Wisdom’s Praise

1 Wisdom will praise her own soul, and will proclaim her glory among her people.⁠a 2 She will open her mouth in the congregation of the Most High, and proclaim her glory in the presence of his power. 3 “I came out of the mouth of the Most High, and covered the earth like a mist.⁠b 4 I lived in high places, and my throne is in the pillar of the cloud.⁠c 5 Alone I circled heaven, and walked in the depth of the abyss. 6 Among the waves of the sea, and in all the earth, and among every people and nation, I obtained a possession. 7 Among all these I sought rest. In whose inheritance will I stay?

8 Then the Creator of all things gave me a command. He who created me settled my tent, and said, ‘Let your dwelling be in Jacob, and your inheritance in Israel.’⁠d 9 He created me from the beginning, before the ages. For all ages, I will not cease to exist.⁠e 10 In the holy tabernacle, I served before him. So I was established in Zion. 11 In the beloved city, likewise he gave me rest. My domain was in Jerusalem. 12 I took root in an honored people, in the portion of the Lord’s own inheritance.

13 I was exalted like a cedar in Lebanon, and like a cypress tree on the mountains of Hermon.⁠f 14 I was exalted like a palm tree on the seashore, like rose bushes in Jericho, and like a beautiful olive tree in the plain. I was exalted like a plane tree. 15 Like cinnamon and aspalathus, I have given a scent to perfumes. Like choice myrrh, I spread a pleasant fragrance, like galbanum,⁠g onycha, stacte,⁠h and like the smell of frankincense in the tabernacle. 16 Like the terebinth, I stretched out my branches. My branches are glorious and graceful. 17 Like the vine, I produced grace. My flowers are the fruit of glory and riches.

19 “Come to me, all you who desire me, and be filled with my fruits. 20 For my memory is sweeter than honey, and my inheritance than the honeycomb. 21 Those who eat me will be hungry for more. Those who drink me will be thirsty for more. 22 He who obeys me will not be ashamed. Those who work with me will not sin.”⁠i

Wisdom and the Covenant

23 All these things are the book of the covenant of the Most High God, the law which Moses commanded us for an inheritance for the assemblies of Jacob.⁠j 25 It is he who makes wisdom abundant, like the Pishon, and like the Tigris in the days of first fruits.⁠k 26 He makes understanding full like the Euphrates, and like the Jordan in the days of harvest, 27 who makes instruction shine like the light, like the Gihon in the days of grape harvest. 28 The first man didn’t know her perfectly. In the same way, the last has not explored her.⁠l 29 For her thoughts are filled from the sea, and her advice from the great deep.

Teaching for Future Generations

30 I came out like a canal stream from a river, and like an irrigation ditch into a garden. 31 I said, “I will water my garden, and will drench my garden bed.” Look, my stream became a river, and my river became a sea. 32 I will yet bring instruction to light like the morning, and will make these things clear from far away.⁠m 33 I will continue to pour out teaching like prophecy, and leave it to all generations.⁠n 34 See that I have not worked only for myself, but for all those who diligently seek wisdom.