Wisdom of Ben Sira 24

New Catholic Bible

¹ Wisdom sings her own praises
    and proclaims 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 the heavenly host she declares her glory:
³ “I came forth from the mouth of the Most High
    and covered the earth like a mist.^[c]
4 I dwelt in the highest heavens,
    and my throne was in a pillar of cloud.
⁵ Alone I encircled the vault of heaven
    and traversed the depths of the abyss.
⁶ Over the waves of the sea, over the whole earth,
    and over every people and nation I have held sway.
⁷ Among all these I sought a place of rest;
    in whose territory should I abide?
⁸ “Then the Creator of all things gave me his command;
    he who created me decreed where I should dwell,
saying, ‘Make your dwelling in Jacob,
    and in Israel receive your inheritance.’
⁹ Before all ages, in the beginning, he created me,
    and I shall not cease to be for all eternity.
¹⁰ In the holy tent I ministered before him,
    and then I became established in Zion.
¹¹ Thus, in the beloved city he gave me a resting place,
    in Jerusalem I wield my power.
¹² I have taken root in an honored people,
    in the portion of the Lord, his heritage.
¹³ “There I grew tall like a cedar on Lebanon,
    like a cypress on Mount Hermon.
¹⁴ I grew tall like a palm tree in En-gedi,
    like a rosebush in Jericho,
like a fair olive tree in the field,
    or like a plane tree beside the water.
¹⁵ Like cinnamon or camel-thorn I gave forth perfume,
    and like choice myrrh I spread my fragrance,
like galbanum, onycha, and spices
    and like the odor of incense in the tent.
¹⁶ I spread out my branches like a terebinth,^[d]
    and my branches are glorious and graceful.
¹⁷ Like the vine I bud forth delights,
    and my blossoms become fruit fair and abundant.
[¹⁸ I am the mother of fair love,
    of fear, of knowledge, and of holy hope;
being eternal, I am given to all my children,
    to those who are appointed by him.]^[e]
19 “Come to me, all of you who desire me,
    and eat your fill of my fruits.
²⁰ For the memory of me is sweeter than honey;
    to possess me is sweeter than the honeycomb.
²¹ Whoever feeds on me will hunger for more;
    whoever drinks of me will thirst for more.
²² Whoever obeys me will never be put to shame;
    whoever follows my instructions will never sin.”

²³ All this is the book of the covenant of the Most High God,
    the law that Moses enjoined on us
    as an inheritance for the assemblies of Jacob.
[²⁴ Do not cease to be strong in the Lord,
    and cling to him that he may strengthen you.
The Lord Almighty alone is God,
    and there is no savior apart from him.]^[g]
25 [h]It overflows, like the Pishon, with wisdom,
    like the Tigris at the time of the firstfruits.
²⁶ It runs over, like the Euphrates, with understanding,
    like the Jordan at the time of the harvest.
²⁷ It pours forth instruction like the Nile,^[i]
    like the Gihon at the time of vintage.
²⁸ The first man never fully comprehended wisdom,
    nor will the last succeed in understanding her.
²⁹ For her thoughts are more vast than the sea
    and her counsel more profound than the great abyss.
³⁰ As for me, I was like a conduit from a river,
    like a stream into a garden.
³¹ I said to myself, “I will water my garden
    and drench its flower beds.”
And suddenly my conduit became a river,
    and my river expanded into a sea.
³² I will again make learning shine forth like the dawn,
    so that its light may be seen far and wide.
³³ I will again pour out my teaching like prophecy
    and leave it as a legacy to future generations.
³⁴ And understand that I have not labored for myself alone
    but for all who seek wisdom.