Ecclesiasticus 24

1Wisdom shall praise her own self, and shall be honoured in God, and shall glory in the midst of her people,

Sapientia laudabit animam suam, et in Deo honorabitur, et in medio populi sui gloriabitur,

2And shall open her mouth in the churches of the most High, and shall glorify herself in the sight of his power,

et in ecclesiis Altissimi aperiet os suum, et in conspectu virtutis illius gloriabitur,

3And in the midst of her own people she shall be exalted, and shall be admired in the holy assembly.

et in medio populi sui exaltabitur, et in plenitudine sancta admirabitur,

4And in the multitude of the elect she shall have praise, and among the blessed she shall be blessed, saying:

et in multitudine electorum habebit laudem, et inter benedictos benedicetur, dicens:

5I came out of the mouth of the most High, the firstborn before all creatures:

Ego ex ore Altissimi prodivi, primogenita ante omnem creaturam.

6I made that in the heavens there should rise light that never faileth, and as a cloud I covered all the earth:

Ego feci in cælis ut oriretur lumen indeficiens, et sicut nebula texi omnem terram.

7I dwelt in the highest places, and my throne is in a pillar of a cloud.

Ego in altissimis habitavi, et thronus meus in columna nubis.

8I alone have compassed the circuit of heaven, and have penetrated into the bottom of the deep, and have walked in the waves of the sea,

Gyrum cæli circuivi sola, et profundum abyssi penetravi: in fluctibus maris ambulavi.

9And have stood in all the earth: and in every people,

Et in omni terra steti: et in omni populo,

10And in every nation I have had the chief rule:

et in omni gente primatum habui:

11And by my power I have trodden under my feet the hearts of all the high and low: and in all these I sought rest, and I shall abide in the inheritance of the Lord.

et omnium excellentium et humilium corda virtute calcavi. Et in his omnibus requiem quæsivi, et in hæreditate Domini morabor.

12Then the creator of all things commanded, and said to me: and he that made me, rested in my tabernacle,

Tunc præcepit, et dixit mihi Creator omnium: et qui creavit me, requievit in tabernaculo meo.

13And he said to me: Let thy dwelling be in Jacob, and thy inheritance in Israel, and take root in my elect.

Et dixit mihi: In Jacob inhabita, et in Israël hæreditare, et in electis meis mitte radices.

14From the beginning, and before the world, was I created, and unto the world to come I shall not cease to be, and in the holy dwelling place I have ministered before him.

Ab initio et ante sæcula creata sum, et usque ad futurum sæculum non desinam: et in habitatione sancta coram ipso ministravi.

15And so was I established in Sion, and in the holy city likewise I rested, and my power was in Jerusalem.

Et sic in Sion firmata sum, et in civitate sanctificata similiter requievi, et in Jerusalem potestas mea.

16And I took root in an honourable people, and in the portion of my God his inheritance, and my abode is in the full assembly of saints.

Et radicavi in populo honorificato, et in parte Dei mei hæreditas illius, et in plenitudine sanctorum detentio mea.

17I was exalted like a cedar in Libanus, and as a cypress tree on mount Sion.

Quasi cedrus exaltata sum in Libano, et quasi cypressus in monte Sion:

18I was exalted like a palm tree in Cades, and as a rose plant in Jericho:

quasi palma exaltata sum in Cades, et quasi plantatio rosæ in Jericho:

19As a fair olive tree in the plains, and as a plane tree by the water in the streets, was I exalted.

quasi oliva speciosa in campis, et quasi platanus exaltata sum juxta aquam in plateis.

20I gave a sweet smell like cinnamon, and aromatical balm: I yielded a sweet odour like the best myrrh:

Sicut cinnamomum et balsamum aromatizans odorem dedi; quasi myrrha electa dedi suavitatem odoris:

21And I perfumed my dwelling as storax, and galbanum, and onyx, and aloes, and as the frankincense not cut, and my odour is as the purest balm.

et quasi storax, et galbanus, et ungula, et gutta, et quasi Libanus non incisus vaporavi habitationem meam, et quasi balsamum non mistum odor meus.

22I have stretched out my branches as the turpentine tree, and my branches are of honour and grace.

Ego quasi terebinthus extendi ramos meos, et rami mei honoris et gratiæ.

23As the vine I have brought forth a pleasant odour: and my flowers are the fruit of honour and riches.

Ego quasi vitis fructificavi suavitatem odoris: et flores mei fructus honoris et honestatis.

24I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope.

Ego mater pulchræ dilectionis, et timoris, et agnitionis, et sanctæ spei.

25In me is all grace of the way and of the truth, in me is all hope of life and of virtue.

In me gratia omnis viæ et veritatis: in me omnis spes vitæ et virtutis.

26Come over to me, all ye that desire me, and be filled with my fruits.

Transite ad me, omnes qui concupiscitis me, et a generationibus meis implemini:

27For my spirit is sweet above honey, and my inheritance above honey and the honeycomb.

spiritus enim meus super mel dulcis, et hæreditas mea super mel et favum.

28My memory is unto everlasting generations.

Memoria mea in generatione sæculorum.

29They that eat me, shall yet hunger: and they that drink me, shall yet thirst.

Qui edunt me, adhuc esurient, et qui bibunt me, adhuc sitient.

30He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me, shall not sin.

Qui audit me non confundetur, et qui operantur in me non peccabunt:

31They that explain me shall have life everlasting.

qui elucidant me, vitam æternam habebunt.

32All these things are the book of life, and the covenant of the most High, and the knowledge of truth.

Hæc omnia liber vitæ, et testamentum Altissimi, et agnitio veritatis.

33Moses commanded a law in the precepts of justices, and an inheritance to the house of Jacob, and the promises to Israel.

Legem mandavit Moyses in præceptis justitiarum, et hæreditatem domui Jacob, et Israël promissiones.

34He appointed to David his servant to raise up of him a most mighty king, and sitting on the throne of glory for ever.

Posuit David, puero suo, excitare regem ex ipso fortissimum, et in throno honoris sedentem in sempiternum.

35Who filleth up wisdom as the Phison, and as the Tigris in the days of the new fruits.

Qui implet quasi Phison sapientiam, et sicut Tigris in diebus novorum:

36Who maketh understanding to abound as the Euphrates, who multiplieth it as the Jordan in the time of harvest.

qui adimplet quasi Euphrates sensum, qui multiplicat quasi Jordanis in tempore messis:

37Who sendeth knowledge as the light, and riseth up as Gehon in the time of the vintage.

qui mittit disciplinam sicut lucem, et assistens quasi Gehon in die vindemiæ.

38Who first hath perfect knowledge of her, and a weaker shall not search her out.

Qui perficit primus scire ipsam, et infirmior non investigabit eam.

39For her thoughts are more vast than the sea, and her counsels more deep than the great ocean.

A mari enim abundavit cogitatio ejus, et consilium illius ab abysso magna.

40I, wisdom, have poured out rivers.

Ego sapientiam effudi flumina:

41I, like a brook out of a river of a mighty water; I, like a channel of a river, and like an aqueduct, came out of paradise.

ego quasi trames aquæ immensæ de fluvio: ego quasi fluvii dioryx, et sicut aquæductus exivi de paradiso.

42I said: I will water my garden of plants, and I will water abundantly the fruits of my meadow.

Dixi: Rigabo hortum meum plantationum, et inebriabo prati mei fructum.

43And behold my brook became a great river, and my river came near to a sea:

Et ecce factus est mihi trames abundans, et fluvius meus appropinquavit ad mare:

44For I make doctrine to shine forth to all as the morning light, and I will declare it afar off.

quoniam doctrinam quasi antelucanum illumino omnibus, et enarrabo illam usque ad longinquum.

45I will penetrate to all the lower parts of the earth, and will behold all that sleep, and will enlighten all that hope in the Lord.

Penetrabo omnes inferiores partes terræ, et inspiciam omnes dormientes, et illuminabo omnes sperantes in Domino.

46I will yet pour out doctrine as prophecy, and will leave it to them that seek wisdom, and will not cease to instruct their offspring even to the holy age.

Adhuc doctrinam quasi prophetiam effundam, et relinquam illam quærentibus sapientiam, et non desinam in progenies illorum usque in ævum sanctum.

47See ye that I have not laboured myself only, but for all that seek out the truth.

Videte quoniam non soli mihi laboravi, sed omnibus exquirentibus veritatem.