CHAPTER 3
1 And now, Lord Almighty, God of Israel, a soul in anguishes, and a spirit annoyed [or tormented], crieth to thee.
2 Lord, hear thou, and have mercy, for thou art merciful, God; and have thou mercy on us, for we have sinned before thee,
3 thou [or that] sittest without end, and we shall not perish without end.
4 Lord God Almighty, God of Israel, hear thou now the prayer of the dead men of Israel, and of the sons of them, that [have] sinned before thee, and heard not the voice of their Lord God [or of the Lord their God], and evils be fastened [or joined] to us.
5 Do not thou have mind on the wickedness of our fathers, but have thou mind on thine hand, and on thy name, in this time;
6 for thou art our Lord God [or thou art Lord our God], and, Lord, we shall praise thee.
7 For why for this thing thou hast given thy dread in our hearts, that we call thy name to help [or we inwardly call thy name], and praise thee in our captivity; for we shall be converted [or turned] from the wickedness of our fathers, that sinned against thee.
8 And lo! we be in our captivity today, whither thou scatteredest us, into shame, and into cursing, and into sin, by [or after] all the wickedness of our fathers, that went away from thee, thou our Lord God [or Lord our God].
9 Israel, hear thou the command-ments of life; perceive thou with ears, that thou know prudence.
10 Israel, what is it, that thou art in the land of enemies? Thou waxedest eld in an alien land, thou art defouled with dead men,
11 thou art areckoned with them, that go down into hell?
12 Thou hast forsaken the well of wisdom;
13 for why if thou haddest gone in the ways of God, soothly thou haddest dwelled in peace on earth.
14 Learn thou, where is wisdom, where is prudence, where is virtue, where is understanding, that thou know altogether, where is long enduring [or long abiding] of life, and lifelode, where is light of eyes, and peace.
15 Who found the place thereof, and who entered into the treasures thereof?
16 Where be the princes of heathen men, and that be lords over the beasts, that be on earth?
17 Which played with the birds of heaven; which treasure silver and gold, in which men trust, and none end is [or there is none end] of the purchasing of them?
18 Which make silver, and be busy, and no finding is of their works?
19 They be destroyed, and went down to hells [or to hell]; and other men rose in the place of them.
20 The young men of them saw light, and dwelled on earth. But they knew not the way of wisdom [or of discipline],
21 neither understood the paths thereof; neither the sons of them received it. It was made far from the face of them;
22 it is not heard in the land of Canaan, neither [it] is seen in Teman.
23 Also the sons of Hagar, that sought out prudence which is of earth, the merchants of earth, and of Teman, and the tale tellers, [or the fablers, or janglers], and seekers out of prudence, and of understanding. But they knew not the way of wisdom, neither had mind on the paths thereof.
24 O! Israel, the house of God is full great, and the place of his possession is great; [O! Israel, how great is the house of God, and how great the place of his possession;]
25 it is great and hath none end, high and great without measure.
26 Named giants were there; they that were of great stature at the beginning, and knew battle.
27 The Lord chose not these, neither they found the way of wisdom [or of discipline]; therefore they perished.
28 And for they had not wisdom, they perished for their unwisdom.
29 Who ascended into heaven, and took that wisdom, and brought it down from the clouds?
30 Who passed over the sea, and found it, and brought it more than chosen gold?
31 None is [or There is not], that may know the way thereof, neither that seeketh [out] the paths thereof;
32 but he that have all things [or that knoweth all things], knew it, and found it by his prudence. Which made ready the earth in everlasting time, and filled it with two-footed beasts, and four-footed beasts.
33 Which sendeth out light, and it goeth, and called it; and it obeyeth to him in trembling.
34 Forsooth stars gave light in their keepings, and were glad; those were called, and those said, We be present; and those shined to him with mirth, that made those, [or they be called, and they said, We come to; and they shined to him with mirth, that made them].
35 This is our God, and none other shall be guessed against him.
36 This [or He] found each way of wisdom, and gave it to Jacob, his child, and to Israel, his darling [or his dearworthy].
37 After these things he was seen in lands, and lived with men.