Sirach

¹Wisdom will praise her own soul, and will proclaim her glory in the midst of her people. ²She will open her mouth in the congregation of the Most High, and proclaim her glory in the presence of his power. ³“I came out of the mouth of the Most High, and covered the earth as a mist. ⁴I lived in high places, and my throne is in the pillar of the cloud. ⁵Alone I surrounded the circuit of heaven, and walked in the depth of the abyss. ⁶In the waves of the sea, and in all the earth, and in every people and nation, I obtained a possession. ⁷With all these I sought rest. In whose inheritance shall I lodge? ⁸Then the Creator of all things gave me a command. He who created me made my tent to rest, and said, ‘Let your dwelling be in Jacob, and your inheritance in Israel.’ ⁹He created me from the beginning, before the ages. For all ages, I will not cease to exist. ¹⁰In the holy tabernacle, I ministered before him. So I was established in Zion. ¹¹In the beloved city, likewise he gave me rest. In Jerusalem was my domain. ¹²I took root in a people that was honored, even in the portion of the Lord’s own inheritance. ¹³I was exalted like a cedar in Lebanon, And like a cypress tree on the mountains of Hermon. ¹⁴I was exalted like a palm tree on the sea shore, like rose bushes in Jericho, and like a fair olive tree in the plain. I was exalted like a plane tree. ¹⁵Like cinnamon and aspalathus, I have given a scent to perfumes. Like choice myrrh, I spread abroad a pleasant fragrance, like galbanum, onycha, stacte, and as the smell of frankincense in the tabernacle. ¹⁶Like the terebinth, I stretched out my branches. My branches are glorious and graceful. ¹⁷Like the vine, I put forth grace. My flowers are the fruit of glory and riches. ¹⁹“Come to me, all you who desire me, and be filled with my fruits. ²⁰For my memory is sweeter than honey, and my inheritance than the honeycomb. ²¹Those who eat me will be hungry for more. Those who drink me will be thirsty for more. ²²He who obeys me will not be ashamed. Those who work with me will not sin.” ²³All these things are the book of the covenant of the Most High God, the law which Moses commanded us for an inheritance for the assemblies of Jacob. ²⁵It is he who makes wisdom abundant, as Pishon, and as Tigris in the days of first fruits. ²⁶He makes understanding full as the Euphrates, and as the Jordan in the days of harvest, ²⁷who makes instruction shine forth as the light, as Gihon in the days of vintage. ²⁸The first man didn’t know her perfectly. In like manner, the last has not explored her. ²⁹For her thoughts are filled from the sea, and her counsels from the great deep. ³⁰I came out as a canal stream from a river, and as an irrigation ditch into a garden. ³¹I said, “I will water my garden, and will drench my garden bed.” Behold, my stream became a river, and my river became a sea. ³²I will yet bring instruction to light as the morning, and will make these things clear from far away. ³³I will continue to pour out teaching like prophecy, and leave it to all generations. ³⁴See that I have not labored for myself only, but for all those who diligently seek wisdom.