Ben Sira’s Hymn of Thanksgiving

ca. 180–132 BCE

About This Entry

Ben Sira is a wisdom book written in the land of Israel around the 180s BCE (before the Maccabean wars but after the high priesthood of Simon II; see The Hellenistic Period in History and Memory). The book was written in Hebrew, then translated into Greek by the author’s grandson. It survives in both languages. The thanksgiving hymn at the end of Ben Sira expresses the speaker’s gratitude for having been delivered from death and destruction. It draws on conventional language and imagery familiar from the canonical psalms.

Ben Sira 51:1–12

¹I give you thanks, O Lord and King,

and praise you, O God my Savior.

I give thanks to your name,

²for you have been my protector and helper

and have delivered me from destruction

and from the trap laid by a slanderous tongue,

from lips that fabricate lies.

In the face of my adversaries

you have been my helper ³and delivered me,

in the greatness of your mercy and of your name,

from grinding teeth about to devour me,

from the hand of those seeking my life,

from the many troubles I endured,

⁴from choking fire on every side,

and from the midst of fire that I had not kindled,

⁵from the deep belly of Hades,

from an unclean tongue and lying words—

⁶the slander of an unrighteous tongue to the king.

My soul drew near to death,

and my life was on the brink of Hades below.

⁷They surrounded me on every side,

and there was no one to help me;

I looked for human assistance,

and there was none.

⁸Then I remembered your mercy, O Lord,

and your kindness from of old,

for you rescue those who wait for you

and save them from the hand of their enemies.

⁹And I sent up my prayer from the earth,

and begged for rescue from death.

¹⁰I cried out, “Lord, you are my Father;

do not forsake me in the days of trouble,

when there is no help against the proud.

¹¹I will praise your name continually,

and will sing hymns of thanksgiving.”

My prayer was heard,

¹²for you saved me from destruction

and rescued me in time of trouble.

For this reason I thank you and praise you,

and I bless the name of the Lord.

Translation from the New Revised Standard Version.

Credits

New Revised Standard Version Bible copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 2: Emerging Judaism.

Ben Sira’s Hymn of Thanksgiving

About This Entry

Ben Sira 51:1–12

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Ben Sira’s Hymn of Thanksgiving

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Ben Sira 51:1–12

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Ancient Corpus:

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