Глава 38

The Lord created medicines from the earth and a prudent person will not neglect them. Shed tears over the deceased, but do not give your heart over to immeasurable sadness. Indulging in everyday activities and crafts, it is difficult to comprehend book wisdom and earn honor from citizens for it. Sir.38:1 Honor the physician according to the need for him, for the Lord created him, Sir.38:2 And from the Most High comes healing, and from the king he receives a gift. Sir.38:3 The knowledge of a doctor will raise his head, and he will be held in high esteem among nobles. Sir.38:4 The Lord created medicines from the earth, and a prudent person will not neglect them. Sir.38:5 Was it not from the tree that the water was made sweet, that His power might be known? Sir.38:6 For this reason He gave people knowledge, so that they would glorify Him in His wonderful works: Sir.38:7 With them he heals a person and destroys his illness. 7. By them, i.e. doctors. Wed. 4 tbsp. Sir.38:8 He who prepares medicines makes a mixture of them, and his studies do not end, and through him good comes on the face of the earth. 8. And his studies do not end with preparing the mixture, i.e. only scientific and theoretical experiments, but they also have beneficial practical significance, for through him, the doctor, there is a blessing in the healing of human diseases on the face of the earth. Wed. 7 tbsp. Sir.38:9 My son! in your illness do not be careless, but pray to the Lord, and He will heal you. Sir.38:10 Leave your sinful life and straighten your hands, and cleanse your heart from all sin. Sir.38:11 Offer a fragrance and from the seven-stone a memorial sacrifice and make a fat offering, as if one were already dying; Sir.38:12 And give a place to the doctor, for the Lord created him too, and let him not depart from you, for he is needed. Sir.38:13 At other times, success happens in their hands; Sir.38:14 for they also pray to the Lord that He will help them give the sick relief and healing to continue life. Sir.38:15 But whoever sins against Him who created him, let him fall into the hands of a doctor! 9–15. In case of illness, turn to the Lord God with a prayer for mercy, make the sacrifices required by law, but at the same time give a place to the doctor, for the Lord created him too for His glory and for the benefit of suffering humanity. A knowledgeable and God-fearing doctor can serve as one of the instruments of divine mercy for the sick person. Only a stubborn wicked person has no right to hope for the healing power of God-created healing. Sir.38:16 My son! shed tears over the deceased and, as if subjected to a cruel misfortune, begin to cry; clothe his body decently and do not neglect his burial; Sir.38:17 Let there be bitter weeping and warm weeping, and continue mourning for him, according to his dignity, for a day or two, to avoid condemnation, and then you will be comforted from sorrow; Sir.38:18 For from sorrow comes death, and sorrow of the heart exhausts strength. Sir.38:19 With misfortune comes sorrow, and the life of a beggar is hard for the heart. Sir.38:20 Do not give up your heart to sorrow; move her away from you, remembering the end. 20. Art. 21–22 explained. – Remembering the end, i.e. the transience of your life, do not exhaust your strength with immeasurable contrition, which is useless both for you and for others. The law of death embraces everything living on earth, and its action cannot be suspended by human complaints. Immeasurable complaints can only harm a person, accelerating the action of the terrible law against him (cf. Art. 18). Sir.38:21 Do not forget this, for there is no return; and you will not benefit him, but will harm yourself. Sir.38:22 “Remember the judgment on me, because it is also on you; yesterday for me, and today for you.” Sir.38:23 With the repose of the deceased, soothe his memory, and be comforted about him after the departure of his soul. Sir.38:24 Book wisdom is acquired in a favorable time of leisure, and those who have little to do can acquire wisdom. Sir.38:25 How can one become wise who drives the plow and boasts with the whip, drives oxen and is busy with their work, and whose conversation is only about young oxen? Sir.38:26 His heart is busy making furrows, and his concern is about feeding the heifers. Sir.38:27 So is every carpenter and architect who spends the night as the day: whoever is engaged in carving, his diligence is to diversify the form; 27. He spends the night, like the day, thinking about how to diversify the form of his constructions. Sir.38:28 He directs his heart to ensure that the image is similar, and his concern is to complete the work to perfection. Sir.38:29 So is the forger who sits at the anvil and thinks about a product made of iron: the smoke from the fire exhausts his body, and he struggles with the heat from the furnace; Sir.38:30 The sound of the hammer deafens his ears, and his eyes are fixed on the model of the vessel; Sir.38:31 His heart is set on finishing the matter, and his care is to finish it perfectly. Sir.38:32 So the potter who sits at his work and turns the wheel with his feet, Sir.38:33 who is constantly concerned about his work and who has all his work numbered: Sir.38:34 With his hand he gives shape to the clay, and with his feet he softens its hardness; Sir.38:35 he directs his heart to finish the vessel well, and his concern is to cleanse the furnace. Sir.38:36 They all trust in their own hands, and each one is wise in his own work; Sir.38:37 Without them, neither the city will be built, nor the inhabitants will be inhabited or live in it; Sir.38:38 and yet they are not invited to the assembly, they do not sit in the judge’s seat and do not discuss judicial decisions, do not pronounce justification and condemnation, and do not engage in parables; Sir.38:39 but they support everyday life, and their prayer is for the success of their art.