Sirach 24

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

24 Wisdom will praise herself,
    and will glory in the midst of her people.^[a]
2 In the assembly of the Most High she will open her mouth,
    and in the presence of his host she will glory:
³ “I came forth from the mouth of the Most High,
    and covered the earth like a mist.
⁴ I dwelt in high places,
    and my throne was in a pillar of cloud.
⁵ Alone I have made the circuit of the vault of heaven
    and have walked in the depths of the abyss.
⁶ In the waves of the sea, in the whole earth,
    and in every people and nation I have gotten a possession.
⁷ Among all these I sought a resting place;
    I sought in whose territory I might lodge.

⁸ “Then the Creator of all things gave me a commandment,
    and the one who created me assigned a place for my tent.
And he said, ‘Make your dwelling in Jacob,
    and in Israel receive your inheritance.’
⁹ From eternity, in the beginning, he created me,
    and for eternity I shall not cease to exist.
¹⁰ In the holy tabernacle I ministered before him,
    and so I was established in Zion.
¹¹ In the beloved city likewise he gave me a resting place,
    and in Jerusalem was my dominion.
¹² So I took root in an honored people,
    in the portion of the Lord, who is their inheritance.

¹³ “I grew tall like a cedar in Leb′anon,
    and like a cypress on the heights of Hermon.
¹⁴ I grew tall like a palm tree in En-ged′i,^[b]
    and like rose plants in Jericho;
like a beautiful olive tree in the field,
    and like a plane tree I grew tall.
¹⁵ Like cassia and camel’s thorn I gave forth the aroma of spices,
    and like choice myrrh I spread a pleasant odor,
like gal′banum, on′ycha, and stacte,
    and like the fragrance of frankincense in the tabernacle.
¹⁶ Like a terebinth I spread out my branches,
    and my branches are glorious and graceful.
¹⁷ Like a vine I caused loveliness to bud,
    and my blossoms became glorious and abundant fruit.^[c]

¹⁹ “Come to me, you who desire me,
    and eat your fill of my produce.
²⁰ For the remembrance of me is sweeter than honey,
    and my inheritance sweeter than the honeycomb.
²¹ Those who eat me will hunger for more,
    and those who drink me will thirst for more.
²² Whoever obeys me will not be put to shame,
    and those who work with my help will not sin.”

³⁰ I went forth like a canal from a river
    and like a water channel into a garden.
³¹ I said, “I will water my orchard
    and drench my garden plot”;
and lo, my canal became a river,
    and my river became a sea.
³² I will again make instruction shine forth like the dawn,
    and I will make it shine afar;
³³ I will again pour out teaching like prophecy,
    and leave it to all future generations.
³⁴ Observe that I have not labored for myself alone,
    but for all who seek instruction.^[e]