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CHAPTER 24
1 Wisdom shall praise his soul, and he shall be honoured in God; and he shall have glory in the midst of his people.
2 And he shall open his mouth in the churches of the Highest; and he shall have glory in the sight of his virtue (or his power). And he shall be enhanced in the midst of his people; and he shall [much] wonder in holy fullness, either plenty. And in the multitude of chosen men he shall have praising; and among blessed men he shall be blessed, and say,
3 I, the first engendered [or (be)got-ten] before each creature, came forth from [or (out) of] the mouth of the Highest. I (was) made in (the) heavens, that (or where) light never failing rose up, and as a cloud I covered all (the) earth,
4 I dwelled in highest things, and my throne (is) in a pillar of [a] cloud.
5 I alone went about the compass [or the circle] of heaven, and I pierced the depth of the sea;
6 and I went in the waves of the sea, and I stood in (or on) all the land [or all (the) earth]. And I had the first dignity in each people, and in each folk; and I trod by virtue (or power) on the necks of all excellent men and meek [or all high and low];
7 and in all these men I sought rest, and I shall dwell in the heritage (or inheritance) of the Lord.
8 Then the Creator [or the former] of all [things] commanded, and said to me; and he that formed me, rested in my tabernacle; and he said to me, Dwell thou in Jacob, and take thou heritage in Israel, and send thou roots in(to) my chosen men [or my chosen].
9 I was engendered from the begin-ning and before worlds, and I shall not fail unto the world to coming; [From the beginning and before worlds I am formed, and unto the world to come I shall not cease to be;]
10 and I ministered [or served] in an holy dwelling before him. And so I was made steadfast in Zion,
11 and in like manner I rested in a city hallowed, and my power was in Jerusalem. [and in an hallowed city (in) like manner I rested, and in Jerusalem (was) my power.]
12 And I rooted in a people honour-ed; and the heritage thereof into the parts of my God, and my withholding in the plenty or the fullness of saints.
13 I was enhanced as a cedar in Lebanon, and as a cypress tree in the hill of Zion.
14 I was enhanced as a palm tree in Cades or in Kedesh, (or in Engedi), and as the planting of (a) rose in Jericho. And as a fair olive tree in fields; and I was enhanced as a plane [or a platan] tree besides (the) water in streets.
15 As canel and balm giving great smell, I gave odour; as chosen myrrh I gave the sweetness of odour. And as storax, and galbanum, and ungulam, and gum, and as Lebanon not cut down, I made hot [or I smoked] my dwelling place; and mine odour as balm [or balsam] not meddled, [or mingled, (or mixed)].
16 I as terebinth stretched forth my boughs [or branches]; and my boughs [or branches]be boughs (or branches) of honour, and of glory [or grace].
17 I as a vine made fruit the sweet-ness of odour; and my flowers be the fruits of honour, and of honesty (or of riches).
18 I am a mother of fair love, and of dread, and of knowing, and of holy hope. In me is all grace of way, and of truth; in me is all hope of life and of virtue.
19 All ye that covet me, pass (or come) to me; and be ye filled of (or with) my generations.
20 For why my spirit is sweet above [or over] honey; and mine heritage is above [or over] honey, and honey-comb. My mind is in(to) the gener-ation of worlds (or I shall always be remembered).
21 They that eat me, shall hunger yet [or yet shall hunger]; and they that drink me, shall thirst yet [or yet shall thirst].
22 He that heareth me, shall not be shamed; and they that work in me, shall not do sin; and they that declare me, shall have everlasting life.
23 All these things is the book of life, and the testament of the Highest, and the knowing [or acknowledging] of (the) truth. Moses commanded a law in the commandments of rightful-nesses [or the behests of rightwise-nesses], and (for an) heritage to the house of Jacob, and (the) promises to Israel.
24 He setted, that is, ordained, either promised, to David, his child, to raise [up] of (or from) him a king most strong, and sitting without end in the throne of honour.
25 Which king filleth wisdom, as Pishon sheddeth out water; and as Tigris in the days of new things.
26 Which, as Euphrates, [full]-filleth wit; which multiplieth, as (the) Jordan in the time of harvest [or reap(ing)].
27 Which sendeth teaching as (the) light; and is nigh all men, as Gihon in the day of vintage.
28 Which maketh perfectly first to know that wisdom[or That perform-eth first to know it]; and a feebler man shall not ensearch it.
29 For why the thought(s) thereof shall be (as) plenteous of (or as) the sea, that is, his knowing is more plenteous than the sea; and his counsel in the great ocean [or in the great deepness]is uncomprehensible. I wisdom shedded [or poured] out floods; I as a way, that is, a strong running, of full great water [or water without measure] of the flood.
30 I as the flood Dorix, and as a water conduit I went out of [or from] paradise.
31 I said, I shall water my garden of plantings; and I shall greatly fill the fruit of my child-bearing. And lo! a plenteous way of water is made to (or for) me; and my flood nighed to the sea.
32 For I (en)lighten teaching as the cheer morrowtide [or morrowtide light] to all men; and I shall tell out it unto far. I shall pierce all the lower [or nether] parts of (the) earth, and I shall behold all that sleep; and I shall (en)lighten all that hope in the Lord.
33 Yet I shall shed [or pour] out teach-ing as prophecy, and I shall leave it to them that seek wisdom; and I shall not fail into the generations [or pro-genies] of them, till into the holy world.
34 See ye, that I travailed not to me alone, but to all that seek out (the) truth.

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© 2001,2010,2011,2012,2013,2015 Terry Noble