Sirach 45

¹Moses was beloved by God and men. The remembrance of him is a blessing

²He made him like the holy ones in glory, and he magnified him by the fear of his enemies, and he appeased great portents by his words

³He glorified him in the sight of kings, and he gave commandments to him in the sight of his people, and he revealed his glory to him

⁴He made him holy by his faith and meekness, and he chose him from among all flesh

⁵For he heard him and his voice, and he led him into a cloud

⁶And he gave him precepts in his presence, with a law of life and discipline, so as to teach Jacob his covenant and Israel his judgments

⁷He exalted his brother Aaron and those who were similar to him from the tribe of Levi

⁸He established an eternal covenant with him, and he gave him the priesthood of the people, and he caused him to be blessed in glory

⁹And he encircled him with a glorious belt, and he clothed him with a robe of glory, and he crowned him with virtuous attire

¹⁰He placed upon him a garment to the feet, and pants, and an ephod, and he wrapped him all around with many little bells of gold

¹¹so that there would be a sound at his arrival, and so as to make a noise that would be heard in the temple, as a memorial for the sons of his people

¹²He provided him with a holy robe of gold and hyacinth and purple, a woven work for a wise man of judgment and truth

¹³a work of twisted scarlet, the work of an artist, with precious stones, cut and set in gold, and engraved by the work of a jeweler, as a memorial according to the number of the tribes of Israel

¹⁴He provided him with a crown of gold upon his headdress, on which was written a symbol of holiness, a mark of honor. This was a work of virtue and a delight to the eyes in its beauty

¹⁵Prior to him, there was no one of such beauty, even from the beginning

¹⁶No foreigner was ever clothed with these things, but only his sons and his descendents alone, for all time

¹⁷His sacrifices were consumed by fire daily

¹⁸Moses filled his hands and anointed him with holy oil

¹⁹An eternal covenant was made, with him and with his offspring, like the days of heaven, to execute the office of the priesthood, and to give praise and to glorify his people, in his name

²⁰He chose him from among all living men to offer to God sacrifice, incense, and a pleasing fragrance, as a memorial of appeasement on behalf of his people

²¹And he gave him authority by his precepts, in the covenants of his judgments, to teach Jacob his testimonies, and to give light by his law to Israel

²²Then strangers stood up against him, and, because of envy, the men who were with Dathan and Abiram surrounded him in the desert, along with the congregation of Korah, in their anger

²³The Lord God saw this, and it did not please him, and so they were consumed by the force of his anger

²⁴He wrought great portents among them, and he consumed them with a flame of fire

²⁵And he added glory to Aaron, and he gave him an inheritance, and he allotted to him the first-fruits of the earth

²⁶He prepared for them the finest bread unto fullness. And they shall also eat from the sacrifices of the Lord, which he gave to him and to his offspring

²⁷And yet he will not have an inheritance among the people of the land, and he has no portion among the people. For the Lord himself is his portion and his inheritance

²⁸Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, is third in glory, by imitating him in the fear of the Lord

²⁹And he stood up against the shamefulness of the people. By the goodness and responsiveness of his soul, he appeased God on behalf of Israel

³⁰For this reason, he made him a covenant of peace, a leader of the sanctuary and of his people, so that the dignity of the priesthood would remain with him and with his offspring unto eternity

³¹And he made a covenant with king David, the son of Jesse from the tribe of Judah, an inheritance for him and for his offspring, so that he might provide wisdom for our hearts, so as to judge his people in justice, lest their good things be abolished. And he caused their glory within their nation to be everlasting