Sir 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 triumph before
his power.
3
I came out of the mouth of the most High, and covered the earth as a cloud.
4
I dwelt in high places, and my throne is in a cloudy pillar.
5
I alone compassed the circuit of heaven, and walked in the bottom of the deep.
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 abide?
8
So the Creator of all things gave me a commandment, and he who made me caused my tabernacle
to rest, and said, Let your dwelling be in Jacob, and your inheritance in Israel.
9
He created me from the beginning before the world, and I shall never fail.
10
In the holy tabernacle I served before him; and so was I established in Sion.
11
Likewise in the beloved city he gave me rest, and in Jerusalem was my power.
12
And I took root in an honourable people, even in the portion of the Lord’s inheritance.
13
I was exalted like a cedar in Libanus, and as a cypress tree upon the mountains of
Hermon.
14
I was exalted like a palm tree in En-gaddi, and as a rose plant in Jericho, as a fair
olive tree in a pleasant field, and grew up as a plane tree by the water.
15
I gave a sweet smell like cinnamon and aspalathus, and I yielded a pleasant odour
like the best myrrh, as galbanum, and onyx, and sweet storax, and as the fume of frankincense
in the tabernacle.
16
As the turpentine tree I stretched out my branches, and my branches are the branches
of honour and grace.
17
As the vine brought I forth pleasant savour, and my flowers are the fruit of honour
and riches.
18
I am the mother of fair love, and fear, and knowledge, and holy hope: I therefore,
being eternal, am given to all my children which are named of him.
19
Come to me, all you that be desirous of me, and fill yourselves with my fruits.
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 who obeys me shall never be confounded, and they that work by 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 for an heritage to the congregations of Jacob.
24
Faint not to be strong in the Lord; that he may confirm you, cleave to him: for the
Lord Almighty is God alone, and beside him there is no other Saviour.
25
He fills all things with his wisdom, as Phison and as Tigris in the time of the new
fruits.
26
He makes the understanding to abound like Euphrates, and as Jordan in the time of
the harvest.
27
He makes the doctrine of knowledge appear as the light, and as Geon in the time of
vintage.
28
The first man knew her not perfectly: no more shall the last find her out.
29
For her thoughts are more than the sea, and her counsels profounder than the great
deep.
30
I also came out as a brook from a river, and as a conduit into a garden.
31
I said, I will water my best garden, and will water abundantly my garden bed: and,
behold, my brook became a river, and my river became a sea.
32
I will yet make doctrine to shine as the morning, and will send forth her light afar
off.
33
I will yet pour out doctrine as prophecy, and leave it to all ages for ever.
34
Behold that I have not laboured for myself only, but for all them that seek wisdom.