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11 For at the last thou shalt find her rest, and that shall be turned to thy joy.

12 Then shall her fetters be a strong defence for thee, and her chains a robe of glory.

13 For there is a golden ornament upon her, and her bands are purple lace.

14 Thou shalt put her on as a robe of honour, and shalt put her about thee as a crown of joy.

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15 My son, if thou wilt, thou shalt be taught and if thou wilt apply thy mind, thou shalt be prudent.

16 If thou love to hear, thou shalt receive understanding: and if thou bow thine ear, thou shalt be wise.

17 Stand in the multitude of the elders; and cleave unto him that is wise.

18 Despise not the discourse of the wise, but acquaint thyself with their proverbs: for of them thou shalt learn instruction.

19 Miss not the discourse of the elders for they also learned of their fathers, and of them thou shalt learn understanding, and to give answer as need requireth.

20 Be willing to hear every godly discourse; and let not the parables of understanding escape thee.

21 And if thou seest a man of understanding, get thee betimes unto him, and let thy foot wear the steps of his door.

22 Let thy mind be upon the ordinances of the Lord, and meditate continually in his commandments: he shall establish

thine heart, and give thee wisdom at thine own desire.

23 The parables of knowledge are in the treasures of wisdom: but godliness is an abomination to a sinner.

24 If thou desire wisdom, keep the commandments, and the Lord shall give her unto thee.

25 For the fear of the Lord is wisdom and instruction: and faith and meekness are his delight.

26 Wisdom lifteth up the head of him that is of low degree, and maketh him to sit among great men.

27 Blessed is the man that doth meditate good things in wisdom, and that reasoneth of holy things by his understanding.

28 He that considereth her ways in his heart shall also have understanding in her secrets.

29 Go after her as one that traceth, and lie in wait in her ways.

30 He that prieth in at her windows shall also hearken at her doors.

31 He that doth lodge near her house shall also fasten a pin in her walls.

32 He shall pitch his tent nigh unto her, and shall lodge in a lodging where good things

are.

33 He shall set his children under her shelter, and shall lodge under her branches.

34 By her he shall be cover ed from heat, and in her glory shall he dwell.

LESSON XXXVI.

HEAR therefore, O ye kings, and understand; learn, ye that be judges of the ends of the

earth.

2 Give ear, ye that rule the people, and glory in the multitude of nations.

3 For power is given you of the Lord, and sovereignty from the Highest, who shall try your works, and search out your counsels.

4 Because being ministers of his kingdom, ye have not judged aright, nor kept the law, nor walked after the counsel of God;

5 Horribly and speedily shall he come upon you: for a sharp judgement shall be to them that be in high places.

6 For mercy will soon pardon the meanest but mighty men shall be mightily tormented.

7 For he which is Lord over all shall fear no man's person, neither shall he stand in awe of any man's greatness: for he hath made the small and great, and careth for all alike.

8. But a sore trial shall come upon the mighty.

9 Unto you therefore, O kings, do I speak, that ye may learn wisdom, and not fall away.

10 For they that keep holiness holily shall be judged holy: and they that have learned such things shall find what to answer:

11 Wherefore set your affection upon my words; desire them, and ye shall be instruct

ed.

12 Wisdom is glorious, and never fadeth away: yea, she is easily seen of them that love her, and found of such as seek her.

13 She preventeth them that desire her, in making herself first known unto them.

14 Whoso seeketh her early shall have no great travail: for he shall find her sitting at his doors.

15 To think therefore upon her is perfection of wisdom : and whoso watcheth for her shall quickly be without care.

16 For she goeth about seeking such as are worthy of her, sheweth herself favourably unto them in the ways, and meeteth them in every thought.

17 For the very true begin ning of her is the desire of discipline; and the care of discipline is love;

18 And love is the keeping of her laws; and the giving heed unto her laws is the assurance of incorruption.

19 And incorruption maketh us near unto God:

20 Therefore the desire of wisdom bringeth to a kingdom.

21 If your delight be then in thrones and sceptres, O ye kings of the people, honour wisdom, that ye may reign for evermore.

22 As for wisdom, what she is, and how she came up, I will tell you, and will not hide mysteries from you: but will seek her out from the beginning of her nativity, and bring the knowledge of her into light, and will not pass over the truth.

LESSON XXXVII.

ALL wisdom cometh from the Lord, and is with him for ever.

2 Who can number the sand of the sea, and the drops of rain, and the days of eternity?

3 Who can find out the height of heaven, and the breadth of the earth, and the deep, and wisdom?

4 Wisdom hath been created before all things, and the understanding of prudence from everlasting.

5 The word of God most high is the fountain of wisdom; and her ways are everlasting commandments.

6 To whom hath the root of wisdom been revealed? or who hath known her wise counsels?

7 Unto whom hath the knowledge of wisdom been made manifest? and who hath understood her great experience?

8 There is one wise and greatly to be feared; the Lord sitting upon his throne.

9 He created her, and saw her, and numbered her, and poured her out upon all his works.

10 She is with all flesh according to his gift, and he hath given her to them that love him.

11 She hath built an everlasting foundation with men, and she shall continue with their seed.

12 To fear the Lord is fulness of wisdom, and filleth men with their fruits.

13 She filleth all their house with things desirable, and the garners with her increase.

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16 The root of wisdom is to fear the Lord, and the branches thereof are long life.

17 He that feareth the Lord; will do good; and he that hath the knowledge of the law shall obtain her.

18 And as a mother shall she meet him, and receive him as a wife married of a virgin.

19 With the bread of understanding shall she feed him, and give him the water of wisdom to drink.

20 He shall be stayed upon her, and shall not be moved; and shall rely upon her, and shall not be confounded.

21 She shall exalt him above his neighbours, and in the midst of the congregation shall she open his mouth.

22 He shall find joy and a crown of gladness, and she shall cause him to inherit an everlasting name.

23 But foolish men shall not attain unto her, and sinners shall not see her.

24 For she is far from pride, and men that are liars cannot remember her.

25 Praise is not seemly in the mouth of a sinner, for it was not sent him of the Lord.

26 For praise shall be uttered

in wisdom, and the Lord will prosper it.

27 Wisdom exalteth her children, and layeth hold of them that seek her.

28 He that loveth her loveth life; and they that seek to her early shall be filled with joy.

29 He that holdeth her fast shall inherit glory; and wheresoever she entereth, the Lord will bless.

30 They that serve her shall minister to the Holy One: and them that love her the Lord doth love.

31 Whoso giveth ear unto her shall judge the nations: and he that attendeth unto her shall dwell securely.

32 If a man commit himself unto her, he shall inherit her; and his generation shall hold her in possession.

33 For at the first she will walk with him by crooked ways, and bring fear and dread upon him, and torment him with her discipline; until she may trust his soul, and try him by her laws.

34 Then will she return the straight way unto him, and comfort him, and shew him her secrets.

LESSON XXXVIII. WISDOM shall praise herself, and shall glory in the midst of her people.

2 In the congregation of the Most High shall she open her mouth, and triumph before his power.

3 I came out of the mouth

of the Most High, and covered the earth as a cloud.

4 I dwelt in high places, and my throne is in a cloudy pillar. 5 I alone compassed the circuit of heaven, and walked in the bottom of the deep.

6 In the waves of the sea, and in all the earth, and in every people and nation, I got a possession.

7 With all these I sought rest: and in whose inheritance shall I abide?

8 He created me from the beginning before the world, and I shall never fail.

9 In the holy tabernacle I served before him; and so was I established in Sion.

10 Likewise in the beloved city he gave me rest, and in Jerusalem was my power.

11 I was exalted like a cedar in Libanus, and as a cypress tree upon the mountains of Her

mon.

12 I was exalted like a palm tree in Engaddi, and as a rose plant in Jericho, as a fair olive tree in a pleasant field, and grew up as a plane tree by the

water.

13 I gave a sweet smell like cinnamon and aspalathus, and I yielded a pleasant odour like the best myrrh, as galbanum, and onyx, and sweet storax, and as the fume of frankincense in the tabernacle.

14 As the turpentine tree I stretched out my branches, and my branches are the branches of honour and grace.

15 As the vine brought I forth pleasant savour, and my

flowers are the fruit of honour from a river, and as a conduit and riches. into a garden.

16 I am the mother of fair love, and fear, and knowledge, and holy hope I therefore, being eternal, am given to all my children which are named of him.

17 Come unto me, all ye that be desirous of me, and fill yourselves with my fruits.

18 For my memorial is sweeter than honey, and mine inheritance than the honeycomb.

19 They that eat me shall yet be hungry, and they that drink me shall yet be thirsty.

20 He that obeyeth me shall never be confounded, and they that work by me shall not do amiss.

21 Faint not to be strong in the Lord; that he may confirm you, cleave unto him: for the Lord Almighty is God alone, and beside him there is no other saviour,

22 He filleth all things with his wisdom, as Phison and as Tigris in the time of the new fruits.

23 He maketh the understanding to abound like Euphrates, and as Jordan in the time of the harvest.

24 He maketh the doctrine of knowledge appear as the light, and as Geon in the time of vintage.

25 The first man knew her not perfectly no more shall the last find her out.

26 For her thoughts are more than the sea, and her counsels profounder than the great deep. 27 I also came out as a brook

28 I said, I will water my best garden, and will water abundantly my garden bed: and, lo, my brook became a river, and my river became a

sea.

29 I will yet make doctrine to shine as the morning, and will send forth her light afar off.

30 I will yet pour out doctrine as prophecy, and leave it to all ages for ever.

31 Behold that I have not laboured for myself only, but for all them that seek wisdom.

LESSON XXXIX.

LEARN where is wisdom, where is strength, where is understanding; that thou mayest know also where is length of days, and life, where is the light of the eyes, and peace.

2 Who hath found out her place? or who hath come into her treasures?

3 Where are the princes of the heathen become, and such as ruled the beasts upon the earth;

4 They that had their pastime with the fowls of the air, and they that hoarded up silver and gold, wherein men trust, and made no end of their getting?

5 For they that wrought in silver, and were so careful, and whose works are unsearchable, 6 They are vanished and gone down to the grave, and others are come up in their steads.

7 Young men have seen light,

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