The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope.

In me is all grace of the way and of the truth, in me is all hope of life and of virtue.

Come over to me, all ye that desire me, and be filled with my fruits.

For my spirit is sweet above honey, and my inheritance above honey and the honeycomb.

My memory is unto everlasting generations.

They that eat me, shall yet hunger: and they that drink me, shall yet thirst.

He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me, shall not sin.

They that explain me shall have life everlasting.

All these things are the book of life, and the covenant of the most High, and the knowledge of truth.

Moses commanded a law in the precepts of justices, and an inheritance to the house of Jacob, and the promises to Israel.

He appointed to David his servant to raise up of him a most mighty king, and sitting on the throne of glory for ever.

Who filleth up wisdom as the Phison, and as the Tigris in the days of the new fruits.

Who maketh understanding to abound as the Euphrates, who multiplieth it as the Jordan in the time of harvest.

Who sendeth knowledge as the light, and riseth up as Gehon in the time of the vintage.

Who first hath perfect knowledge of her, and a weaker shall not search her out.

For her thoughts are more vast than the sea, and her counsels more deep than the great ocean.

I, wisdom, have poured out rivers.

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.

I said: I will water my garden of plants, and I will water abundantly the fruits of my meadow.

And behold my brook became a great river, and my river came near to a sea:

For I make doctrine to shine forth to all as the morning light, and I will declare it afar off.

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.

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.

See ye that I have not laboured myself only, but for all that seek out the truth.

With three things my spirit is pleased, which are approved before God and men:

The concord of brethren, and the love of neighbours, and man and wife that agree well together.

Three sorts my soul hateth, and I am greatly grieved at their life:

A poor man that is proud: a rich man that is a liar: an old man that is a fool, and doting.

The things that thou hast not gathered in thy youth, how shalt thou find them in thy old age?

O how comely is judgment for a grey head, and for ancients to know counsel!

O how comely is wisdom for the aged, and understanding and counsel to men of honour!

Much experience is the crown of old men, and the fear of God is their glory.

Nine things that are not to be imagined by the heart have I magnified, and the tenth I will utter to men with my tongue.

A man that hath joy of his children: and he that liveth and seeth the fall of his enemies.

Blessed is he that dwelleth with a wise woman, and that hath not slipped with his tongue, and that hath not served such as are unworthy of him.

Blessed is he that findeth a true friend, and that declareth justice to an ear that heareth.

How great is he that findeth wisdom and knowledge! but there is none above him that feareth the Lord.

The fear of God hath set itself above all things:

Blessed is the man, to whom it is given to have the fear of God: he that holdeth it, to whom shall he be likened?

The fear of God is the beginning of his love: and the beginning of faith is to be fast joined unto it.

The sadness of the heart is every plague: and the wickedness of a woman is all evil.

And a man will choose any plague, but the plague of the heart:

And any wickedness, but the wickedness of a woman:

And any affliction, but the affliction from them that hate him:

And any revenge, but the revenge of enemies.

There is no head worse than the head of a serpent:

And there is no anger above the anger of a woman. It will be more agreeable to abide with a lion and a dragon, than to dwell with a wicked woman.

The wickedness of a woman changeth her face: and she darkeneth her countenance as a bear: and sheweth it like sackcloth. In the midst of her neighbours,

Her husband groaned, and hearing he sighed a little.

All malice is short to the malice of a woman, let the lot of sinners fall upon her.

As the climbing of a sandy way is to the feet of the aged, so is a wife full of tongue to a quiet man.

Look not upon a woman's beauty, and desire not a woman for beauty.

A woman's anger, and impudence, and confusion is great.

A woman, if she have superiority, is contrary to her husband.

A wicked woman abateth the courage, and maketh a heavy countenance, and a wounded heart.

Feeble hands, and disjointed knees, a woman that doth not make her husband happy.

From the woman came the beginning of sin, and by her we all die.

Give no issue to thy water, no, not a little: nor to a wicked woman liberty to gad abroad.

If she walk not at thy hand, she will confound thee in the sight of thy enemies.

Cut her off from thy flesh, lest she always abuse thee.

Happy is the husband of a good wife: for the number of his years is double.

A virtuous woman rejoiceth her husband, and shall fulfil the years of his life in peace.

A good wife is a good portion, she shall be given in the portion of them that fear God, to a man for his good deeds.

Rich or poor, if his heart is good, his countenance shall be cheerful at all times.

Of three things my heart hath been afraid, and at the fourth my face hath trembled:

The accusation of a city, and the gathering together of the people:

And a false calumny, all are more grievous than death.

A jealous woman is the grief and mourning of the heart.

With a jealous woman is a scourge of the tongue which communicateth with all.

As a yoke of oxen that is moved to and fro, so also is a wicked woman: he that hath hold of her, is as he that taketh hold of a scorpion.

A drunken woman is a great wrath: and her reproach and shame shall not be hid.

The fornication of a woman shall be known by the haughtiness of her eyes and by her eyelids.

On a daughter that turneth not away herself, set a strict watch: lest finding an opportunity she abuse herself.

Take heed of the impudence of her eyes, and wonder not if she slight thee.

She will open her mouth as a thirsty traveller to the fountain, and will drink of every water near her, and will sit down by every hedge, and open her quiver against every arrow, until she fail.

The grace of a diligent woman shall delight her husband, and shall fat his bones.

Her discipline is the gift of God.

Such is a wise and silent woman, and there is nothing so much worth as a well instructed soul.

A holy and shamefaced woman is grace upon grace.

And no price is worthy of a continent soul.

As the sun when it riseth to the world in the high places of God, so is the beauty of a good wife for the ornament of her house.

As the lamp shining upon the holy candlestick, so is the beauty of the face in a ripe age,

As golden pillars upon bases of silver, so are the firm feet upon the soles of a steady woman.

As everlasting foundations upon a solid rock, so the commandments of God in the heart of a holy woman.

At two things my heart is grieved, and the third bringeth anger upon me.

A man of war fainting through poverty, and a man of sense despised:

And he that passeth over from justice to sin, God hath prepared such an one for the sword.

Two sorts of callings have appeared to me hard and dangerous: a merchant is hardly free from negligence: and a huckster shall not be justified from the sins of the lips.

Through poverty many have sinned: and he that seeketh to be enriched, turneth away his eye.

As a stake sticketh fast in the midst of the joining of stones, so also in the midst of selling and buying, sin shall stick fast.

Sin shall be destroyed with the sinner.

Unless thou hold thyself diligently in the fear of the Lord, thy house shall quickly be overthrown.

As when one sifteth with a sieve, the dust will remain: so will the perplexity of a man in his thoughts.

The furnace trieth the potter's vessels, and the trial of affliction just men.

As the dressing of a tree sheweth the fruit thereof, so a word out of the thought of the heart of man.

Praise not a man before he speaketh, for this is the trial of men.

If thou followest justice, thou shalt obtain her: and shalt put her on as a long robe of honour, and thou shalt dwell with her: and she shall protect thee for ever, and in the day of acknowledgment thou shalt find a strong foundation.

Birds resort unto their like: so truth will return to them that practise her.

The lion always lieth in wait for prey: so do sins for them that work iniquities.

A holy man continueth in wisdom as the sun: but a fool is changed as the moon.