The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

And if riches be desired in life, what is richer than wisdom, which maketh all things?

And if sense do work: who is a more artful worker than she of those things that are?

And if a man love justice: her labours have great virtues: for she teacheth temperance, and prudence, and justice, and fortitude, which are such things as men can have nothing more profitable in life.

And if a man desire much knowledge: she knoweth things past, and judgeth of things to come: she knoweth the subtilties of speeches, and the solutions of arguments: she knoweth signs and wonders before they be done, and the events of times and ages.

I purposed, therefore, to take her to me to live with me: knowing that she will communicate to me of her good things, and will be a comfort in my cares and grief.

For her sake I shall have glory among the multitude, and honour with the ancients, though I be young:

And I shall be found of a quick conceit in judgment, and shall be admired in the sight of the mighty, and the faces of princes shall wonder at me.

They shall wait for me when I hold my peace, and they shall look upon me when I speak; and if I talk much, they shall lay their hands on their mouth.

Moreover, by the means of her I shall have immortality: and shall leave behind me an everlasting memory to them that come after me.

I shall set the people in order: and nations shall be subject to me.

Terrible kings hearing, shall be afraid of me: among the multitude I shall be found good, and valiant in war.

When I go into my house, I shall repose myself with her: for her conversation hath no bitterness, nor her company any tediousness, but joy and gladness.

Thinking these things with myself, and pondering them in my heart, that to be allied to wisdom is immortality,

And that there is great delight in her friendship, and inexhaustible riches in the works of her hands, and in the exercise of conference with her, wisdom, and glory in the communication of her words: I went about seeking, that I might take her to myself.

And I was a witty child, and had received a good soul.

And whereas I was more good, I came to a body undefiled.

And as I knew that I could not otherwise be continent, except God gave it, and this also was a point of wisdom, to know whose gift it was, I went to the Lord, and besought him, and said with my whole heart:

God of my fathers, and Lord of mercy, who hast made all things with thy word,

And by thy wisdom hast appointed man, that he should have dominion over the creature that was made by thee,

That he should order the world according to equity and justice, and execute justice with an upright heart:

Give me wisdom, that sitteth by thy throne, and cast me not off from among thy children:

For I am thy servant, and the son of thy handmaid, a weak man, and of short time, and falling short of the understanding of judgment and laws.

For if one be perfect among the children of men, yet if thy wisdom be not with him, he shall be nothing regarded.

Thou hast chosen me to be king of thy people, and a judge of thy sons and daughters:

And hast commanded me to build a temple on thy holy mount, and an altar in the city of thy dwelling place, a resemblance of thy holy tabernacle, which thou hast prepared from the beginning:

And thy wisdom with thee, which knoweth thy works, which then also was present when thou madest the world, and knew what was agreeable to thy eyes, and what was right in thy commandments.

Send her out of thy holy heaven, and from the throne of thy majesty, that she may be with me, and may labour with me, that I may know what is acceptable with thee:

For she knoweth and understandeth all things, and shall lead me soberly in my works, and shall preserve me by her power.

So shall my works be acceptable, and I shall govern thy people justly, and shall be worthy of the throne of my father.

For who among men is he that can know the counsel of God? or who can think what the will of God is?

For the thoughts of mortal men are fearful, and our counsels uncertain.

For the corruptible body is a load upon the soul, and the earthly habitation presseth down the mind that museth upon many things.

And hardly do we guess aright at things that are upon earth: and with labour do we find the things that are before us. But the things that are in heaven, who shall search out?

And who shall know thy thought, except thou give wisdom, and send thy holy Spirit from above:

And so the ways of them that are upon earth may be corrected, and men may learn the things that please thee?

For by wisdom they were healed, whosoever have pleased thee, O Lord, from the beginning.

She preserved him, that was first formed by God, the father of the world, when he was created alone,

And she brought him out of his sin, and gave him power to govern all things.

But when the unjust went away from her in his anger, he perished by the fury wherewith he murdered his brother.

For whose cause, when water destroyed the earth, wisdom healed it again, directing the course of the just by contemptible wood.

Moreover, when the nations had conspired together to consent to wickedness, she knew the just, and preserved him without blame to God, and kept him strong against the compassion for his son.

She delivered the just man, who fled from the wicked that were perishing, when the fire came down upon Pentapolis:

Whose land, for a testimony of their wickedness, is desolate, and smoketh to this day, and the trees bear fruits that ripen not, and a standing pillar of salt is a monument of an incredulous soul.

For regarding not wisdom, they did not only slip in this, that they were ignorant of good things; but they left also unto men a memorial of their folly, so that in the things in which they sinned, they could not so much as lie hid.

But wisdom hath delivered from sorrow them that attend upon her.

She conducted the just, when he fled from his brother's wrath, through the right ways, and shewed him the kingdom of God, and gave him the knowledge of the holy things, made him honourable in his labours, and accomplished his labours.

In the deceit of them that overreached him, she stood by him, and made him honourable.

She kept him safe from his enemies, and she defended him from seducers, and gave him a strong conflict, that he might overcome, and know that wisdom is mightier than all.

She forsook not the just when he was sold, but delivered him from sinners: she went down with him into the pit.

And in bands she left him not, till she brought him the sceptre of the kingdom, and power against those that oppressed him: and shewed them to be liars that had accused him, and gave him everlasting glory.

She delivered the just people, and blameless seed, from the nations that oppressed them.

She entered into the soul of the servant of God and stood against dreadful kings in wonders and signs.

And she rendered to the just the wages of their labours, and conducted them in a wonderful way: and she was to them for a covert by day, and for the light of stars by night:

And she brought them through the Red Sea, and carried them over through a great water.

But their enemies she drowned in the sea, and from the depth of hell she brought them out. Therefore the just took the spoils of the wicked.

And they sung to thy holy name, O Lord, and they praised with one accord thy victorious hand.

For wisdom opened the mouth of the dumb, and made the tongues of infants eloquent.

She prospered their works in the hands of the holy prophet.

They went through wildernesses that were not inhabited, and in desert places they pitched their tents.

They stood against their enemies, and revenged themselves of their adversaries.

They were thirsty, and they called upon thee, and water was given them out of the high rock, and a refreshment of their thirst out of the hard stone.

For by what things their enemies were punished, when their drink failed them, while the children of Israel abounded therewith, and rejoiced:

By the same things they in their need were benefited.

For instead of a fountain of an ever running river, thou gavest human blood to the unjust.

And whilst they were diminished for a manifest reproof of their murdering the infants, thou gavest to thine abundant water unlooked for:

Shewing by the thirst that was then, how thou didst exalt thine, and didst kill their adversaries.

For when they were tried, and chastised with mercy, they knew how the wicked were judged with wrath, and tormented.

For thou didst admonish and try them as a father: but the others, as a severe king, thou didst examine and condemn.

For whether absent or present, they were tormented alike.

For a double affliction came upon them, and a groaning for the remembrance of things past.

For when they heard that by their punishments the others were benefited, they remembered the Lord, wondering at the end of what was come to pass.

For whom they scorned before, when he was thrown out at the time of his being wickedly exposed to perish, him they admired in the end, when they saw the event: their thirsting being unlike to that of the just.

But for the foolish devices of their iniquity, because some being deceived worshipped dumb serpents and worthless beasts, thou didst send upon them a multitude of dumb beasts for vengeance:

That they might know that by what things a man sinneth, by the same also he is tormented.

For thy almighty hand, which made the world of matter without form, was not unable to send upon them a multitude of bears, or fierce lions,

Or unknown beasts of a new kind, full of rage; either breathing out a fiery vapour, or sending forth a stinking smoke, or shooting horrible sparks out of their eyes:

Whereof not only the hurt might be able to destroy them, but also the very sight might kill them through fear.

Yea, and without these, they might have been slain with one blast, persecuted by their own deeds, and scattered by the breath of thy power: but thou hast ordered all things in measure, and number, and weight.

For great power always belonged to thee alone: and who shall resist the strength of thy arm?

For the whole world before thee is as the least grain of the balance, and as a drop of the morning dew, that falleth down upon tho earth.

But thou hast mercy upon all, because thou canst do all things, and overlookest the sins of men for the sake of repentance.

For thou lovest all things that are, and hatest none of the things which thou hast made: for thou didst not appoint, or make any thing hating it.

And how could any thing endure, if thou wouldst not? or be preserved, if not called by thee?

But thou sparest all: because they are thine, O Lord, who lovest souls.

O how good and sweet is thy Spirit, O Lord, in all things!

And therefore thou chastisest them that err, by little and little: and admonishest them, and speakest to them, concerning the things wherein they offend: that leaving their wickedness, they may believe in thee, O Lord.

For those ancient inhabitants of thy holy land, whom thou didst abhor,

Because they did works hateful to thee by their sorceries, and wicked sacrifices,

And those merciless murderers of their own children, and eaters of men's bowels, and devourers of blood from the midst of thy consecration,

And those parents sacrificing with their own hands helpless souls, it was thy will to destroy by the hands of our parents,

That the land which of all is most dear to thee, might receive a worthy colony of the children of God.

Yet even those thou sparedst as men, and didst send wasps forerunners of thy host, to destroy them by little and little.

Not that thou wast unable to bring the wicked under the just by war, or by cruel beasts, or with one rough word to destroy them at once:

But executing thy judgments by degrees, thou gavest them place of repentance, not being ignorant that they were a wicked generation, and their malice natural, and that their thought could never be changed.

For it was a cursed seed from the beginning: neither didst thou for fear of any one give pardon to their sins.

For who shall say to thee: What hast thou done? or who shall withstand thy judgment? or who shall come before thee to be a revenger of wicked men? or who shall accuse thee, if the nations perish, which thou hast made?

For there is no other God but thou, who hast care of all, that thou shouldst shew that thou dost not give judgment unjustly.

Neither shall king, nor tyrant, in thy sight inquire about them whom thou hast destroyed.

For so much then, as thou art just, thou orderest all things justly: thinking it not agreeable to the power, to condemn him who deserveth not to be punished.

For thy power is the beginning of justice: and because thou art Lord of all, thou makest thyself gracious to all.