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 hispower. 3 I came out of the mouth of the most High, and covered the earth as a cloud. 4 I lived 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 apossession. 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 that made me caused my tabernacleto 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 honorable 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 fairolive 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 likethe 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 branchesof honor and grace. 17 As the vine brought I forth pleasant savor, and my flowers are the fruit of honor andriches. 18 I am the mother of fair love, and fear, and knowledge, and holy hope: I therefore, beingeternal, 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 that 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 whichMoses 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 LordAlmighty 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 theharvest. 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 afaroff. 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.