Bible Browser

The Praise of Wisdom ^*

24Wisdom praises herself,
   and tells of 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 his hosts she tells of her glory:
³ ‘I came forth from the mouth of the Most High,
   and covered the earth like a mist.
⁴ I dwelt in the highest heavens,
   and my throne was in a pillar of cloud.
⁵ Alone I compassed the vault of heaven
   and traversed the depths of the abyss.
⁶ Over waves of the sea, over all the earth,
   and over every people and nation I have held sway.^*
7 Among all these I sought a resting-place;
   in whose territory should I abide?

⁸ ‘Then the Creator of all things gave me a command,
   and my Creator chose the place for my tent.
He said, “Make your dwelling in Jacob,
   and in Israel receive your inheritance.”
⁹ Before the ages, in the beginning, he created me,
   and for all the ages I shall not cease to be.
¹⁰ In the holy tent I ministered before him,
   and so I was established in Zion.
¹¹ Thus in the beloved city he gave me a resting-place,
   and in Jerusalem was my domain.
¹² I took root in an honoured people,
   in the portion of the Lord, his heritage.

Wisdom Led the Israelites out of Egypt

¹⁵ A holy people and blameless race
wisdom delivered from a nation of oppressors.
¹⁶ She entered the soul of a servant of the Lord,
and withstood dread kings with wonders and signs.
¹⁷ She gave to holy people the reward of their labours;
she guided them along a marvellous way,
and became a shelter to them by day,
and a starry flame through the night.
¹⁸ She brought them over the Red Sea,
and led them through deep waters;
¹⁹ but she drowned their enemies,
and cast them up from the depths of the sea.
²⁰ Therefore the righteous plundered the ungodly;
they sang hymns, O Lord, to your holy name,
and praised with one accord your defending hand;
²¹ for wisdom opened the mouths of those who were mute,
and made the tongues of infants speak clearly.

The Gospel According to

John

The Word Became Flesh

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God. ³All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being ⁴in him was life,^* and the life was the light of all people. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,^* full of grace and truth. ¹⁵(John testified to him and cried out, ‘This was he of whom I said, “He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” ’)