Sirach 24
1 Wisdom shall praise herself, and
shall glory in the midst of her people.
2 In the congregation of the most High
shall she open her mouth, and triumph before his power.
3 I came out of the mouth of the most
High, and covered the earth as a cloud.
4 I dwelt in high places, and my
throne is in a cloudy pillar. 5 I
alone compassed the circuit of heaven, and walked in the bottom of the deep.
6 In the waves of the sea, and in all
the earth, and in every people and nation, I got a possession.
7 With all these I sought rest: and in
whose inheritance shall I abide? 8 So
the Creator of all things gave me a commandment, and he that made me caused my
tabernacle to rest, and said, Let thy dwelling be in Jacob, and thine
inheritance in Israel. 9 He created me
from the beginning before the world, and I shall never fail.
10 In the holy tabernacle I served
before him; and so was I established in Sion.
11 Likewise in the beloved city he
gave me rest, and in Jerusalem was my power.
12 And I took root in an honourable
people, even in the portion of the Lord's inheritance.
13 I was exalted like a cedar in
Libanus, and as a cypress tree upon the mountains of Hermon.
14 I was exalted like a palm tree on
the sea shore, and as a rose plant in Jericho, as a fair olive tree in a
plain, and grew up as a plane tree.
15 I gave a sweet smell like cinnamon
and aspalathus, and I yielded a pleasant odour like the best myrrh, as
galbanum, and onyx, and sweet storax, and as the fume of frankincense in the
tabernacle. 16 As the turpentine tree
I stretched out my branches, and my branches are the branches of honour and
grace. 17 As the vine brought I forth
pleasant savour, and my flowers are the fruit of honour and riches.
19 Come unto me, all ye that be
desirous of me, and fill yourselves with my fruits.
20 For my memorial is sweeter than
honey, and mine inheritance than the honeycomb.
21 They that eat me shall yet be
hungry, and they that drink me shall yet be thirsty.
22 He that obeyeth me shall never be
confounded, and they that work by me shall not do amiss.
23 All these things are the book of
the covenant of the most high God, even the law which
Moses commanded for an heritage unto the congregations of Jacob.
25 He filleth all things with his
wisdom, as Phison and as Tigris in the time of the new fruits.
26 He maketh the understanding to
abound like Euphrates, and as Jordan in the time of the harvest.
27 He maketh the doctrine of
knowledge appear as the light, and as Geon in the time of vintage.
28 The first man knew her not
perfectly: no more shall the last find her out.
29 For her thoughts are more than the
sea, and her counsels profounder than the great deep.
30 I also came out as a brook from a
river, and as a conduit into a garden.
31 I said, I will water my best
garden, and will water abundantly my garden bed: and, lo, my brook became a
river, and my river became a sea.
32 I will yet make doctrine to shine
as the morning, and will send forth her light afar off.
33 I will yet pour out doctrine as
prophecy, and leave it to all ages for ever.
34 Behold that I have not laboured
for myself only, but for all them that seek wisdom.