Ecclesiasticus

Chapter 45

Praises of Moyses ℣.7 Aaron, ℣.16 and his priestly progeny. ℣.22 Against whom Core with his complices rebelling, were destroyed.

1
Moyses beloved of God, and men: whose memory is in benediction. like in the glory of saints, and magnified
2
He made him him in the fear of his enemies. And with his words he appeased monsters.
3
He glorified him in the sight of kings, and gave him commandment before his people, & shewed him his glory.
4
In his faith and meekness he made him holy, and chose him of all flesh.
5
For he heard him, and his voice, and brought him into a cloud.
6
And he gave him precepts face to face, and a law of life and discipline, to teach Jacob his testament, and Israel his judgements.
7
He exalted Aaron his brother high, and like to himself of the tribe of Levi.
8
He established unto him an everlasting testament, and gave him the Priesthood of the nation, and made him blessed in glory,
9
and he girded him about with a girdle, and put upon him a robe of glory, and crowned him in furniture of power.
10
Garments to the feet, and breeches, and an Ephod he put upon him, and compassed him with little bells of gold very many round about,
11
to give a sound in his going, to make sound heard in the temple for a memory to the children of his nation.
12
An holy robe, of gold, and hyacinth, and purple, a woven work, of a wiseman, endued with judgement and truth:
13
Of twisted scarlet the work of an artificer, with precious stones figured in the closure of gold, and graven by the work of a lapidary for a memorial, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
14
A crown of gold upon his mitre graven with a seal of holiness, and the glory of honour: a work of power, & the adorned desires of the eyes.
15
There were none such so fair before him, even from the beginning.
16
No stranger was clothed with them, but only his children alone, and his nephews for ever.
17
His sacrifices were consumed with fire every day.
18
Moyses filled his hands, & anointed him with holy oil.
19
It was made unto him for an everlasting testament, and to his seed as the days of heaven, to do the function of Priesthood, and to have praise and to glorify his people in his name.
20
He chose him of all that lived, to offer sacrifice to God, incense, and good odour, for a memorial to pacify for his people:
21
and he gave them power in his precepts, in the testaments of his judgements, to teach Jacob his testimonies, and in his law to give light to Israel.
22
Because strangers stood against him, and for envy men compassed him about in the desert, they that were with Dathan and Abiron, and the congregation of Core in anger.
23
Our Lord God saw, and it please him not, and they were consumed in the violence of wrath.
24
He did prodigious things unto them, and consumed them in flame of fire.
25
And he added glory to Aaron, and gave him an inheritance, and divided unto him the first fruits of the increase of the earth.
26
He prepared them bread in the first unto satiety: for the sacrifices also of our Lord they shall eat, which he gave to him, and to his seed.
27
But he shall not inherit the nations in the land, and he hath no part in the nation: for himself is his portion & inheritance.
28
Phinees the son of Eleazar is the third in glory, in imitating him in the fear of our Lord:
29
and to stand in the reverence of the nation: in the goodness and alacrity of his soul he pacified God for Israel.
30
Therefore did he establish unto him a covenant of peace, to be the Prince of the holies, and to his nation, that the dignity of Priesthood should be to him and to his seed for ever.
31
And the testament to David king, the son of Jesse of the tribe of Juda, and inheritance to him and to his seed, that he might give wisdom into our heart to judge his nation in justice, that their good things might not be abolished, & their glory in their nation he made everlasting.