Sirach 24

¹Wisdom will praise her own mind, and she will be honored by God, and she will be glorified in the midst of her people

²And she will open her mouth in the churches of the Most High, and she will be glorified in the sight of his virtue

³And in the midst of her own people, she will be exalted. And she will be admired by the holy assembly

⁴And she will have praise within the multitude of the elect. And she will be blessed among the blessed. And she will say

⁵“I went forth from the mouth of the Most High, as the first-born before all creatures

⁶I caused an unfailing light to arise in the heavens. And I covered all the earth like a cloud

⁷I lived in the highest places, and my throne is in the pillar of a cloud

⁸I alone have encompassed the circuit of heaven, and have penetrated to the depths of the abyss, and have walked upon the waves of the sea

⁹and have stood upon the whole earth. And among every people

¹⁰and in every nation, I have held primacy

¹¹And by virtue, I have tread upon the hearts of all, the great and the lowly. And I have sought my rest in all of them. And I will continue, as the inheritance of the Lord

¹²Then the Creator of all things instructed and spoke with me. And the One who created me rested in my tabernacle

¹³And he said to me: ‘Let your dwelling place be with Jacob, and let your inheritance be in Israel, for you shall take root among my elect.

¹⁴From the beginning, and before the world, I was created. And even unto the future world, I will not cease to exist. For I have ministered before him in the holy habitation

¹⁵And in this way, I was established in Zion. And likewise, in the holy city, I found rest. And my authority was in Jerusalem

¹⁶And I took root among an honorable people, within the portion of my God, within his inheritance. And so my abode is in the full assembly of the saints

¹⁷I was exalted like a cedar in Lebanon and like a cypress on Mount Zion

¹⁸I was exalted like a palm tree in Kadesh and like a rose bush in Jericho

¹⁹I was exalted like a beautiful olive tree in the plains, and like a sycamore tree beside the waters along a wide road

²⁰I gave off an aromatic fragrance like cinnamon or balsam. I produced a sweet odor like the best myrrh

²¹And I perfumed my dwelling place with sweet gum, and aromatic resin, and flower petals, and aloe, as well as the finest cedar from Lebanon. And my fragrance is like undiluted balsam

²²I have extended my branches like a terebinth tree, and my branches are of honor and grace

²³Like the vine, I have born the fruit of a sweet fragrance. And my flowers are the fruit of honor and integrity

²⁴I am the mother of the beauty of love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope

²⁵All grace of the way and of the truth is in me. All hope of life and of virtue is in me

²⁶Journey toward me, all you who desire me, and be filled by my harvest

²⁷For my spirit is sweeter than honey, and my inheritance is better than honey and the honeycomb

²⁸My memory is for the generations of all ages

²⁹Whoever consumes me will hunger still. And whoever drinks me will thirst still

³⁰Whoever listens to me will not be confounded. And whoever acts in me will not sin

³¹Whoever elucidates me will have eternal life.

³²All this is a book of life, and a covenant of the Most High, and an acknowledgement of truth

³³Moses commanded the law by the precepts of justice, and an inheritance to the house of Jacob, and the promises to Israel

³⁴God appointed David as his servant, in order to raise up from him a most mighty King, who would sit upon the throne of honor forever

³⁵It is he who fulfills wisdom, like the Phison river and the Tigris river in the first days

³⁶It is he who fulfills understanding, like the river Euphrates. It is he who multiplies understanding, like the river Jordan in the time of the harvest

³⁷He sends forth discipline like the light, and he stands forth like the river Gehon in the time of the vintage

³⁸He first had perfect knowledge of her, for a weaker one would not search for her

³⁹For her thoughts abound like the sea, and her counsels abound like the great abyss

⁴⁰“I, wisdom, have poured forth rivers

⁴¹I am like a brook leading to a river of immense waters. I am like a channel flowing from a river. And I went forth from Paradise like an aqueduct

⁴²I said: I will irrigate my garden of plantings, and I will thoroughly water the fruits of my field

⁴³And behold, my brook became overflowing, and my river drew near to the sea

⁴⁴For I illuminate doctrine to all, like the first light. And I will announce doctrine, even to those who are far away

⁴⁵I will reach to all the lower parts of the earth, and I will gaze upon all who sleep, and I will illuminate all who hope in the Lord

⁴⁶Even now, I pour forth doctrine like prophecy. And even now, I bequeath doctrine to those who seek wisdom. And I will not cease from their progeny, even unto the holy time

⁴⁷See how I have not labored for myself alone, but for all who are seeking truth!