He offers a bracing counterpoint to that idea.

Ben Sira, in this passage (Ben Sira 16), challenges us to consider what truly matters. He suggests that simply having more – more children, more possessions, more power – doesn’t guarantee a blessed existence. In fact, he throws a bit of cold water on the whole notion.

He starts by saying, “Yea, and if they increase, delight (?) not in them; If the fear of the Lord be not with them.” In other words, don’t get carried away just because things are multiplying. If that increase isn't accompanied by yirat Adonai – fear of the Lord, reverence for God – then what's the point?

It's a powerful statement about priorities.

Then he really digs in: “Trust not in their life, and rely not on their issues (?); For they shall not have a good end.” He's telling us not to put our faith in worldly things, even our own descendants, if they aren't living righteously. A comfortable life, a large family – these things are fleeting. What endures is a life lived in accordance with higher principles.

And here’s a particularly striking comparison: "For better is one that doeth acceptably than a thousand; And he that dieth childless than he that hath many sons of wickedness (?) ; And than an ungodly posterity."

Wow. He’s saying it's better to be a single, righteous individual than to have a huge family filled with wickedness. That's a pretty radical thought, especially in a culture that deeply values family and lineage. But Ben Sira is emphasizing quality over quantity. It’s better to leave behind a legacy of good deeds than a sprawling dynasty of evildoers.

He continues, "Of one that (?) feareth the Lord shall a city be peopled; And by a family of transgressors it shall be made desolate." The righteous individual can build a community, a legacy of goodness that impacts the world. But a family steeped in transgression? It can lead to ruin, to desolation.

The passage concludes with a sense of experience and authority: "Many things like these hath mine eye seen; And mighty things like these (H) hath mine ear heard." Ben Sira isn't just theorizing. He's speaking from a place of observation, of having witnessed these truths play out in the real world.

So, what does this mean for us today? Ben Sira's words are a potent reminder to examine our own values. Are we chasing after superficial measures of success, or are we cultivating something deeper, something more meaningful? Are we prioritizing quantity over quality in our lives and in the legacies we hope to leave behind? Are we focused on external validation, or are we nurturing our inner sense of yirat Adonai, reverence for the divine?

It's worth pondering, isn't it? Because ultimately, it's not about how much we have, but about who we are and what we stand for.