Sirach - Chapter 2

Passage

Son, when you come to the service of God, stand in justice and in fear, and prepare your soul for temptation. Humble your heart, and endure: incline your ear, and receive the words of understanding: and make not haste in the time of clouds. Wait on God with patience: join yourself to God, and endure, that your life may be increased in the latter end. Take all that shall be brought upon you: and in your sorrow endure, and in your humiliation keep patience. For gold and silver are tried in the fire, but acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation. Believe God, and he will recover you: and direct your way, and trust in him. Keep his fear, and grow old therein. You that fear the Lord, wait for his mercy: and go not aside from him lest you fall. You that fear the Lord, believe him: and your reward shall not be made void. You that fear the Lord hope in him, and mercy shall come to you for your delight. You that fear the Lord, love him, and your hearts shall be enlightened. My children behold the generations of men: and know you that no one has hoped in the Lord, and has been confounded. For who has continued in his commandment, and has been forsaken? or who has called upon him, and he despised him? For God is compassionate and merciful, and will forgive sins in the day of tribulation: and he is a protector to all that seek him in truth. Woe to them that are of a double heart and to wicked lips, and to the hands that do evil, and to the sinner that goes on the earth two ways. Woe to them that are fainthearted, who believe not God: and therefore they shall not be protected by him. Woe to them that have lost patience, and that have forsaken the right ways, and have gone aside into crooked ways. And what will they do, when the Lord shall begin to examine? They that fear the Lord, will not be incredulous to his word: and they that love him, will keep his way. They that fear the Lord, will seek after the things that are well pleasing to him: and they that love him, shall be filled with his law. They that fear the Lord, will prepare their hearts, and in his sight will sanctify their souls, They that fear the Lord, keep his commandments, and will have patience even until his visitation, Saying: If we do not penance, we shall fall into the hands of the Lord, and not into the hands of men. For according to his greatness, so also is his mercy with him.