24
1 Wisdom shall praise * herself,
And shall glory in the midst of her people.
2 In the congregation of the Most High shall she open her mouth,
And glory in the presence of his power.
3 I came forth from the mouth of the Most High,
And covered the earth as a mist.
4 I dwelt in high places,
And my throne is in the pillar of the cloud.
5 Alone I compassed the circuit of heaven,
And walked in the depth of the abyss.
6 In the waves of the sea, and in all the earth,
And in every people and nation, I got a possession.
7 With all these I sought rest;
And in whose inheritance shall I lodge?
8 Then the Creator of all things gave me a commandment;
And he that created me made my tabernacle to rest,
And said, Let thy tabernacle be in Jacob,
And thine inheritance in Israel.
9 He created me from the beginning before the world;
And to the end I shall not fail.
10 In the holy tabernacle I ministered before him;
And so was I established in Sion.
11 In the beloved city likewise he gave me rest;
And in Jerusalem was my authority.
12 And I took root in a people that was glorified,
Even in the portion of the Lord’s own inheritance.
13 I was exalted like a cedar in Libanus,
And as a cypress tree on the mountains of Hermon.
14 I was exalted like a palm tree on the sea shore,
And as rose plants in Jericho,
And as a fair olive tree in the plain;
And I was exalted as a plane tree.
15 As cinnamon and aspalathus, I have given a scent of perfumes;
And as choice myrrh, I spread abroad a pleasant odour;
As † galbanum, and onyx, and stacte,
And as the fume of frankincense in the tabernacle.
16 As the terebinth I stretched out my branches;
And my branches are branches of glory and grace.
17 As the vine I put forth grace;
And my flowers are the fruit of glory and riches. 18 ‡
19 Come unto me, ye that are desirous of me,
And be ye filled with my produce.
20 For my memorial is sweeter than honey,
And mine inheritance than the honeycomb.
21 They that eat me shall yet be hungry;
And they that drink me shall yet be thirsty.
22 He that obeyeth me shall not be ashamed;
And they that work in me shall not do amiss.
23 All these things are the book of the covenant of the Most High God,
Even the law which Moses commanded us for a heritage unto the assemblies of Jacob. 24 §
25 It is he that maketh wisdom abundant, as Pishon,
And as Tigris in the days of new fruits;
26 That maketh understanding full as Euphrates,
And as Jordan in the days of harvest;
27 That maketh instruction to shine forth as the light,
As Gihon in the days of vintage.
28 The first man knew her not perfectly;
And in like manner the last hath not traced her out.
29 For her thoughts are filled from the sea,
And her counsels from the great deep.
30 And I came out as a ** stream from a river,
And as a conduit into a garden.
31 I said, I will water my garden,
And will water abundantly my garden bed;
And, lo, my stream became a river,
And my river became a sea.
32 I will yet bring instruction to light as the morning,
And will make †† these things to shine forth afar off.
33 I will yet pour out doctrine as prophecy,
And leave it unto generations of ages.
34 Behold that I have not laboured for myself only,
But for all them that diligently seek her.
* 24:1 Gr. her own soul. † 24:15 See Exodus xxx. 34. ‡ 24:18 Verse 18 is omitted by the best authorities. § 24:24 Verse 24 is omitted by the best authorities. ** 24:30 Gr. canal. †† 24:32 Gr. them.