| 1 | Wisdom praises herself, and tells of her glory in the midst of her people. |
| 2 | In the assembly of the Most High she opens her mouth, and in the presence of his hosts she tells of her glory: |
| 3 | “I came forth from the mouth of the Most High, and covered the earth like a mist. |
| 4 | I dwelt in the highest heavens, and my throne was in a pillar of cloud. |
| 5 | Alone I compassed the vault of heaven and traversed the depths of the abyss. |
| 6 | Over waves of the sea, over all the earth, and over every people and nation I have held sway. |
| 7 | Among all these I sought a resting place; in whose territory should I abide? |
| 8 | “Then the Creator of all things gave me a command, and my Creator chose the place for my tent. He said, ‘Make your dwelling in Jacob, and in Israel receive your inheritance.’ |
| 9 | Before the ages, in the beginning, he created me, and for all the ages I shall not cease to be. |
| 10 | In the holy tent I ministered before him, and so I was established in Zion. |
| 11 | Thus in the beloved city he gave me a resting place, and in Jerusalem was my domain. |
| 12 | I took root in an honored people, in the portion of the Lord, his heritage. |
| 13 | “I grew tall like a cedar in Lebanon, and like a cypress on the heights of Hermon. |
| 14 | I grew tall like a palm tree in En-gedi, and like rosebushes in Jericho; like a fair olive tree in the field, and like a plane tree beside water I grew tall. |
| 15 | Like cassia and camel’s thorn I gave forth perfume, and like choice myrrh I spread my fragrance, like galbanum, onycha, and stacte, and like the odor of incense in the tent. |
| 16 | Like a terebinth I spread out my branches, and my branches are glorious and graceful. |
| 17 | Like the vine I bud forth delights, and my blossoms become glorious and abundant fruit. |
| 18 | - |
| 19 | “Come to me, you who desire me, and eat your fill of my fruits. |
| 20 | For the memory of me is sweeter than honey, and the possession of me sweeter than the honeycomb. |
| 21 | Those who eat of me will hunger for more, and those who drink of me will thirst for more. |
| 22 | Whoever obeys me will not be put to shame, and those who work with me will not sin.” |
| 23 | All this is the book of the covenant of the Most High God, the law that Moses commanded us as an inheritance for the congregations of Jacob. |
| 24 | - |
| 25 | It overflows, like the Pishon, with wisdom, and like the Tigris at the time of the first fruits. |
| 26 | It runs over, like the Euphrates, with understanding, and like the Jordan at harvest time. |
| 27 | It pours forth instruction like the Nile, like the Gihon at the time of vintage. |
| 28 | The first man did not know wisdom fully, nor will the last one fathom her. |
| 29 | For her thoughts are more abundant than the sea, and her counsel deeper than the great abyss. |
| 30 | As for me, I was like a canal from a river, like a water channel into a garden. |
| 31 | I said, “I will water my garden and drench my flower-beds.” And lo, my canal became a river, and my river a sea. |
| 32 | I will again make instruction shine forth like the dawn, and I will make it clear from far away. |
| 33 | I will again pour out teaching like prophecy, and leave it to all future generations. |
| 34 | Observe that I have not labored for myself alone, but for all who seek wisdom. |