Ecclesiasticus 35

¹He that keepeth the law, multiplieth oblation.

²It is an wholesome sacrifice to attend to the commandments, and to depart from all iniquity.

³And to offer propitiation by sacrifice for injustices, and to retire from injustice is prayer for sins.

⁴He who offereth the flour of wheat, shall give thanks: and he that is merciful offereth sacrifice.

⁵To depart from iniquity is a thing that pleaseth our Lord well, and to depart from injustice is an entreating for sins.

⁶Thou shalt not appear before the sight of our Lord empty.

⁷For all these things are done because of the commandment of God.

⁸The oblation of the just maketh a fat altar, and is an odour of sweetness in the sight of the Highest.

⁹The sacrifice of the just is acceptable, and our Lord will not forget the memory thereof.

¹⁰Render glory to God with a good mind: and diminish not the first fruits of thine hands.

¹¹In every gift make thy countenance cheerful, and in joyfulness sanctify thy tithes.

¹²Give to the Highest according to his gift, and with a good eye do according to the ability of thine hands:

¹³because our Lord is a rewarder, and will repay thee seven times so much.

¹⁴Offer not wicked gifts, for he will not receive them.

¹⁵And look not upon an unjust sacrifice, because our Lord is judge, and there is not with him the glory of person.

¹⁶Our Lord will not accept person against the poor, and he will hear the prayer of him that is hurt.

¹⁷He will not despise the prayers of the pupil: nor the widow, if she pour out speech of mourning.

¹⁸Do not the widow's tears run down the cheek, & her exclamation upon him that causeth them to run?

¹⁹For from the cheek they go up even to heaven, and our Lord the hearer will not be delighted in them.

²⁰He that adoreth God in delectation, shall be received, & his petition shall approach even to the clouds.

²¹The prayer of him that humbleth himself, shall penetrate the clouds: and till it approach he will not be comforted: and he will not depart till the Highest behold.

²²And our Lord will not be long, but will judge the just, and will do judgement: and the strongest will not have patience in them, that he may crush their back:

²³and he will repay vengeance to the Gentiles, till he take away the multitude of the proud: & break the sceptres of the unjust,

²⁴till he reward men according to their doings: and according to the works of Adam, and according to his presumption.

²⁵till he judge the judgement of his people, and shall delight the just with his mercy:

²⁶The mercy of God is beautiful in the time of tribulation, as a cloud of rain in the time of drought.