Sirach 40:1-16: a reflection

1Great travail is created for every man. A heavy yoke is upon the sons of Adam, from the day of their coming forth from their mother’s womb, until the day for their burial in the mother of all things. 2The expectation of things to come, and the day of death, trouble their thoughts, and cause fear in their hearts. 3From him who sits on a throne of glory, even to him who is humbled in earth and ashes, 4from him who wears purple and a crown, even to him who is clothed in burlap, 5there is wrath, jealousy, trouble, unrest, fear of death, anger, and strife. In the time of rest upon his bed, his night sleep changes his knowledge. 6He gets little or no rest, and afterward in his sleep, as in a day of keeping watch, he is troubled in the vision of his heart, as one who has escaped from the front of battle. 7In the very time of his deliverance, he awakens, and marvels that the fear is nothing. 8To all creatures, human and animal, and upon sinners sevenfold more, 9come death, bloodshed, strife, sword, calamities, famine, suffering, and plague. 10All these things were created for the wicked, and because of them the flood came. 11All things that are of the earth turn to the earth again. All things that are of the waters return into the sea. 12All bribery and injustice will be blotted out. Good faith will stand forever. 13The goods of the unjust will be dried up like a river, and like a great thunder in rain will go off in noise. 14In opening his hands, a man will be made glad; so lawbreakers will utterly fail. 15The children of the ungodly won’t grow many branches, and are as unhealthy roots on a sheer rock. 16The reeds by every water or river bank will be plucked up before all grass.

After soberly describing the troubles and fears that weigh on all human life, from the highest to the lowest, Sirach draws a contrast that gives hope: while ill-gotten gains dry up and vanish, good faith stands forever. All bribery and injustice will be blotted out, Sirach says, but good faith will stand forever. The goods of the unjust will be dried up like a river. In a world where injustice and dishonest gain seem to prosper, Sirach declares that they will not last; the gains of the unjust dry up and vanish like a river, while good faith, integrity, honest and faithful dealing, endures forever. What is gained unjustly does not last; what is done in good faith and integrity abides. This shows that ill-gotten gains vanish while integrity endures. Ill-gotten gains dry up and vanish; good faith endures forever. Integrity abides while dishonest gain passes away. What is gained unjustly does not last; what is faithful endures. Good faith stands forever, though injustice seems to prosper.

Notice the contrast Sirach draws between what lasts and what does not. He has soberly acknowledged the troubles of human life; and now he offers a hope grounded in the difference between the fleeting gains of injustice and the enduring worth of integrity. The goods of the unjust, he says, will dry up like a river; bribery and injustice will be blotted out; the ill-gotten prosperity that seems so solid will pass away. But good faith, integrity, honest and faithful dealing, will stand forever; it endures when dishonest gain has vanished. This is a steadying truth in a world where injustice and dishonest gain often seem to prosper. We can be troubled or even tempted when we see the unjust prospering, gaining by dishonest means what the honest do not have, and seeming to get away with it. But Sirach reminds us that such gains do not last; they dry up and vanish. What endures is not ill-gotten gain but good faith, integrity, faithfulness. In the end, integrity outlasts injustice; the faithful and honest have chosen what abides, while the unjust have gained only what will pass away. We do well, then, to hold to good faith and integrity, which endure, rather than envy or imitate the unjust, whose gains will vanish. Hold to integrity, which endures, not ill-gotten gain, which vanishes. Do not envy the unjust; their gains dry up, but good faith abides. Integrity outlasts injustice in the end. Choose what abides, good faith, over what will pass away.

That is worth taking to heart, for ill-gotten gains dry up and vanish while integrity and good faith endure forever, and we do well to hold to integrity rather than envy the unjust. We can be troubled or tempted when the unjust prosper, seeming to gain by dishonest means what the honest lack; but Sirach reminds us that the gains of the unjust dry up like a river, while good faith stands forever. Integrity outlasts injustice. Do not envy or imitate the unjust, whose gains will vanish; hold to good faith and integrity, which endure. Hold to good faith and integrity, which endure forever, rather than envying or imitating the unjust, whose gains dry up and vanish, as Sirach, after soberly describing the troubles and fears that weigh on all human life from highest to lowest, drew a contrast that gives hope, that all bribery and injustice will be blotted out and the goods of the unjust will dry up like a river, but good faith will stand forever; for in a world where injustice and dishonest gain seem to prosper, Sirach declares that they will not last but dry up and vanish, while good faith, integrity, and honest, faithful dealing endure, which is a steadying truth, since we can be troubled or tempted when we see the unjust prospering, gaining by dishonest means what the honest do not have and seeming to get away with it, but such gains do not last, and what endures is not ill-gotten gain but good faith and faithfulness, so that in the end integrity outlasts injustice, the faithful having chosen what abides while the unjust have gained only what will pass away, and we do well to hold to good faith and integrity, which endure, rather than envy or imitate the unjust, whose gains will vanish.

Lord, after soberly describing the troubles and fears that weigh on all human life, from the highest to the lowest, Sirach draws a contrast that gives hope: while ill-gotten gains dry up and vanish, good faith stands forever. All bribery and injustice will be blotted out, Sirach says, but good faith will stand forever. The goods of the unjust will be dried up like a river. In a world where injustice and dishonest gain seem to prosper, Sirach declares that they will not last; the gains of the unjust dry up and vanish like a river, while good faith, integrity, honest and faithful dealing, endures forever. What is gained unjustly does not last; what is done in good faith and integrity abides. Show me the contrast Sirach draws between what lasts and what does not. The goods of the unjust will dry up like a river; the ill-gotten prosperity that seems so solid will pass away. But good faith, integrity, honest dealing, will stand forever; it endures when dishonest gain has vanished. This is a steadying truth in a world where injustice and dishonest gain often seem to prosper. I can be troubled or even tempted when I see the unjust prospering, gaining by dishonest means what the honest do not have, and seeming to get away with it. But Sirach reminds me that such gains do not last; they dry up and vanish. What endures is not ill-gotten gain but good faith, integrity, faithfulness. In the end, integrity outlasts injustice. Take that to my heart, for ill-gotten gains vanish while integrity and good faith endure forever. Keep me from envying or imitating the unjust, whose gains will vanish; help me hold to good faith and integrity, Lord, which endure, choosing what abides over what will pass away, and trusting that in the end integrity outlasts injustice.