The Wisdom of Jesus, Son of Sirach, also known as Ecclesiasticus, was written in Hebrew by a man named Joshua (or Jesus) and was later translated into Greek by his grandson. The book includes traditional Jewish wisdom material and makes a defense of Judaism by showing that God has given true wisdom to his people. Many subjects of a religious, moral, and practical nature are presented, sometimes at length and sometimes in short proverbial sayings.
Outline of Contents
- Foreword
- In praise of wisdom (Part I) 1.1—23.27
- Duty, reward, arid practical advice 1.1—16.23
- God’s wisdom and human response 16.24-23.27
- In praise of wisdom (Part 2) 24.1—50.21
- Wisdom and virtue 24.1—32.13
- God’s wisdom and human worship and work 32.14—42.14
- God’s glory in nature 42.15—43.33
- In praise of ancestors 44.1—50.21
- Epilogue and Appendices 50.22—51.30
If you’ve ever been asked why the Catholic Bible has those extra books—or if you're just curious yourself—this is a great read: How to Defend the Deuterocanonicals: Did the Catholic Church add seven books to the Old Testament?
Source(s):
- Sirach. (1972). In Catholic (Ed.), May they be one Bible: Good news translation (2013 ed., p. 925). Bible Society
- Giszczak, M. (2019, February). The book of Sirach [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://stmargaretmary.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/sirach-1.png
