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| Whereas many great teachings have been given to us through the law and the prophets | ECCLESIASTICUS. THE WISDOM OF JOSHUA, SON OF SIRACH. Forward. Sir.Intro.1-36 |
| and the others that followed them, | |
| on account of which we should praise Israel for instruction and wisdom; | |
| and since it is necessary not only that the readers themselves should acquire understanding | |
| but also that those who love learning should be able to help the outsiders | |
| by both speaking and writing, | |
| my grandfather Jesus, after devoting himself | |
| especially to the reading of the law | |
| and the prophets | |
| and the other books of our fathers, | |
| and after acquiring considerable proficiency in them, | |
| was himself also led to write something pertaining to instruction and wisdom, | |
| in order that, by becoming conversant with this also, | |
| those who love learning should make even greater progress in living according to the law. | |
| You are urged therefore | |
| to read with good will and attention, | |
| and to be indulgent in cases where, | |
| despite our diligent labor | |
| in translating, | |
| we may seem to have rendered some phrases imperfectly. | |
| For what was originally | |
| expressed in Hebrew does not have exactly the same sense when translated into another language. | |
| Not only this work, | |
| but even the law itself, the prophecies, | |
| and the rest of the books | |
| differ not a little as originally expressed. | |
| When I came to Egypt in the thirty-eighth year of the reign of Euergetes | |
| and stayed for some time, | |
| I found opportunity for no little instruction. | |
| It seemed highly necessary that I should myself devote some pains and labor to the translation of the following book, | |
| using in that period of time | |
| great watchfulness and skill | |
| in order to complete and publish the book | |
| for those living abroad who wished to gain learning, | |
| being prepared in character | |
| to live according to the law. | |
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