Chapter 39

¹The wise men will seek out the wisdom of all the ancients, and will be occupied in the prophets. ²He will keep the sayings of renowned men, and will enter withal into the subtilties of parables. ³He will search out the hidden meanings of proverbs, and will be conversant in the secrets of parables. ⁴He shall serve among great men, and: appear before the governor. ⁵He shall pass into strange countries: for he shall try good and evil among men. ⁶He will give his heart to resort early to the Lord that made him, and he will pray in the sight of the most High. ⁷He will open his mouth in prayer, and will make supplication for his sins. ⁸For if it shall please the great Lord, he will fill him with the spirit of understanding: ⁹And he will pour forth the words of his wisdom as showers, and in his prayer he will confess to the Lord. ¹⁰And he shall direct his counsel, and his knowledge, and in his secrets shall he meditate. ¹¹He shall shew forth the discipline he hath learned, and shall glory in the law of the covenant of the Lord. ¹²Many shall praise his wisdom, and it shall never be forgotten. ¹³The memory of him shall not depart away, and his name shall be in request from generation to generation. ¹⁴Nations shall declare his wisdom, and the church shall shew forth his praise. ¹⁵If he continue, he shall leave a name above a thousand: and if he rest, it shall be to his advantage. ¹⁶I will yet meditate that I may declare: for I am filled as with a holy transport. ¹⁷By a voice he saith: Hear me, ye divine offspring, and bud forth as the rose planted by the brooks of waters. ¹⁸Give ye a sweet odour as frankincense. ¹⁹Send forth flowers, as the lily, and yield a smell, and bring forth leaves in grace, and praise with canticles, and bless the Lord in his works. ²⁰Magnify his name, and give glory to him with the voice of your lips, and with the canticles of your mouths, and with harps, and in praising him, you shall say in this manner: ²¹All the works of the Lord are exceeding good. ²²At his word the waters stood as a heap: and at the words of his mouth the receptacles of waters: ²³For at his commandment favour is shewn, and there is no diminishing of his salvation. ²⁴The works of all flesh are before him, and there is nothing hid from his eyes. ²⁵He seeth from eternity to eternity, and there is nothing wonderful before him. ²⁶There is no saying: What is this, or what is that? for all things shall be sought in their time. ²⁷His blessing hath overflowed like a river. ²⁸And as a flood hath watered the earth; so shall his wrath inherit the nations, that have not sought after him: ²⁹Even as he turned the waters into a dry land, and the earth was made dry: and his ways were made plain for their journey: so to sinners they are stumblingblocks in his wrath. ³⁰Good things were created for the good from the beginning, so for the wicked, good and evil things. ³¹The principal things necessary for the life of men, are water, fire, and iron, salt, milk, and bread of flour, and honey, and the cluster of the grape, and oil, and clothing. ³²All these things shall be for good to the holy, so to the sinners and the ungodly they shall be turned into evil. ³³There are spirits that are created for vengeance, and in their fury they lay on grievous torments. ³⁴In the time of destruction they shall pour out their force: and they shall appease the wrath of him that made them. ³⁵Fire, hail, famine, and death, all these were created for vengeance. ³⁶The teeth of beasts, and scorpions, and serpents, and the sword taking vengeance upon the ungodly unto destruction. ³⁷In his commandments they shall feast, and they shall be ready upon earth when need is, and when their time is come they shall not transgress his word. ³⁸Therefore from the beginning I was resolved, and I have meditated, and thought on these things and left them in writing. ³⁹All the works of the Lord are good, and he will furnish every work in due time. ⁴⁰It is not to be said: This is worse than that: for all shall be well approved in their time. ⁴¹Now therefore with the whole heart and mouth praise ye him, and bless the name of the Lord.