(א) הֲלֹֽא־חׇכְמָ֥ה תִקְרָ֑א וּ֝תְבוּנָ֗ה תִּתֵּ֥ן קוֹלָֽהּ׃ (ב) בְּרֹאשׁ־מְרֹמִ֥ים עֲלֵי־דָ֑רֶךְ בֵּ֖ית נְתִיב֣וֹת נִצָּֽבָה׃ (ג) לְיַד־שְׁעָרִ֥ים לְפִי־קָ֑רֶת מְב֖וֹא פְתָחִ֣ים תָּרֹֽנָּה׃ (ד) אֲלֵיכֶ֣ם אִישִׁ֣ים אֶקְרָ֑א וְ֝קוֹלִ֗י אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י אָדָֽם׃ (ה) הָבִ֣ינוּ פְתָאיִ֣ם עׇרְמָ֑ה וּ֝כְסִילִ֗ים הָבִ֥ינוּ לֵֽב׃ (ו) שִׁ֭מְעוּ כִּֽי־נְגִידִ֣ים אֲדַבֵּ֑ר וּמִפְתַּ֥ח שְׂ֝פָתַ֗י מֵישָׁרִֽים׃ (ז) כִּֽי־אֱ֭מֶת יֶהְגֶּ֣ה חִכִּ֑י וְתוֹעֲבַ֖ת שְׂפָתַ֣י רֶֽשַׁע׃ (ח) בְּצֶ֥דֶק כׇּל־אִמְרֵי־פִ֑י אֵ֥ין בָּ֝הֶ֗ם נִפְתָּ֥ל וְעִקֵּֽשׁ׃ (ט) כֻּלָּ֣ם נְ֭כֹחִים לַמֵּבִ֑ין וִ֝ישָׁרִ֗ים לְמֹ֣צְאֵי דָֽעַת׃ (י) קְחֽוּ־מוּסָרִ֥י וְאַל־כָּ֑סֶף וְ֝דַ֗עַת מֵחָר֥וּץ נִבְחָֽר׃ (יא) כִּֽי־טוֹבָ֣ה חׇ֭כְמָה מִפְּנִינִ֑ים וְכׇל־חֲ֝פָצִ֗ים לֹ֣א יִֽשְׁווּ־בָֽהּ׃ (יב) אֲֽנִי־חׇ֭כְמָה שָׁכַ֣נְתִּי עׇרְמָ֑ה וְדַ֖עַת מְזִמּ֣וֹת אֶמְצָֽא׃ (יג) יִ֥רְאַ֣ת יְהֹוָה֮ שְֽׂנֹ֫את־רָ֥ע גֵּ֘אָ֤ה וְגָא֨וֹן ׀ וְדֶ֣רֶךְ רָ֭ע וּפִ֨י תַהְפֻּכ֬וֹת שָׂנֵֽאתִי׃ (יד) לִֽי־עֵ֭צָה וְתוּשִׁיָּ֑ה אֲנִ֥י בִ֝ינָ֗ה לִ֣י גְבוּרָֽה׃ (טו) בִּ֭י מְלָכִ֣ים יִמְלֹ֑כוּ וְ֝רֹזְנִ֗ים יְחֹ֣קְקוּ צֶֽדֶק׃ (טז) בִּ֭י שָׂרִ֣ים יָשֹׂ֑רוּ וּ֝נְדִיבִ֗ים כׇּל־שֹׁ֥פְטֵי צֶֽדֶק׃ (יז) אֲ֭נִי (אהביה) [אֹהֲבַ֣י] אֵהָ֑ב וּ֝מְשַׁחֲרַ֗י יִמְצָאֻֽנְנִי׃ (יח) עֹֽשֶׁר־וְכָב֥וֹד אִתִּ֑י ה֥וֹן עָ֝תֵ֗ק וּצְדָקָֽה׃ (יט) ט֣וֹב פִּ֭רְיִי מֵחָר֣וּץ וּמִפָּ֑ז וּ֝תְבוּאָתִ֗י מִכֶּ֥סֶף נִבְחָֽר׃ (כ) בְּאֹֽרַח־צְדָקָ֥ה אֲהַלֵּ֑ךְ בְּ֝ת֗וֹךְ נְתִיב֥וֹת מִשְׁפָּֽט׃ (כא) לְהַנְחִ֖יל אֹהֲבַ֥י ׀ יֵ֑שׁ וְאֹצְרֹ֖תֵיהֶ֣ם אֲמַלֵּֽא׃ (כב) יְֽהֹוָ֗ה קָ֭נָנִי רֵאשִׁ֣ית דַּרְכּ֑וֹ קֶ֖דֶם מִפְעָלָ֣יו מֵאָֽז׃ (כג) מֵ֭עוֹלָם נִסַּ֥כְתִּי מֵרֹ֗אשׁ מִקַּדְמֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃ (כד) בְּאֵין־תְּהֹמ֥וֹת חוֹלָ֑לְתִּי בְּאֵ֥ין מַ֝עְיָנ֗וֹת נִכְבַּדֵּי־מָֽיִם׃ (כה) בְּטֶ֣רֶם הָרִ֣ים הׇטְבָּ֑עוּ לִפְנֵ֖י גְבָע֣וֹת חוֹלָֽלְתִּי׃ (כו) עַד־לֹ֣א עָ֭שָׂה אֶ֣רֶץ וְחוּצ֑וֹת וְ֝רֹ֗אשׁ עַפְר֥וֹת תֵּבֵֽל׃ (כז) בַּהֲכִינ֣וֹ שָׁ֭מַיִם שָׁ֣ם אָ֑נִי בְּחֻ֥קוֹ ח֝֗וּג עַל־פְּנֵ֥י תְהֽוֹם׃ (כח) בְּאַמְּצ֣וֹ שְׁחָקִ֣ים מִמָּ֑עַל בַּ֝עֲז֗וֹז עִינ֥וֹת תְּהֽוֹם׃ (כט) בְּשׂ֘וּמ֤וֹ לַיָּ֨ם ׀ חֻקּ֗וֹ וּ֭מַיִם לֹ֣א יַֽעַבְרוּ־פִ֑יו בְּ֝חוּק֗וֹ מ֣וֹסְדֵי אָֽרֶץ׃ (ל) וָאֶהְיֶ֥ה אֶצְל֗וֹ אָ֫מ֥וֹן וָאֶהְיֶ֣ה שַׁ֭עֲשׁוּעִים י֤וֹם ׀ י֑וֹם מְשַׂחֶ֖קֶת לְפָנָ֣יו בְּכׇל־עֵֽת׃ (לא) מְ֭שַׂחֶקֶת בְּתֵבֵ֣ל אַרְצ֑וֹ וְ֝שַׁעֲשֻׁעַ֗י אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י אָדָֽם׃ {פ}
(לב) וְעַתָּ֣ה בָ֭נִים שִׁמְעוּ־לִ֑י וְ֝אַשְׁרֵ֗י דְּרָכַ֥י יִשְׁמֹֽרוּ׃ (לג) שִׁמְע֖וּ מוּסָ֥ר וַחֲכָ֗מוּ וְאַל־תִּפְרָֽעוּ׃ (לד) אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי אָדָם֮ שֹׁמֵ֢עַֽ֫ לִ֥י לִשְׁקֹ֣ד עַל־דַּ֭לְתֹתַי י֤וֹם ׀ י֑וֹם לִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר מְזוּזֹ֥ת פְּתָחָֽי׃ (לה) כִּ֣י מֹ֭צְאִי (מצאי) [מָצָ֣א] חַיִּ֑ים וַיָּ֥פֶק רָ֝צ֗וֹן מֵיְהֹוָֽה׃ (לו) וְֽ֭חֹטְאִי חֹמֵ֣ס נַפְשׁ֑וֹ כׇּל־מְ֝שַׂנְאַ֗י אָ֣הֲבוּ מָֽוֶת׃
(1) It is Wisdom calling,
Understanding raising her voice.
(2) She takes her stand at the topmost heights,
By the wayside, at the crossroads,
(3) Near the gates at the city entrance;
At the entryways, she shouts,
(4) “O men, I call to you;
My cry is to all mankind.
(5) O simple ones, learn shrewdness;
O dullards, instruct your minds.
(6) Listen, for I speak noble things;
Uprightness comes from my lips;
(7) My mouth utters truth;
Wickedness is abhorrent to my lips.
(8) All my words are just,
None of them perverse or crooked;
(9) All are straightforward to the intelligent man,
And right to those who have attained knowledge.
(10) Accept my discipline rather than silver,
Knowledge rather than choice gold.
(11) For wisdom is better than rubies;
No goods can equal her.
(12) “I, Wisdom, live with Prudence;
I attain knowledge and foresight.
(13) To fear the LORD is to hate evil;
I hate pride, arrogance, the evil way,
And duplicity in speech.
(14) Mine are counsel and resourcefulness;
I am understanding; courage is mine.
(15) Through me kings reign
And rulers decree just laws;
(16) Through me princes rule,
Great men and all the righteous judges.
(17) Those who love me I love,
And those who seek me will find me.
(18) Riches and honor belong to me,
Enduring wealth and success.
(19) My fruit is better than gold, fine gold,
And my produce better than choice silver. (20) I walk on the way of righteousness,
On the paths of justice.
(21) I endow those who love me with substance;
I will fill their treasuries.
(22) “The LORD created me at the beginning of His course
As the first of His works of old.
(23) In the distant past I was fashioned,
At the beginning, at the origin of earth.
(24) There was still no deep when I was brought forth,
No springs rich in water;
(25) Before [the foundations of] the mountains were sunk,
Before the hills I was born.
(26) He had not yet made earth and fields,
Or the world’s first clumps of clay.
(27) I was there when He set the heavens into place;
When He fixed the horizon upon the deep; (28) When He made the heavens above firm,
And the fountains of the deep gushed forth; (29) When He assigned the sea its limits,
So that its waters never transgress His command;
When He fixed the foundations of the earth, (30) I was with Him as a confidant,
A source of delight every day,
Rejoicing before Him at all times, (31) Rejoicing in His inhabited world,
Finding delight with mankind.
(32) Now, sons, listen to me;
Happy are they who keep my ways.
(33) Heed discipline and become wise;
Do not spurn it.
(34) Happy is the man who listens to me,
Coming early to my gates each day,
Waiting outside my doors.
(35) For he who finds me finds life
And obtains favor from the LORD.
(36) But he who misses me destroys himself;
All who hate me love death.”
and Discernment lifts her voice.
At the top of the heights, on the way,
at the crossroads, she takes her stand.
by the gates, at the city's entrance
at the approach to the portals, she shouts:
To you, men, I call out,
and my voice, to humankind.
Understand shrewdness, you dupes,
and fools, make your heart understand.
Listen, for I speak noble things
my mouth's utterance--uprightness.
For my tongue declares truth
and my lips loathe wickedness.
(1) Wisdom has built her house,
She has hewn her seven pillars. (2) She has prepared the feast,
Mixed the wine,
And also set the table. (3) She has sent out her maids to announce
On the heights of the town, (4) “Let the simple enter here”;
To those devoid of sense she says, (5) “Come, eat my food
And drink the wine that I have mixed; (6) Give up simpleness and live,
Walk in the way of understanding.”
(7) To correct a scoffer,
Or rebuke a wicked man for his blemish,
Is to call down abuse on oneself. (8) Do not rebuke a scoffer, for he will hate you;
Reprove a wise man, and he will love you. (9) Instruct a wise man, and he will grow wiser;
Teach a righteous man, and he will gain in learning. (10) The beginning of wisdom is fear of the LORD,
And knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (11) For through me your days will increase,
And years be added to your life. (12) If you are wise, you are wise for yourself;
If you are a scoffer, you bear it alone. (13) The stupid woman bustles about;
She is simple and knows nothing. (14) She sits in the doorway of her house,
Or on a chair at the heights of the town, (15) Calling to all the wayfarers
Who go about their own affairs, (16) “Let the simple enter here”;
And to those devoid of sense she says, (17) “Stolen waters are sweet,
And bread eaten furtively is tasty.” (18) He does not know that the shades are there,
That her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
1 Wisdom sings her own praises,[a]
among her own people she proclaims her glory.
2 In the assembly of the Most High she opens her mouth,
in the presence of his host she tells of her glory:
3 “From the mouth of the Most High I came forth,
and covered the earth like a mist.
4 In the heights of heaven I dwelt,
and my throne was in a pillar of cloud.
5 The vault of heaven I compassed alone,
and walked through the deep abyss.
6 Over waves of the sea, over all the land,
over every people and nation I held sway.
7 Among all these I sought a resting place.
In whose inheritance should I abide?
8 “Then the Creator of all gave me his command,
and my Creator chose the spot for my tent.
He said, ‘In Jacob make your dwelling,
in Israel your inheritance.’
9 Before all ages, from the beginning, he created me,
and through all ages I shall not cease to be.
10 In the holy tent I ministered before him,
and so I was established in Zion.
11 In the city he loves as he loves me, he gave me rest;
in Jerusalem, my domain.
12 I struck root among the glorious people,
in the portion of the Lord, his heritage.
13 “Like a cedar in Lebanon I grew tall,
like a cypress on Mount Hermon;
14 I grew tall like a palm tree in Engedi,
like rosebushes in Jericho;
Like a fair olive tree in the field,
like a plane tree beside water I grew tall.
15 Like cinnamon and fragrant cane,
like precious myrrh I gave forth perfume;
Like galbanum and onycha and mastic,
like the odor of incense in the holy tent.[b]
16 “I spread out my branches like a terebinth,
my branches so glorious and so graceful.
17 I bud forth delights like a vine;
my blossoms are glorious and rich fruit.[c]
19 Come to me, all who desire me,
and be filled with my fruits.[d]
20 You will remember me as sweeter than honey,
better to have than the honeycomb.
21 Those who eat of me will hunger still,[e]
those who drink of me will thirst for more.
22 Whoever obeys me will not be put to shame,
and those who serve me will never go astray.”
23 All this is the book of the covenant of the Most High God,
the Law which Moses commanded us[f]
as a heritage for the community of Jacob.[g]
25 It overflows, like the Pishon, with wisdom,
and like the Tigris at the time of first fruits.
26 It runs over, like the Euphrates, with understanding,
and like the Jordan at harvest time.
27 It floods like the Nile with instruction,
like the Gihon[h] at vintage time.
28 The first human being never finished comprehending wisdom,
nor will the last succeed in fathoming her.
29 For deeper than the sea are her thoughts,
and her counsels, than the great abyss.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ben%20Sira%2024&version=NABRE
Wisdom Sings Her Own Praises[b]
1 Wisdom sings her own praises
and proclaims her glory in the midst of her people.
2 In the assembly of the Most High she opens her mouth,
and in the presence of the heavenly host she declares her glory:
3 “I came forth from the mouth of the Most High
and covered the earth like a mist.[c]
4 I dwelt in the highest heavens,
and my throne was in a pillar of cloud.
5 Alone I encircled the vault of heaven
and traversed the depths of the abyss.
6 Over the waves of the sea, over the whole earth,
and over every people and nation I have held sway.
7 Among all these I sought a place of rest;
in whose territory should I abide?
8 “Then the Creator of all things gave me his command;
he who created me decreed where I should dwell,
saying, ‘Make your dwelling in Jacob,
and in Israel receive your inheritance.’
9 Before all ages, in the beginning, he created me,
and I shall not cease to be for all eternity.
10 In the holy tent I ministered before him,
and then I became established in Zion.
11 Thus, in the beloved city he gave me a resting place,
in Jerusalem I wield my power.
12 I have taken root in an honored people,
in the portion of the Lord, his heritage.
13 “There I grew tall like a cedar on Lebanon,
like a cypress on Mount Hermon.
14 I grew tall like a palm tree in En-gedi,
like a rosebush in Jericho,
like a fair olive tree in the field,
or like a plane tree beside the water.
15 Like cinnamon or camel-thorn I gave forth perfume,
and like choice myrrh I spread my fragrance,
like galbanum, onycha, and spices
and like the odor of incense in the tent.
16 I spread out my branches like a terebinth,[d]
and my branches are glorious and graceful.
17 Like the vine I bud forth delights,
and my blossoms become fruit fair and abundant.
[18 I am the mother of fair love,
of fear, of knowledge, and of holy hope;
being eternal, I am given to all my children,
to those who are appointed by him.][e]
19 “Come to me, all of you who desire me,
and eat your fill of my fruits.
20 For the memory of me is sweeter than honey;
to possess me is sweeter than the honeycomb.
21 Whoever feeds on me will hunger for more;
whoever drinks of me will thirst for more.
22 Whoever obeys me will never be put to shame;
whoever follows my instructions will never sin.”
The Law, Source of Wisdom[f]
23 All this is the book of the covenant of the Most High God,
the law that Moses enjoined on us
as an inheritance for the assemblies of Jacob.
[24 Do not cease to be strong in the Lord,
and cling to him that he may strengthen you.
The Lord Almighty alone is God,
and there is no savior apart from him.][g]
25 [h]It overflows, like the Pishon, with wisdom,
like the Tigris at the time of the firstfruits.
26 It runs over, like the Euphrates, with understanding,
like the Jordan at the time of the harvest.
27 It pours forth instruction like the Nile,[i]
like the Gihon at the time of vintage.
28 The first man never fully comprehended wisdom,
nor will the last succeed in understanding her.
29 For her thoughts are more vast than the sea
and her counsel more profound than the great abyss.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Wisdom%20of%20Ben%20Sira%2024&version=NCB