Wisdom of Solomon 7

I myself also am a mortal man, like to all, and the offspring ^aof him that was first made of the earth, ²and in my mother’s womb was fashioned to be flesh in the time of ten months, ^bbeing compacted in blood, of the seed of man, and the pleasure that came with ^csleep. ³And when I was born, I drew in the common air, and fell upon the earth, which is ^dof like nature, and the first voice which I uttered was crying, as all others do. ⁴I was nursed in ^eswaddling clothes, and that with cares. ⁵For there is no king that had any other beginning of birth. ⁶For ^fall men have one entrance into life, and the like ^ggoing out. ⁷Wherefore ^hI prayed, and understanding was given me: I ⁱcalled upon God, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.

⁸I preferred her before ^ksceptres and thrones, and ^lesteemed riches nothing in comparison of her. ⁹Neither compared I unto her any ^mprecious stone, because all gold in respect of her is as a little sand, and silver shall be counted as clay before her. ¹⁰I loved her above ⁿhealth and beauty, and chose to have her ^oinstead of light: for the light that cometh from her never goeth out. ^11pAll good things together came to me with her, and ^pinnumerable riches in her hands. ¹²And I rejoiced in them all, because wisdom goeth before them: and I knew not that she was the mother of them. ¹³I learned diligently, and do communicate her liberally: ^ppI do not hide her riches. ¹⁴For she is ^qa treasure unto men that never faileth: which they that use ^qqbecome the friends of God, being ^rcommended for the gifts that come from ^rrlearning. ¹⁵God hath granted me to speak as I would, and to conceive as is meet for the things that are given me: because it is he that leadeth unto wisdom, and directeth the wise. ¹⁶For in his hand are both we and our words; all wisdom also, and knowledge of workmanship. ¹⁷For he hath given me certain knowledge of the things that are, namely, to know how the world was made, and the operation of the elements: ¹⁸the beginning, ending, and midst of the times: the alterations of ^sthe turning of the sun, and the change of seasons: ¹⁹the circuits of years, and the ^tpositions of stars: ²⁰the natures of living creatures, and the furies of wild beasts: the violence of winds, and the ^ureasonings of men: the diversities of plants, and the virtues of roots: ²¹and all such things as are either secret or manifest, them I know. ²²For wisdom, which is ^vthe worker of all things, taught me: for in her is an understanding spirit, holy, one only, manifold, subtil, lively, ^wclear, undefiled, plain, not subject to hurt, ^xloving the thing that is good, quick, which cannot be letted, ready to do good. ²³Kind to man, stedfast, sure, ^yfree from care, having all power, overseeing all things, and going through all understanding, pure, and most subtil, spirits. ²⁴For wisdom is more moving than any motion: she passeth and goeth through all things by reason of her pureness. ²⁵For she is the breath of the power of God, and a pure influence flowing from the glory of the ^zAlmighty: therefore can no defiled thing fall into her. ²⁶For she is ^athe brightness of the everlasting light, the unspotted ^aamirror of the power of God, and ^bthe image of his goodness. ²⁷And being but one, she can do all things: and remaining in herself, she maketh all things new: and in all ages entering into holy souls, she maketh them ^cfriends of God, and ^dprophets. ²⁸For God loveth none but him that dwelleth with wisdom. ²⁹For she is more beautiful than the sun, and above all the ^torder of stars: being compared with the light, she is found before it. ³⁰For after this cometh night: but vice shall not prevail against wisdom.

VIII.