Sirach 24

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 Wisdom will praise her own mind, and she will be honored by God, and she will be glorified in the midst of her people.	1 Wisdom shall praise her own self, and shall be honoured in God, and shall glory in the midst of her people,
2 And she will open her mouth in the churches of the Most High, and she will be glorified in the sight of his virtue.	2 And shall open her mouth in the churches of the most High, and shall glorify herself in the sight of his power,
3 And in the midst of her own people, she will be exalted. And she will be admired by the holy assembly.	3 And in the midst of her own people she shall be exalted, and shall be admired in the holy assembly.
4 And she will have praise within the multitude of the elect. And she will be blessed among the blessed. And she will say:	4 And in the multitude of the elect she shall have praise, and among the blessed she shall be blessed, saying:
5 “I went forth from the mouth of the Most High, as the first-born before all creatures.	5 I came out of the mouth of the most High, the firstborn before all creatures:
6 I caused an unfailing light to arise in the heavens. And I covered all the earth like a cloud.	6 I made that in the heavens there should rise light that never faileth, and as a cloud I covered all the earth:
7 I lived in the highest places, and my throne is in the pillar of a cloud.	7 I dwelt in the highest places, and my throne is in a pillar of a cloud.
8 I alone have encompassed the circuit of heaven, and have penetrated to the depths of the abyss, and have walked upon the waves of the sea,	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 and have stood upon the whole earth. And among every people,	9 And have stood in all the earth: and in every people,
10 and in every nation, I have held primacy.	10 And in every nation I have had the chief rule:
11 And by virtue, I have tread upon the hearts of all, the great and the lowly. And I have sought my rest in all of them. And I will continue, as the inheritance of the Lord.	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 Then the Creator of all things instructed and spoke with me. And the One who created me rested in my tabernacle.	12 Then the creator of all things commanded, and said to me: and he that made me, rested in my tabernacle,
13 And he said to me: ‘Let your dwelling place be with Jacob, and let your inheritance be in Israel, for you shall take root among my elect.’	13 And he said to me: Let thy dwelling be in Jacob, and thy inheritance in Israel, and take root in my elect.
14 From the beginning, and before the world, I was created. And even unto the future world, I will not cease to exist. For I have ministered before him in the holy habitation.	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 And in this way, I was established in Zion. And likewise, in the holy city, I found rest. And my authority was in Jerusalem.	15 And so was I established in Sion, and in the holy city likewise I rested, and my power was in Jerusalem.
16 And I took root among an honorable people, within the portion of my God, within his inheritance. And so my abode is in the full assembly of the saints.	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 was exalted like a cedar in Lebanon and like a cypress on Mount Zion.	17 I was exalted like a cedar in Libanus, and as a cypress tree on mount Sion.
18 I was exalted like a palm tree in Kadesh and like a rose bush in Jericho.	18 I was exalted like a palm tree in Cades, and as a rose plant in Jericho:
19 I was exalted like a beautiful olive tree in the plains, and like a sycamore tree beside the waters along a wide road.	19 As a fair olive tree in the plains, and as a plane tree by the water in the streets, was I exalted.
20 I gave off an aromatic fragrance like cinnamon or balsam. I produced a sweet odor like the best myrrh.	20 I gave a sweet smell like cinnamon. and aromatical balm: I yielded a sweet odour like the best myrrh:
21 And I perfumed my dwelling place with sweet gum, and aromatic resin, and flower petals, and aloe, as well as the finest cedar from Lebanon. And my fragrance is like undiluted balsam.	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 I have extended my branches like a terebinth tree, and my branches are of honor and grace.	22 I have stretched out my branches as the turpentine tree, and my branches are of honour and grace.
23 Like the vine, I have born the fruit of a sweet fragrance. And my flowers are the fruit of honor and integrity.	23 As the vine I have brought forth a pleasant odour: and my flowers are the fruit of honour and riches.
24 I am the mother of the beauty of love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope.	24 I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope.
25 All grace of the way and of the truth is in me. All hope of life and of virtue is in me.	25 In me is all grace of the way and of the truth, in me is all hope of life and of virtue.
26 Journey toward me, all you who desire me, and be filled by my harvest.	26 Come over to me, all ye that desire me, and be filled with my fruits.
27 For my spirit is sweeter than honey, and my inheritance is better than honey and the honeycomb.	27 For my spirit is sweet above honey, and my inheritance above honey and the honeycomb.
28 My memory is for the generations of all ages.	28 My memory is unto everlasting generations.
29 Whoever consumes me will hunger still. And whoever drinks me will thirst still.	29 They that eat me, shall yet hunger: and they that drink me, shall yet thirst.
30 Whoever listens to me will not be confounded. And whoever acts in me will not sin.	30 He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me, shall not sin.
31 Whoever elucidates me will have eternal life.”	31 They that explain me shall have life everlasting.
32 All this is a book of life, and a covenant of the Most High, and an acknowledgement of truth.	32 All these things are the book of life, and the covenant of the most High, and the knowledge of truth.
33 Moses commanded the law by the precepts of justice, and an inheritance to the house of Jacob, and the promises to Israel.	33 Moses commanded a law in the precepts of justices, and an inheritance to the house of Jacob, and the promises to Israel.
34 God appointed David as his servant, in order to raise up from him a most mighty King, who would sit upon the throne of honor forever.	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 It is he who fulfills wisdom, like the Phison river and the Tigris river in the first days.	35 Who filleth up wisdom as the Phison, and as the Tigris in the days of the new fruits.
36 It is he who fulfills understanding, like the river Euphrates. It is he who multiplies understanding, like the river Jordan in the time of the harvest.	36 Who maketh understanding to abound as the Euphrates, who multiplieth it as the Jordan in the time of harvest.
37 He sends forth discipline like the light, and he stands forth like the river Gehon in the time of the vintage.	37 Who sendeth knowledge as the light, and riseth up as Gehon in the time of the vintage.
38 He first had perfect knowledge of her, for a weaker one would not search for her.	38 Who first hath perfect knowledge of her, and a weaker shall not search her out.
39 For her thoughts abound like the sea, and her counsels abound like the great abyss.	39 For her thoughts are more vast than the sea, and her counsels more deep than the great ocean.
40 “I, wisdom, have poured forth rivers.	40 I, wisdom, have poured out rivers.
41 I am like a brook leading to a river of immense waters. I am like a channel flowing from a river. And I went forth from Paradise like an aqueduct.	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 irrigate my garden of plantings, and I will thoroughly water the fruits of my field.	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 overflowing, and my river drew near to the sea.	43 And behold my brook became a great river, and my river came near to a sea:
44 For I illuminate doctrine to all, like the first light. And I will announce doctrine, even to those who are far away.	44 For I make doctrine to shine forth to all as the morning light, and I will declare it afar off.
45 I will reach to all the lower parts of the earth, and I will gaze upon all who sleep, and I will illuminate all who hope in the Lord.	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 Even now, I pour forth doctrine like prophecy. And even now, I bequeath doctrine to those who seek wisdom. And I will not cease from their progeny, even unto the holy time.	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 how I have not labored for myself alone, but for all who are seeking truth!”	47 See ye that I have not laboured for myself only, but for all that seek out the truth.