Ecclesiasticus 1

¹All wisdom is of our Lord God, & hath been always with him, & is before all time.

²The sand of the sea, & the drops of rain, & the days of the world, who hath numbered? The height of heaven, and breadth of the earth, & profundity of the depth, who hath measured?

³The wisdom of God that goeth before all things, who hath searched out?

⁴Wisdom was created before all things, & the understanding of prudence from everlasting.

⁵A fountain of wisdom the word of God on high, and the entrance thereof everlasting commandments.

⁶The root of wisdom to whom hath it been revealed, & the subtilties thereof who hath known?

⁷The discipline of wisdom to whom hath it been revealed and made manifest, and the multiplication of her entrance who hath understood.

⁸There is one most high Creator omnipotent, and mighty King, and to be feared exceedingly, sitting upon his throne & the God of dominion.

⁹He created her in the Holy Ghost, and hath seen, and numbered, and measured her.

¹⁰And he hath poured her out upon all his works, and upon all flesh according to his gift, and hath given her to them that fear him.

¹¹The fear of our Lord is glory, and gloriation, and joy, and a crown of exultation.

¹²The fear of our Lord shall delight the heart, and shall give joy, and gladness, and length of days.

¹³With him that feareth our Lord it shall be well in the later end, and in the day of his death he shall be blessed.

¹⁴The love of God is honourable wisdom.

¹⁵But they to whom she shall appear in vision, they love her in the vision, and in the agnizing of her great works.

¹⁶The fear of our Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and was created with the faithful in the womb, and goeth with the elect women, and is known with the just & faithful.

¹⁷The fear of our Lord is religiosity of knowledge.

¹⁸Religiosity shall keep and justify the heart, shall give joy and gladness.

¹⁹With him that feareth our Lord it shall be well, and in the days of his consummation he shall be blessed.

²⁰The fullness of wisdom is to fear God, and fullness is of the fruits thereof.

²¹All her house she shall fill with her generations, and the store-houses with her treasures.

²²A crown of wisdom, the fear of our Lord, replenishing peace, and the fruit of salvation:

²³and hath seen, and numbered her: but both are the gifts of God.

²⁴Wisdom shall distribute knowledge, and understanding of prudence: and exalteth the glory of them that hold it.

²⁵The root of wisdom is to fear our Lord: for the boughs thereof are of long time.

²⁶in the treasures of wisdom is understanding, & religiosity of knowledge: but to sinners wisdom is abomination.

²⁷The fear of our Lord expelleth sin:

²⁸for he that is without fear, cannot be justified: for the anger of his animosity, is his subversion.

²⁹Until a time the patient shall sustain, and after shall be rewarded of joyfulness.

³⁰A good understanding will hide his words until a time, and the lips of many shall shew forth his understanding.

³¹In the treasures of wisdom is signification of discipline:

³²But the worship of God is abomination to a sinner.

³³Son, coveting wisdom, keep justice, & God will give her to thee.

³⁴For the fear of our Lord is wisdom and discipline: and that which well pleaseth him,

³⁵is faith, and meekness, and he will fill his treasures.

³⁶Be not incredulous to the fear of our Lord: and come not to him with a double heart.

³⁷Be not an hypocrite in the sight of men, and be not scandalized in thy lips.

³⁸Attend to them, lest perhaps thou fall, and bring dishonour to thy soul,

³⁹and God reveal thy secrets, and in the midst of the synagogue cast thee down:

⁴⁰because thou camest to our Lord wickedly, & thy heart is full of guile and deceit.