#ecclesiasticus

Current reading in the Apocrypha is the Wisdom of Yeshua ben Sira, also known as Sirach or Ecclesiasticus. This work was long known only in the Greek translation by ben Sira's grandson, made in Ptolemaic Egypt in 132 BCE, but much of the original Hebrew has now been assembled from various sources, including the Cairo Genizah and the Dead Sea Scrolls. I've still got a ways to go -- it's a pretty long book -- but I do have some initial thoughts:

Ava, it's totally fine that you murdered the woman that murdered you (definitely thought I'd have to wait longer for this reveal *cough* confirmation *cough*...) and god knows how many other orphaned children ...and, like, the secret order of nuns has a member trying to murder you now, so like, you can just call them out on the hypocrisy.

If a skilful man hear a wise word, he will commend it, and add unto it; but a soon as one of no understanding heareth it, it displeaseth him, and he casteth it behind his back.

EXTREMA HOMINI SCIENTIA VT RES SVNT BONI CONSVLERE CÆTERA SECVRVM. ECCL.    The ultimate wisdom of man is to consider things as good, and for the rest to be untroubled. Ecclesiastes.    note: these words exist in neither Ecclesiastes, nor Ecclesiasticus, but probably represent Montaigne’s distillation of that book’s spirit.                             ❧ COGNOSCENDI STVDIVM HOMINI DEDIT DEVS EIVS TORQVENDI GRATIA. ECCL.1.    God gave to man the desire for knowledge for the sake of tormenting him. Ecclesiastes 1.    note: a paraphrase of Ecclesiasticus 1:13 which runs:    Et proposui in animo meo quaerere et investigare sapienter de omnibus quae fiunt sub sole. Hanc occupationem pessimam dedit Deus filiis hominum ut occuparentur in ea. [I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the sky. It is a heavy burden that God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.]    Montaigne uses this paraphrase in 'Of Presumption' and 'An Apology for Raymond Sebond'.                              ❧ OMNIVM QVÆ SVB SOLE SVNT FORTVNA ET LEX PAR EST. ECCL.9.    Everything under the sun follows the same law and the same destiny. Ecclesiastes 9.    note: a reference to Ecclesiastes 9:3 shows up in a slightly modified form in 'An Apology for Raymond Sebond, 3:2': "Tout ce qui est sous le ciel, dit le sage, court une loy et fortune pareille." Ecclesiasticus has this as: Hoc est pessimism inter omnia, quae sub sole fiunt, quia eadem cunctis eveniunt.                              ❧ NVLLIVS VEL MAGNÆ VEL PARVÆ EARVM RERVM QVAS DEVS TAM MVLTAS FECIT NOTITIA IN NOBIS EST. ECCL.3.    The notion of everything, large and small, of all the innumerable creatures of God, is to be found within us. Ecclesiastes 3:1.                              ❧ SICVT IGNORAS QVOMODO ANIMA CONIVNGATVR CORPORI SIC NESCIS OPERA DEI. ECCL.11 .    You who know nothing of how the soul marries the body, you therefore know nothing of God’s works. Ecclesiastes 11:5.                              ❧ NESCIS HOMO HOC AN ILLVD MAGIS EXPEDIAT AN ÆQVE VTRVMQVE. ECCL.11.    You are unaware if your interest is here rather than there, or if they are alike in value. Ecclesiastes 11.    note: echoes Ecclesiasticus 11:6:    Mane semina semen tuum et vespere ne cesset manus tua; quia nescis quid magis oriatur hoc aut illuf et si utrumque simul melius erit. [In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening don’t withhold your hand; for you don’t know which will prosper, whether this or that, or whether they both will be equally good.]                              ❧ NE PLVS SAPIAS QVAM NECESSE EST NE OBSTVPESCAS. ECCL.7.    Be not overwise lest you become senseless. Ecclesiastes 7:16.                              ❧ RES OMNES SVNT DIFFICILIORES QVAM VT EAS POSSIT HOMO CONSEQVI. ECCL.1.    All things are too difficult for man to understand them. Ecclesiastes 1.    note: the Vulgate of Ecclesiastes 1:8 has:    Cunctae res difficiles, non potest eas homo explicare sermone. [All things are wearisome, more than one can say.]                              ❧ PER OMNIA VANITAS. ECCL.1.    All is vanity. Ecclesiastes 1.    note: the complete Vulgate verse of Ecclesiasticus 1:2 runs:    Vanitas vanitatum, dixit Ecclesiastes: vanitas vanitatum et omnia vanitas. [Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.]                              ❧ QVID SVPERBIS TERRA ET CINIS. ECCL.10.    Earth and ashes, wherefrom your pride? Ecclesiastes 10.    note: probably a paraphrase of Ecclesiastes 10:9: "Whoever carves out stones may be injured by them. Whoever splits wood may be endangered thereby."                              ❧ FRVERE IVCVNDE PRÆSENTIBVS CÆTERA EXTRA TE. ECCL.3    Enjoy pleasantly present things, others are beyond thee. Ecclesiastes 3:22.                              ❧ FECIT DEVS HOMINEM SIMILEM VMBRÆ DE QVA POST SOLIS OCCASVM QVIS IVDICABIT. ECCL.7.    God has made man like a shadow, of which who shall judge after the setting of the sun? Ecclesiastes 7.    note: there is nothing even remotely close to this in chapter 7, Ecclesiastes or anywhere else in scripture. And yet in 'An Apology for Raymond Sebond, 3:5', Montaigne again attributes this to the Bible: "La saincte Parole declare miserables ceux d’entre nous qui s’estiment. Bourbe et cendre, leur dit elle, qu’as tu à te glorfier? Et ailleurs: Dier a faict l’homme semblable à l’ombre; de laquelle qui jugera quand par l’esloignement de la lumiére elle sera esvanouye?" [Holy Scripture declares miserable those who think well of themselves: “Dust and ashes,” it says to them, “what have you to glory in?” And elsewhere: “God has made man like the shadow; who can say of it when it will have vanished with the passing of the light?"]                              ❧ EX TOT DEI OPERIBVS NIHILO MAGIS QVIDQVAM HOMINI COGNITVM QVAM VENTI VESTIGIVM. ECCL.11.    Of all the works of God nothing is more unknown to any man than the track of the wind. Ecclesiastes 11.    note: this text does not exist in Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes 11:4 runs:    Qui observat ventum, non seminat: et qui considerat nubes, nunquam metet; [He who observes the wind won’t sow; and he who regards the clouds won’t reap.]                              ❧ QVARE IGNORAS QVOMODO ANIMA CONJVGITVR CORPORI NESCIS OPERA DEI. ECCL. 11.    As you are ignorant of the way of the spirit, so you do not know the works of God. Ecclesiastes 11.    note: the source is Ecclesiastes 11:5 which in the Vulgate runs:    Quomodo ignoras quae sit via spiritus, et qua ratione compingantur ossa in ventre praegnantis, sic nescis opera Dei qui fabricator est omnium. [As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her who is with child, even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.]    cf. 'Apology for Raymond Sebond, 3:5'.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: