Sirach 24

KING JAMES BIBLE	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Wisdom shall praise herself, and shall glory in the midst of her people.	1 Wisdom sings her own praises, before her own people she proclaims her glory;
2 In the congregation of the most High shall she open her mouth, and triumph before his power.	2 In the assembly of the Most High she opens her mouth, in the presence of his hosts she declares her worth:
3 I came out of the mouth of the most High, and covered the earth as a cloud.	3 "From the mouth of the Most High I came forth, and mistlike covered the earth.
4 I dwelt in high places, and my throne is in a cloudy pillar.	4 In the highest heavens did I dwell, my throne on a pillar of cloud.
5 I alone compassed the circuit of heaven, and walked in the bottom of the deep.	5 The vault of heaven I compassed alone, through the deep abyss I wandered.
6 In the waves of the sea and in all the earth, and in every people and nation, I got a possession.	6 Over waves of the sea, over all the land, over every people and nation I held sway.
7 With all these I sought rest: and in whose inheritance shall I abide?	7 Among all these I sought a resting place; in whose inheritance should I abide?
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.	8 "Then the Creator of all gave me his command, and he who formed me chose the spot for my tent, Saying, 'In Jacob make your dwelling, in Israel your inheritance.'
9 He created me from the beginning before the world, and I shall never fail.	9 Before all ages, in the beginning, he created me, and through all ages I shall not cease to be.
10 In the holy tabernacle I served before him; and so was I established in Sion.	10 In the holy tent I ministered before him, and in Zion I fixed my abode.
11 Likewise in the beloved city he gave me rest, and in Jerusalem was my power.	11 Thus in the chosen city he has given me rest, in Jerusalem is my domain.
12 And I took root in an honourable people, even in the portion of the Lord's inheritance.	12 I have struck root among the glorious people, in the portion of the LORD, his heritage.
13 I was exalted like a cedar in Libanus, and as a cypress tree upon the mountains of Hermon.	13 "Like a cedar on Lebanon I am raised aloft, like a cypress on Mount 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.	14 Like a palm tree in En-gedi, like a rosebush in Jericho, Like a fair olive tree in the field, like a plane tree growing beside 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.	15 Like cinnamon, or fragrant balm, or precious myrrh, I give forth perfume; Like galbanum and onycha and sweet spices, like the odor of incense in the holy place.
16 As the turpentine tree I stretched out my branches, and my branches are the branches of honour and grace.	16 I spread out my branches like a terebinth, my branches so bright and so graceful.
17 As the vine brought I forth pleasant savour, and my flowers are the fruit of honour and riches.	17 I bud forth delights like the vine, my blossoms become fruit fair and rich.
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.	18 Come to me, all you that yearn for me, and be filled with my fruits;
19 Come unto me, all ye that be desirous of me, and fill yourselves with my fruits.	19 You will remember me as sweeter than honey, better to have than the honeycomb.
20 For my memorial is sweeter than honey, and mine inheritance than the honeycomb.	20 He who eats of me will hunger still, he who drinks of me will thirst for more;
21 They that eat me shall yet be hungry, and they that drink me shall yet be thirsty.	21 He who obeys me will not be put to shame, he who serves me will never fail."
22 He that obeyeth me shall never be confounded, and they that work by me shall not do amiss.	22 All this is true of the book of the Most High's covenant, the law which Moses commanded us as an inheritance for the community of Jacob.
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.	23 It overflows, like the Pishon, with wisdom-- like the Tigris in the days of the new fruits.
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.	24 It runs over, like the Euphrates, with understanding, like the Jordan at harvest time.
25 He filleth all things with his wisdom, as Phison and as Tigris in the time of the new fruits.	25 It sparkles like the Nile with knowledge, like the Gihon at vintage time.
26 He maketh the understanding to abound like Euphrates, and as Jordan in the time of the harvest.	26 The first man never finished comprehending wisdom, nor will the last succeed in fathoming her.
27 He maketh the doctrine of knowledge appear as the light, and as Geon in the time of vintage.	27 For deeper than the sea are her thoughts; her counsels, than the great abyss.
28 The first man knew her not perfectly: no more shall the last find her out.	28 Now I, like a rivulet from her stream, channeling the waters into a garden,
29 For her thoughts are more than the sea, and her counsels profounder than the great deep.	29 Said to myself, "I will water my plants, my flower bed I will drench"; And suddenly this rivulet of mine became a river, then this stream of mine, a sea.
30 I also came out as a brook from a river, and as a conduit into a garden.	30 Thus do I send my teachings forth shining like the dawn, to become known afar off.
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.	31 Thus do I pour out instruction like prophecy and bestow it on generations to come.
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.