| 1 'God of our ancestors, Lord of mercy, who by your word have made the universe, |
| 2 and in your wisdom have fitted human beings to rule the creatures that you have made, |
| 3 to govern the world in holiness and saving justice and in honesty of soul to dispense fair judgement, |
| 4 grant me Wisdom, consort of your throne, and do not reject me from the number of your children. |
| 5 For I am your servant, son of your serving maid, a feeble man, with little time to live, with smalunderstanding of justice and the laws. |
| 6 Indeed, were anyone perfect among the sons of men, if he lacked the Wisdom that comes from you, hewould still count for nothing. |
| 7 'You have chosen me to be king over your people, to be judge of your sons and daughters. |
| 8 You have bidden me build a temple on your holy mountain, and an altar in the city where you havepitched your tent, a copy of the holy Tent which you prepared at the beginning. |
| 9 With you is Wisdom, she who knows your works, she who was present when you made the world; sheunderstands what is pleasing in your eyes and what agrees with your commandments. |
| 10 Despatch her from the holy heavens, send her forth from your throne of glory to help me and to toilwith me and teach me what is pleasing to you; |
| 11 since she knows and understands everything she wil guide me prudently in my actions and wil protectme with her glory. |
| 12 Then al I do wil be acceptable, I shal govern your people justly and be worthy of my father's throne. |
| 13 'What human being indeed can know the intentions of God? And who can comprehend the wil of theLord? |
| 14 For the reasoning of mortals is inadequate, our attitudes of mind unstable; |
| 15 for a perishable body presses down the soul, and this tent of clay weighs down the mind with its many cares. |
| 16 It is hard enough for us to work out what is on earth, laborious to know what lies within our reach; who,then, can discover what is in the heavens? |
| 17 And who could ever have known your will, had you not given Wisdom and sent your holy Spirit fromabove? |
| 18 Thus have the paths of those on earth been straightened and people have been taught what pleasesyou, and have been saved, by Wisdom.' |