> ‎Chapter 3‎ > ‎Chapter 4‎ > ‎Chapter 5‎ > ‎Chapter 6‎ > ‎Chapter 7‎ > ‎Chapter 8‎ > ‎Chapter 9‎ > ‎Chapter 10‎ > ‎Chapter 11‎ > ‎Chapter 12‎ > ‎Chapter 13‎ > ‎Chapter 14‎ > ‎Chapter 15‎ > ‎Chapter 16‎ > ‎Chapter 17‎ > ‎Chapter 18‎ > ‎Chapter 19‎ > ‎Chapter 20‎ > ‎Chapter 21‎ > ‎Chapter 22‎ > ‎Chapter 23‎ > ‎Chapter 24‎ > ‎Chapter 25‎ > ‎Chapter 26‎ > ‎Chapter 27‎ > ‎Chapter 28‎ > ‎Chapter 29‎ > ‎Chapter 30‎ > ‎Chapter 31‎ > ‎Chapter 32‎ > ‎Chapter 33‎ > ‎Chapter 34‎ > ‎Chapter 35‎ > ‎Chapter 36‎ > ‎Chapter 37‎ > ‎Chapter 38‎ > ‎Chapter 39‎ > ‎Chapter 40‎ > ‎Chapter 41‎ > ‎Chapter 42‎ > ‎Chapter 43‎ > ‎Chapter 44-50‎ > 

 

 

Chapter 2: Even though reward is promised for living by wisdom
yet if one comes to serve the Lord for and in wisdom, he
should be ready for trial or temptation. It will come.Sirach
did not know about the great future vision,but what he did
know was true enough.

St.Paul told  the thessalonians (1. 3.3) that trouble
(=thlipsis) was their lot.  For,if one gathers up things from
all over Paul's Epistles we find that the whole Christian
regime  can be summed up in this: We are saved and made holy
if and to the extent that we are  members of Christ,and also
like Him. For (Rom 8.17) :we are fellow heirs [of God]
together with Christ, provided we suffer with Him so we may
also be glorified with Him."Sirach saw this only partly .Yet
he could write (2.5): "Gold is tested in the fire,and men who
are acceptable in the furnace of humiliation."