Ecclesiasticus 38

1Honour the physician for the need thou hast of him: for the most High hath created him.

Honora medicum propter necessitatem: etenim illum creavit Altissimus.

2For all healing is from God, and he shall receive gifts of the king.

A Deo est enim omnis medela, et a rege accipiet donationem.

3The skill of the physician shall lift up his head, and in the sight of great men he shall be praised.

Disciplina medici exaltabit caput illius, et in conspectu magnatorum collaudabitur.

4The most High hath created medicines out of the earth, and a wise man will not abhor them.

Altissimus creavit de terra medicamenta, et vir prudens non abhorrebit illa.

5Was not bitter water made sweet with wood?

Nonne a ligno indulcata est aqua amara?

6The virtue of these things is come to the knowledge of men, and the most High hath given knowledge to men, that he may be honoured in his wonders.

Ad agnitionem hominum virtus illorum: et dedit hominibus scientiam Altissimus, honorari in mirabilibus suis.

7By these he shall cure and shall allay their pains, and of these the apothecary shall make sweet confections, and shall make up ointments of health, and of his works there shall be no end.

In his curans mitigabit dolorem: et unguentarius faciet pigmenta suavitatis, et unctiones conficiet sanitatis: et non consummabuntur opera ejus.

8For the peace of God is over all the face of the earth.

Pax enim Dei super faciem terræ.

9My son, in thy sickness neglect not thyself, but pray to the Lord, and he shall heal thee.

Fili, in tua infirmitate ne despicias teipsum: sed ora Dominum, et ipse curabit te.

10Turn away from sin and order thy hands aright, and cleanse thy heart from all offence.

Averte a delicto, et dirige manus, et ab omni delicto munda cor tuum.

11Give a sweet savour, and a memorial of fine flour, and make a fat offering, and then give place to the physician.

Da suavitatem et memoriam similaginis, et impingua oblationem, et da locum medico:

12For the Lord created him: and let him not depart from thee, for his works are necessary.

etenim illum Dominus creavit, et non discedat a te, quia opera ejus sunt necessaria.

13For there is a time when thou must fall into their hands:

Est enim tempus quando in manus illorum incurras:

14And they shall beseech the Lord, that he would prosper what they give for ease and remedy, for their conversation.

ipsi vero Dominum deprecabuntur, ut dirigat requiem eorum, et sanitatem, propter conversationem illorum.

15He that sinneth in the sight of his Maker, shall fall into the hands of the physician.

Qui delinquit in conspectu ejus qui fecit eum, incidet in manus medici.

16My son, shed tears over the dead, and begin to lament as if thou hadst suffered some great harm, and according to judgment cover his body, and neglect not his burial.

Fili, in mortuum produc lacrimas, et quasi dira passus incipe plorare: et secundum judicium contege corpus illius, et non despicias sepulturam illius.

17And for fear of being ill spoken of weep bitterly for a day, and then comfort thyself in thy sadness.

Propter delaturam autem amare fer luctum illius uno die, et consolare propter tristitiam:

18And make mourning for him according to his merit for a day, or two, for fear of detraction.

et fac luctum secundum meritum ejus uno die, vel duobus, propter detractionem:

19For of sadness cometh death, and it overwhelmeth the strength, and the sorrow of the heart boweth down the neck.

a tristitia enim festinat mors, et cooperit virtutem, et tristitia cordis flectit cervicem.

20In withdrawing aside sorrow remaineth: and the substance of the poor is according to his heart.

In abductione permanet tristitia, et substantia inopis secundum cor ejus.

21Give not up thy heart to sadness, but drive it from thee: and remember the latter end.

Ne dederis in tristitia cor tuum, sed repelle eam a te, et memento novissimorum.

22Forget it not: for there is no returning, and thou shalt do him no good, and shalt hurt thyself.

Noli oblivisci, neque enim est conversio: et huic nihil proderis, et teipsum pessimabis.

23Remember my judgment: for thine also shall be so: yesterday for me, and to day for thee.

Memor esto judicii mei: sic enim erit et tuum: mihi heri, et tibi hodie.

24When the dead is at rest, let his remembrance rest, and comfort him in the departing of his spirit.

In requie mortui requiescere fac memoriam ejus, et consolare illum in exitu spiritus sui.

25The wisdom of a scribe cometh by his time of leisure: and he that is less in action, shall receive wisdom.

Sapientia scribæ in tempore vacuitatis, et qui minoratur actu sapientiam percipiet, qua sapientia replebitur.

26With what wisdom shall he be furnished that holdeth the plough, and that glorieth in the goad, that driveth the oxen therewith, and is occupied in their labours, and his whole talk is about the offspring of bulls?

Qui tenet aratrum, et qui gloriatur in jaculo, stimulo boves agitat, et conversatur in operibus eorum, et enarratio ejus in filiis taurorum.

27He shall give his mind to turn up furrows, and his care is to give the kine fodder.

Cor suum dabit ad versandos sulcos, et vigilia ejus in sagina vaccarum.

28So every craftsman and workmaster that laboureth night and day, he who maketh graven seals, and by his continual diligence varieth the figure: he shall give his mind to the resemblance of the picture, and by his watching shall finish the work.

Sic omnis faber et architectus, qui noctem tamquam diem transigit: qui sculpit signacula sculptilia, et assiduitas ejus variat picturam: cor suum dabit in similitudinem picturæ, et vigilia sua perficiet opus.

29So doth the smith sitting by the anvil and considering the iron work. The vapour of the fire wasteth his flesh, and he fighteth with the heat of the furnace.

Sic faber ferrarius sedens juxta incudem, et considerans opus ferri: vapor ignis uret carnes ejus, et in calore fornacis concertatur.

30The noise of the hammer is always in his ears, and his eye is upon the pattern of the vessel he maketh.

Vox mallei innovat aurem ejus, et contra similitudinem vasis oculus ejus.

31He setteth his mind to finish his work, and his watching to polish them to perfection.

Cor suum dabit in consummationem operum, et vigilia sua ornabit in perfectionem.

32So doth the potter sitting at his work, turning the wheel about with his feet, who is always carefully set to his work, and maketh all his work by number:

Sic figulus sedens ad opus suum, convertens pedibus suis rotam, qui in sollicitudine positus est semper propter opus suum, et in numero est omnis operatio ejus.

33He fashioneth the clay with his arm, and boweth down his strength before his feet:

In brachio suo formabit lutum, et ante pedes suos curvabit virtutem suam.

34He shall give his mind to finish the glazing, and his watching to make clean the furnace.

Cor suum dabit ut consummet linitionem, et vigilia sua mundabit fornacem.

35All these trust to their hands, and every one is wise in his own art.

Omnes hi in manibus suis speraverunt, et unusquisque in arte sua sapiens est.

36Without these a city is not built.

Sine his omnibus non ædificatur civitas,

37And they shall not dwell, nor walk about therein, and they shall not go up into the assembly.

et non inhabitabunt, nec inambulabunt, et in ecclesiam non transilient.

38Upon the judges’ seat they shall not sit, and the ordinance of judgment they shall not understand, neither shall they declare discipline and judgment, and they shall not be found where parables are spoken:

Super sellam judicis non sedebunt, et testamentum judicii non intelligent, neque palam facient disciplinam et judicium, et in parabolis non invenientur:

39But they shall strengthen the state of the world, and their prayer shall be in the work of their craft, applying their soul, and searching in the law of the most High.

sed creaturam ævi confirmabunt: et deprecatio illorum in operatione artis, accomodantes animam suam, et conquirentes in lege Altissimi.