a chariot of fiery horses. Neither Enoch nor Elijah died. Instead, they were taken alive into heaven. They demonstrate what will happen to believers at the end of time. Read more »

 

VERSE 10. Who was recorded for reproofs in their seasons, To pacify anger, before it brake forth into wrath; To turn the heart of the father to the son, And to restore the tribes of Jacob.

turn the heart of the father to the son. John the Baptist turned many people to repentance. For fathers, that repentance meant turning their hearts toward their children. Read more »

 

VERSE 11. Blessed are those who saw you, And those who have been beautified with love; For we also shall surely live.

 

ELISHA IS A HERO OF THE FAITH

 

VERSE 12. Elijah it was, who was wrapped in a tempest: And Elisha was filled with his spirit; And in all his days he was not moved by the fear of any ruler, And no one brought him into subjection.

NAB translation. During his lifetime, [Elisha] feared no one, nor was any man able to intimidate his will.

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Book of Sirach and from the entire Bible.

not moved by … fear. During his lifetime, Elisha feared no one. Nor was anyone able to intimidate him. He is a great hero of courage.

If you’re prone to fear or intimidation, how can the Bible help you?

Fear is a natural emotion. We can’t turn it off. Most people are held back by fear. But the Bible says “Do not be afraid.” That means to move forward anyway. Read more »

 

VERSE 13. Nothing was too high for him; And when he was laid on sleep his body prophesied.

 

VERSE 14. As in his life he did wonders, So in death were his works marvelous.

 

VERSE 15. For all this the people repented not, And they departed not from their sins, Till they were carried away as a plunder from their land, And were scattered through all the earth; And the people was left very few in number, And a ruler was left in the house of David.

 

VERSE 16. Some of them did that which was pleasing to God, And some multiplied sins.

 

HEZEKIAH IS A HERO OF THE FAITH

 

VERSE 17. Hezekiah fortified his city, And brought in water into the midst of them: He digged the sheer rock with iron, And built up wells for waters.

 

VERSE 18. In his days Sennacherib came up, And sent Rabshakeh, and departed; And he lifted up his hand against Sion, And boasted great things in his arrogance.

 

VERSE 19. Then were their hearts and their hands shaken, And they were in pain, as women in travail;

 

VERSE 20. And they called upon the Lord which is merciful, Spreading forth their hands to him: And the Holy One heard them speedily out of Heaven, And delivered them by the hand of Isaiah.

 

VERSE 21. He struck the camp of the Assyrians, And his angel utterly destroyed them.

 

VERSE 22. For Hezekiah did that which was pleasing to the Lord, And was strong in the ways of David his father, Which Isaiah the prophet commanded, Who was great and faithful in his vision.

 

ISAIAH IS A HERO OF THE FAITH

 

VERSE 23. In his days the sun went backward; And he added life to the king.

the sun went backward:

2 Kings 20:11. Isaiah the prophet cried to the LORD; and he brought the shadow ten steps backward, by which it had gone down on the sundial of Ahaz.

Isaiah 38:8. “Behold, I will cause the shadow on the sundial, which has gone down on the sundial of Ahaz with the sun, to return backward ten steps.” So the sun returned ten steps on the sundial on which it had gone down.

Sirach 48:23. In his days the sun went backward; And he added life to the king.

 

VERSE 24. He saw by an excellent spirit what should come to pass at the last; And he comforted those who mourned in Sion.

 

VERSE 25. He showed the things that should be to the end of time, And the hidden things or ever they came.

 


next chapter »

« previous chapter


SIRACH

CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51

RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, Chronology

Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.