Sirach 24

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 Wisdom speaks her own praises, in the midst of her people she glories in herself.	1 Wisdom shall praise her own self, and shall be honoured in God, and shall glory in the midst of her people,
2 She opens her mouth in the assembly of the Most High, she glories in herself in the presence of theMighty One:	2 And shall open her mouth in the churches of the most High, and shall glorify herself in the sight of his power,
3 'I came forth from the mouth of the Most High, and I covered the earth like mist.	3 And in the midst of her own people she shall be exalted, and shall be admired in the holy assembly.
4 I had my tent in the heights, and my throne was a pillar of cloud.	4 And in the multitude of the elect she shall have praise, and among the blessed she shall be blessed, saying:
5 Alone, I have made the circuit of the heavens and walked through the depths of the abyss.	5 I came out of the mouth of the most High, the firstborn before all creatures:
6 Over the waves of the sea and over the whole earth, and over every people and nation I have heldsway.	6 I made that in the heavens there should rise light that never faileth, and as a cloud I covered all the earth:
7 Among all these I searched for rest, and looked to see in whose territory I might pitch camp.	7 I dwelt in the highest places, and my throne is in a pillar of a cloud.
8 Then the Creator of all things instructed me and he who created me fixed a place for my tent. He said,"Pitch your tent in Jacob, make Israel your inheritance."	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,
9 From eternity, in the beginning, he created me, and for eternity I shal remain.	9 And have stood in all the earth: and in every people,
10 In the holy tent I ministered before him and thus became established in Zion.	10 And in every nation I have had the chief rule:
11 In the beloved city he has given me rest, and in Jerusalem I wield my authority.	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.
12 I have taken root in a privileged people, in the Lord's property, in his inheritance.	12 Then the creator of all things commanded, and said to me: and he that made me, rested in my tabernacle,
13 I have grown tall as a cedar on Lebanon, as a cypress on Mount Hermon;	13 And he said to me: Let thy dwelling be in Jacob, and thy inheritance in Israel, and take root in my elect.
14 I have grown tall as a palm in En-Gedi, as the rose bushes of Jericho; as a fine olive in the plain, as aplane tree, I have grown tal .	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.
15 Like cinnamon and acanthus, I have yielded a perfume, like choice myrrh, have breathed out a scent,like galbanum, onycha, labdanum, like the smoke of incense in the tent.	15 And so was I established in Sion, and in the holy city likewise I rested, and my power was in Jerusalem.
16 I have spread my branches like a terebinth, and my branches are glorious and graceful.	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.
17 I am like a vine putting out graceful shoots, my blossoms bear the fruit of glory and wealth.	17 I was exalted like a cedar in Libanus, and as a cypress tree on mount Sion.
18	18 I was exalted like a palm tree in Cades, and as a rose plant in Jericho:
19 Approach me, you who desire me, and take your fil of my fruits,	19 As a fair olive tree in the plains, and as a plane tree by the water in the streets, was I exalted.
20 for memories of me are sweeter than honey, inheriting me is sweeter than the honeycomb.	20 I gave a sweet smell like cinnamon. and aromatical balm: I yielded a sweet odour like the best myrrh:
21 They who eat me wil hunger for more, they who drink me will thirst for more.	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.
22 No one who obeys me wil ever have to blush, no one who acts as I dictate wil ever sin.'	22 I have stretched out my branches as the turpentine tree, and my branches are of honour and grace.
23 Al this is no other than the Book of the Covenant of the Most High God, the Law that Moses enjoinedon us, an inheritance for the communities of Jacob.	23 As the vine I have brought forth a pleasant odour: and my flowers are the fruit of honour and riches.
24	24 I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope.
25 This is what makes wisdom brim over like the Pishon, like the Tigris in the season of fruit,	25 In me is all grace of the way and of the truth, in me is all hope of life and of virtue.
26 what makes intel igence overflow like the Euphrates, like the Jordan at harvest time;	26 Come over to me, all ye that desire me, and be filled with my fruits.
27 and makes discipline flow like the Nile, like the Gihon when the grapes are harvested.	27 For my spirit is sweet above honey, and my inheritance above honey and the honeycomb.
28 The first man did not finish discovering about her, nor has the most recent tracked her down;	28 My memory is unto everlasting generations.
29 for her thoughts are wider than the sea, and her designs more profound than the abyss.	29 They that eat me, shall yet hunger: and they that drink me, shall yet thirst.
30 And I, like a conduit from a river, like a watercourse running into a garden,	30 He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me, shall not sin.
31 I said, 'I am going to water my orchard, I intend to irrigate my flower beds.' And see, my conduit hasgrown into a river, and my river has grown into a sea.	31 They that explain me shall have life everlasting.
32 Making discipline shine forth from daybreak, I shal send its light far and wide.	32 All these things are the book of life, and the covenant of the most High, and the knowledge of truth.
33 I shal pour out teaching like prophecy, as a legacy to al future generations.	33 Moses commanded a law in the precepts of justices, and an inheritance to the house of Jacob, and the promises to Israel.
34 And note, I have been working not merely for myself, but for al who are seeking wisdom.	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.
	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.