Wisdom of solomon 8

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¹Therefore wisdom stretcheth forth from the end till to the end strongly, and disposeth all things sweetly.

²I loved this wisdom made or This I loved, and I sought it out from my youth; and I sought to take it a spousess to me, and I am made a lover of the fairness thereof or of the form of it.

³He that hath the fellowship of God, glorifieth the gentleness thereof or It having the company of God, glorifieth the gentleness of it; but also the Lord of all things loved it.

⁴For it is the teacheress of the learning or of the discipline of God, and chooseress of his works.

⁵And if riches be coveted or be desired in life, what is richer than wisdom, that worketh all things?

⁶Soothly if wit worketh, who is a craftsmaker or craftsman more than wisdom, of these things that be?

⁷And if a man loveth rightfulness or rightwiseness, the travails of this wisdom have great virtues; for it teacheth soberness, and prudence, and rightfulness or rightwiseness, and virtue; and nothing is profitabler or more profitable than these in life to men.

⁸And if a man desireth multitude of knowing, wisdom knoweth things passed, and guesseth of things to coming or to come; it knoweth the fellnesses or falsenesses of words, and assoilings or absolvings of arguments; it knoweth signs and showings of things to coming, before that they be made or the tokens and wonders it knoweth, ere they be done; and the befallings or chances of times and of worlds.

⁹Therefore I purposed to bring to me this wisdom or Then I purposed this to bring to me, to live together; witting that it shall commune with me of goods, and speaking together of my thoughts, and of mine annoyances, shall be.

¹⁰For this wisdom I shall have clearness at companies, and honour at elder men;

¹¹I shall be found young and sharp in doom, and in the sight of mighty men I shall be wonderful, and the faces of princes shall worship me or shall marvel me.

¹²They shall abide me, being still, and they shall behold me, speaking; and the while I speak many things, they shall set hands on their mouths.

¹³Furthermore by this wisdom I shall have undeadliness; and I shall leave everlasting mind to them, that shall come after me.

¹⁴I shall dispose peoples; and nations shall be subject to me.

¹⁵Hideous kings hearing me shall dread; and in multitude I shall be seen good, and strong in battle.

¹⁶I shall enter into mine house, and I shall rest with wisdom; for the conversation thereof hath no bitterness, and the dwelling together thereof hath none annoyance, but gladness and joy.

¹⁷I thought these things at me, and I remembered in mine heart; for why wisdom is undeadly in thought,

¹⁸and good delighting is in the friendship thereof; and honesty with-out default is in the works of hands thereof; and wisdom is in the strife of speech thereof; and great clearness is in the communing of words thereof; I went about, seeking to take wisdom to me.

¹⁹Forsooth I was a witting child, and I got a good soul.

²⁰And when I was more good, I came to a body undefouled.

²¹And as I knew, that else I may not be chaste or continent, no but God give it, and this same thing was wisdom, to know whose this gift was; I went to the Lord, and I besought him, and I said, of all mine entrails or of all the entrails of mine heart.