Wisdom 8

¹ Strongly she reaches from one end of the world to the other and she governs the whole world for itsgood.

² Wisdom I loved and searched for from my youth; I resolved to have her as my bride, I fel in love withher beauty.

³ She enhances her noble birth by sharing God's life, for the Master of Al has always loved her.

⁴ Indeed, she shares the secrets of God's knowledge, and she chooses what he wil do.

⁵ If in this life wealth is a desirable possession, what is more wealthy than Wisdom whose work iseverywhere?

⁶ Or if it be the intel ect that is at work, who, more than she, designs whatever exists?

⁷ Or if it be uprightness you love, why, virtues are the fruit of her labours, since it is she who teachestemperance and prudence, justice and fortitude; nothing in life is more useful for human beings.

⁸ Or if you are eager for wide experience, she knows the past, she forecasts the future; she knows how toturn maxims, and solve riddles; she has foreknowledge of signs and wonders, and of the unfolding of the agesand the times.

⁹ I therefore determined to take her to share my life, knowing that she would be my counsel or inprosperity and comfort me in cares and sorrow.

¹⁰ 'Thanks to her, I shal be admired by the masses and honoured, though young, by the elders.

¹¹ I shall be reckoned shrewd as a judge, and the great wil be amazed at me.

¹² They wil wait on my silences, and pay attention when I speak; if I speak at some length, they wil laytheir hand on their lips.

¹³ By means of her, immortality wil be mine, I shal leave an everlasting memory to my successors.

¹⁴ I shall govern peoples, and nations wil be subject to me;

¹⁵ at the sound of my name fearsome despots will be afraid; I shal show myself kind to the people andvaliant in battle.

¹⁶ 'When I go home I shal take my ease with her, for nothing is bitter in her company, when life is sharedwith her there is no pain, nothing but pleasure and joy.'

¹⁷ Having meditated on al this, and having come to the conclusion that immortality resides in kinship withWisdom,

¹⁸ noble contentment in her friendship, inexhaustible riches in her activities, understanding in cultivatingher society, and renown in conversing with her, I went al ways, seeking how to get her.

¹⁹ I was a boy of happy disposition, I had received a good soul as my lot,

²⁰ or rather, being good, I had entered an undefiled body;

²¹ but, realising that I could never possess Wisdom unless God gave her to me, -a sign of intel igence initself, to know in whose gift she lay -- I prayed to the Lord and entreated him, and with all my heart I said: