Bible Browser

⁹ With you is wisdom, she who knows your works
and was present when you made the world;
she understands what is pleasing in your sight
and what is right according to your commandments.
¹⁰ Send her forth from the holy heavens,
and from the throne of your glory send her,
that she may labour at my side,
and that I may learn what is pleasing to you.
¹¹ For she knows and understands all things,
and she will guide me wisely in my actions
and guard me with her glory.
¹² Then my works will be acceptable,
and I shall judge your people justly,
and shall be worthy of the throne^* of my father.
¹³ For who can learn the counsel of God?
Or who can discern what the Lord wills?
¹⁴ For the reasoning of mortals is worthless,
and our designs are likely to fail;
¹⁵ for a perishable body weighs down the soul,
and this earthy tent burdens the thoughtful^* mind.
¹⁶ We can hardly guess at what is on earth,
and what is at hand we find with labour;
but who has traced out what is in the heavens?
¹⁷ Who has learned your counsel,
unless you have given wisdom
and sent your holy spirit from on high?
¹⁸ And thus the paths of those on earth were set right,
and people were taught what pleases you,
and were saved by wisdom.’

The Work of Wisdom from Adam to Moses

10Wisdom^* protected the first-formed father of the world, when he alone had been created;
she delivered him from his transgression,
² and gave him strength to rule all things.
³ But when an unrighteous man departed from her in his anger,
he perished because in rage he killed his brother.
⁴ When the earth was flooded because of him, wisdom again saved it,
steering the righteous man by a paltry piece of wood.

⁵ Wisdom^* also, when the nations in wicked agreement had been put to confusion,
recognized the righteous man and preserved him blameless before God,
and kept him strong in the face of his compassion for his child.

⁶ Wisdom^* rescued a righteous man when the ungodly were perishing;
he escaped the fire that descended on the Five Cities.^*
7 Evidence of their wickedness still remains:
a continually smoking waste-land,
plants bearing fruit that does not ripen,
and a pillar of salt standing as a monument to an unbelieving soul.
⁸ For because they passed wisdom by,
they not only were hindered from recognizing the good,
but also left for humankind a reminder of their folly,
so that their failures could never go unnoticed.

⁹ Wisdom rescued from troubles those who served her.