Sirach 24

DOUAI-RHEIMS	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 Wisdom shall praise her own self, and shall be honoured in God, and shall glory in the midst of her people,	1 Wisdom shall praise herself, and shall glory in the midst of her people.
2 And shall open her mouth in the churches of the most High, and shall glorify herself in the sight of his power,	2 In the congregation of the most High shall she open her mouth, and triumph before his power.
3 And in the midst of her own people she shall be exalted, and shall be admired in the holy assembly.	3 I came out of the mouth of the most High, and covered the earth as a cloud.
4 And in the multitude of the elect she shall have praise, and among the blessed she shall be blessed, saying:	4 I dwelt in high places, and my throne is in a cloudy pillar.
5 I came out of the mouth of the most High, the firstborn before all creatures:	5 I alone compassed the circuit of heaven, and walked in the bottom of the deep.
6 I made that in the heavens there should rise light that never faileth, and as a cloud I covered all the earth:	6 In the waves of the sea and in all the earth, and in every people and nation, I got a possession.
7 I dwelt in the highest places, and my throne is in a pillar of a cloud.	7 With all these I sought rest: and in whose inheritance shall I abide?
8 I alone have compassed the circuit of heaven, and have penetrated into the bottom of the deep, and have walked in the waves of the sea,	8 So the Creator of all things gave me a commandment, and he that made me caused my tabernacle to rest, and said, Let thy dwelling be in Jacob, and thine inheritance in Israel.
9 And have stood in all the earth: and in every people,	9 He created me from the beginning before the world, and I shall never fail.
10 And in every nation I have had the chief rule:	10 In the holy tabernacle I served before him; and so was I established in Sion.
11 And by my power I have trodden under my feet the hearts of all the high and low: and in all these I sought rest, and I shall abide in the inheritance of the Lord.	11 Likewise in the beloved city he gave me rest, and in Jerusalem was my power.
12 Then the creator of all things commanded, and said to me: and he that made me, rested in my tabernacle,	12 And I took root in an honourable people, even in the portion of the Lord's inheritance.
13 And he said to me: Let thy dwelling be in Jacob, and thy inheritance in Israel, and take root in my elect.	13 I was exalted like a cedar in Libanus, and as a cypress tree upon the mountains of Hermon.
14 From the beginning, and before the world, was I created, and unto the world to come I shall not cease to be, and in the holy dwelling place I have ministered before him.	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 And so was I established in Sion, and in the holy city likewise I rested, and my power was in Jerusalem.	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 And I took root in an honourable people, and in the portion of mg God his inheritance, and my abode is in the full assembly of saints.	16 As the turpentine tree I stretched out my branches, and my branches are the branches of honour and grace.
17 I was exalted like a cedar in Libanus, and as a cypress tree on mount Sion.	17 As the vine brought I forth pleasant savour, and my flowers are the fruit of honour and riches.
18 I was exalted like a palm tree in Cades, and as a rose plant in Jericho:	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 As a fair olive tree in the plains, and as a plane tree by the water in the streets, was I exalted.	19 Come unto me, all ye that be desirous of me, and fill yourselves with my fruits.
20 I gave a sweet smell like cinnamon. and aromatical balm: I yielded a sweet odour like the best myrrh:	20 For my memorial is sweeter than honey, and mine inheritance than the honeycomb.
21 And I perfumed my dwelling as storax, and galbanum, and onyx, and aloes, and as the frankincense not cut, and my odour is as the purest balm.	21 They that eat me shall yet be hungry, and they that drink me shall yet be thirsty.
22 I have stretched out my branches as the turpentine tree, and my branches are of honour and grace.	22 He that obeyeth me shall never be confounded, and they that work by me shall not do amiss.
23 As the vine I have brought forth a pleasant odour: and my flowers are the fruit of honour and riches.	23 All these things are the book of the covenant of the most high God, even the law which Moses commanded for an heritage unto the congregations of Jacob.
24 I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope.	24 Faint not to be strong in the Lord; that he may confirm you, cleave unto him: for the Lord Almighty is God alone, and beside him there is no other Saviour.
25 In me is all grace of the way and of the truth, in me is all hope of life and of virtue.	25 He filleth all things with his wisdom, as Phison and as Tigris in the time of the new fruits.
26 Come over to me, all ye that desire me, and be filled with my fruits.	26 He maketh the understanding to abound like Euphrates, and as Jordan in the time of the harvest.
27 For my spirit is sweet above honey, and my inheritance above honey and the honeycomb.	27 He maketh the doctrine of knowledge appear as the light, and as Geon in the time of vintage.
28 My memory is unto everlasting generations.	28 The first man knew her not perfectly: no more shall the last find her out.
29 They that eat me, shall yet hunger: and they that drink me, shall yet thirst.	29 For her thoughts are more than the sea, and her counsels profounder than the great deep.
30 He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me, shall not sin.	30 I also came out as a brook from a river, and as a conduit into a garden.
31 They that explain me shall have life everlasting.	31 I said, I will water my best garden, and will water abundantly my garden bed: and, lo, my brook became a river, and my river became a sea.
32 All these things are the book of life, and the covenant of the most High, and the knowledge of truth.	32 I will yet make doctrine to shine as the morning, and will send forth her light afar off.
33 Moses commanded a law in the precepts of justices, and an inheritance to the house of Jacob, and the promises to Israel.	33 I will yet pour out doctrine as prophecy, and leave it to all ages for ever.
34 He appointed to David his servant to raise up of him a most mighty king, and sitting on the throne of glory for ever.	34 Behold that I have not laboured for myself only, but for all them that seek wisdom.
35 Who filleth up wisdom as the Phison, and as the Tigris in the days of the new fruits.
36 Who maketh understanding to abound as the Euphrates, who multiplieth it as the Jordan in the time of harvest.
37 Who sendeth knowledge as the light, and riseth up as Gehon in the time of the vintage.
38 Who first hath perfect knowledge of her, and a weaker shall not search her out.
39 For her thoughts are more vast than the sea, and her counsels more deep than the great ocean.
40 I, wisdom, have poured out rivers.
41 I, like a brook out of a river of a mighty water; I, like a channel of a river. and like an aqueduct, came out of paradise.
42 I said: I will water my garden of plants, and I will water abundantly the fruits of my meadow.
43 And behold my brook became a great river, and my river came near to a sea:
44 For I make doctrine to shine forth to all as the morning light, and I will declare it afar off.
45 I will penetrate to all the lower parts of the earth, and will behold all that sleep, and will enlighten all that hope in the Lord.
46 I will yet pour out doctrine as prophecy, and will leave it to them that seek wisdom, and will not cease to instruct their offspring even to the holy age.
47 See ye that I have not laboured for myself only, but for all that seek out the truth.