| 8 | Wisdom of Solomon | ||
| 1 | She reaches mightily from one end of the earth to the other, and she orders all things well. | ||
| 2 | I loved her and sought her from my youth, and I desired to take her for my bride, and I became enamored of her beauty. | Solomon's love of Wisdom. Wis.8.2-21 | |
| 3 | She glorifies her noble birth by living with God, and the Lord of all loves her. | ||
| 4 | For she is an initiate in the knowledge of God, and an associate in his works. | ||
| 5 | If riches are a desirable possession in life, what is richer than wisdom who effects all things? | ||
| 6 | And if understanding is effective, who more than she is fashioner of what exists? | ||
| 7 | And if any one loves righteousness, her labours are virtues; for she teaches self-control and prudence, justice and courage; nothing in life is more profitable for men than these. | ||
| 8 | And if any one longs for wide experience, she knows the things of old, and infers the things to come; she understands turns of speech and the solutions of riddles; she has foreknowledge of signs and wonders and of the outcome of seasons and times. | ||
| 9 | Therefore I determined to take her to live with me, knowing that she would give me good counsel and encouragement in cares and grief. | ||
| 10 | Because of her I shall have glory among the multitudes and honour in the presence of the elders, though I am young. | ||
| 11 | I shall be found keen in judgment, and in the sight of rulers I shall be admired. | ||
| 12 | When I am silent they will wait for me, and when I speak they will give heed; and when I speak at greater length they will put their hands on their mouths. | ||
| 13 | Because of her I shall have immortality, and leave an everlasting remembrance to those who come after me. | ||
| 14 | I shall govern peoples, and nations will be subject to me; | ||
| 15 | dread monarchs will be afraid of me when they hear of me; among the people I shall show myself capable, and courageous in war. | ||
| 16 | When I enter my house, I shall find rest with her, for companionship with her has no bitterness, and life with her has no pain, but gladness and joy. | ||
| 17 | When I considered these things inwardly, and thought upon them in my mind, that in kinship with wisdom there is immortality, | ||
| 18 | and in friendship with her, pure delight, and in the labours of her hands, unfailing wealth, and in the experience of her company, understanding, and renown in sharing her words, I went about seeking how to get her for myself. | ||
| 19 | As a child I was by nature well endowed, and a good soul fell to my lot; | ||
| 20 | or rather, being good, I entered an undefiled body. | ||
| 21 | But I perceived that I would not possess wisdom unless God gave her to me - and it was a mark of insight to know whose gift she was - so I appealed to the Lord and besought him, and with my whole heart I said: | ||
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