Wisdom's Own Praise
Sirach 24
Wisdom speaks in her own voice, telling how she came forth from the mouth of the most High, dwelt among every people, and at the Creator's command took up her home and ministry in Israel and Jerusalem. She likens herself to fruitful trees, spices, and rivers, invites all who desire her to eat of her fruit, and is identified with the law that Moses commanded.
About these editions
The Septuagint (LXX) in Greek, with Charles Thomson’s 1808 and Sir Lancelot Brenton’s 1851 English translations, set beside the King James Version and the Jewish Masoretic text (JPS 1917) where they align, so you can compare the Greek and the Hebrew. All public domain; choose which to show with the controls above.
Brenton 1851Septuagint
Greek · BrentonSeptuagint
1
BrentonWisdom shall praise herself, and shall glory in the midst of her people.
GreekἩ σοφία αἰνέσει ψυχὴν αὐτῆς, καὶ ἐν μέσῳ λαοῦ αὐτῆς καυχήσεται.
2
BrentonIn the congregation of the most High shall she open her mouth, and triumph before his power.
GreekἘν ἐκκλησίᾳ ὑψίστου στόμα αὐτῆς ἀνοίξει, καὶ ἔναντι δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ καυχήσεται.
3
BrentonI came out of the mouth of the most High, and covered the earth as a cloud.
GreekἘγὼ ἀπὸ στόματος ὑψίστου ἐξῆλθον, καὶ ὡς ὁμίχλη κατεκάλυψα γῆν.
4
BrentonI dwelt in high places, and my throne is in a cloudy pillar.
GreekἘγὼ ἐν ὑψηλοῖς κατεσκήνωσα, καὶ ὁ θρόνος μου ἐν στύλῳ νεφέλης.
5
BrentonI alone compassed the circuit of heaven, and walked in the bottom of the deep.
GreekΓῦρον οὐρανοῦ ἐκύκλωσα μόνη, καὶ ἐν βάθει ἀβύσσων περιεπάτησα.
6
BrentonIn the waves of the sea, and in all the earth, and in every people and nation, I got a possession.
GreekἘν κύμασι θαλάσσης καὶ ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ, καὶ ἐν παντὶ λαῷ καὶ ἔθνει ἐκτησάμην.
7
BrentonWith all these I sought rest: and in whose inheritance shall I abide?
GreekΜετὰ τούτων πάντων ἀνάπαυσιν ἐζήτησα, καὶ ἐν κληρονομίᾳ τίνος αὐλισθήσομαι.
8
BrentonSo the Creator of all things gave me a commandment, and he that made me caused my tabernacle to rest, and said, Let thy dwelling be in Jacob, and thine inheritance in Israel.
GreekΤότε ἐνετείλατό μοι ὁ κτίστης ἁπάντων, καὶ ὁ κτίσας με κατέπαυσε τὴν σκηνήν μου, καὶ εἶπεν, ἐν Ἰακὼβ κατασκήνωσον, καὶ ἐν Ἰσραὴλ κατακληρονομήθητι.
9
BrentonHe created me from the beginning before the world, and I shall never fail.
GreekΠρὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς ἔκτισέ με, καὶ ἕως αἰῶνος οὐ μὴ ἐκλίπω.
10
BrentonIn the holy tabernacle I served before him; and so was I established in Sion.
GreekἘν σκηνῇ ἁγίᾳ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ἐλειτούργησα, καὶ οὕτως ἐν Σιὼν ἐστηρίχθην.
11
BrentonLikewise in the beloved city he gave me rest, and in Jerusalem was my power.
GreekἘν πόλει ἠγαπημένῃ ὁμοίως με κατέπαυσε, καὶ ἐν Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἡ ἐξουσία μου.
12
BrentonAnd I took root in an honourable people, even in the portion of the Lord's inheritance.
GreekΚαὶ ἐῤῥίζωσα ἐν λαῷ δεδοξασμένῳ, ἐν μερίδι Κυρίου κληρονομίας αὐτοῦ.
13
BrentonI was exalted like a cedar in Libanus, and as a cypress tree upon the mountains of Hermon.
GreekὩς κέδρος ἀνυψώθην ἐν Λιβάνῳ, καὶ ὡς κυπάρισσος ἐν ὄρεσιν Ἀερμών.
14
BrentonI was exalted like a palm tree on the sea shore, and as a rose plant in Jericho, as a fair olive tree in a plain, and grew up as a plane tree.
GreekὩς φοῖνιξ ἀνυψώθην ἐν αἰγιαλοῖς, καὶ ὡς φυτὰ ῥόδου ἐν Ἱεριχῶ· ὡς ἐλαία εὐπρεπὴς ἐν πεδίῳ, καὶ ἀνυψώθην ὡς πλάτανος.
15
BrentonI gave a sweet smell like cinnamon and aspalathus, and I yielded a pleasant odour like the best myrrh, as galbanum, and onyx, and sweet storax, and as the fume of frankincense in the tabernacle.
GreekὩς κιννάμωμον καὶ ἀσπάλαθος ἀρωμάτων δέδωκα ὀσμὴν, καὶ ὡς σμύρνα ἐκλεκτὴ διέδωκα εὐωδίαν· ὡς χαλβάνη καὶ ὄνυξ καὶ στακτὴ, καὶ ὡς λιβάνου ἀτμὶς ἐν σκηνῇ.
16
BrentonAs the turpentine tree I stretched out my branches, and my branches are the branches of honour and grace.
GreekἘγὼ ὡς τερέμινθος ἐξέτεινα κλάδους μου, καὶ οἱ κλάδοι μου κλάδοι δόξης καὶ χάριτος.
17
BrentonAs the vine brought I forth pleasant savour, and my flowers are the fruit of honour and riches.
GreekἘγὼ ὡς ἄμπελος βλαστήσασα χάριν, καὶ τὰ ἄνθη μου καρπὸς δόξης καὶ πλούτου.
19
BrentonCome unto me, all ye that be desirous of me, and fill yourselves with my fruits.
GreekΠροσέλθετε πρὸς μὲ οἱ ἐπιθυμοῦντές μου, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν γεννημάτων μου ἐμπλήσθητε.
20
BrentonFor my memorial is sweeter than honey, and mine inheritance than the honeycomb.
GreekΤὸ γὰρ μνημόσυνόν μου ὑπὲρ μέλι γλυκύ, καὶ ἡ κληρονομία μου ὑπὲρ μέλιτος κηροῦ.
21
BrentonThey that eat me shall yet be hungry, and they that drink me shall yet be thirsty.
GreekΟἱ ἐσθίοντές με ἔτι πεινάσουσι, καὶ οἱ πίνοντές με ἔτι διψήσουσιν.
22
BrentonHe that obeyeth me shall never be confounded, and they that work by me shall not do amiss.
GreekὉ ὑπακούων μου οὐκ αἰσχυνθήσεται, καὶ οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι ἐν ἐμοὶ οὐχ ἁμαρτήσουσι.
23
BrentonAll these things are the book of the covenant of the most high God, even the law which Moses commanded for an heritage unto the congregations of Jacob.
GreekΤαῦτα πάντα βίβλος διαθήκης Θεοῦ ὑψίστου, νόμον ὃν ἐνετείλατο Μωυσῆς, κληρονομίαν συναγωγαῖς Ἰακώβ.
25
BrentonHe filleth all things with his wisdom, as Phison and as Tigris in the time of the new fruits.
GreekὉ πιμπλῶν ὡς Φεισὼν σοφίαν, καὶ ὡς Τίγρις ἐν ἡμέραις νέων·
26
BrentonHe maketh the understanding to abound like Euphrates, and as Jordan in the time of the harvest.
Greekὁ ἀναπληρῶν ὡς Εὐφράτης σύνεσιν, καὶ ὡς Ἰορδάνης ἐν ἡμέραις θερισμοῦ·
27
BrentonHe maketh the doctrine of knowledge appear as the light, and as Geon in the time of vintage.
Greekὁ ἐκφαίνων ὡς φῶς παιδείαν, ὡς Γηὼν ἐν ἡμέραις τρυγητοῦ.
28
BrentonThe first man knew her not perfectly: no more shall the last find her out.
GreekΟὐ συνετέλεσεν ὁ πρῶτος γνῶναι αὐτὴν, καὶ οὕτως ὁ ἔσχατος οὐκ ἐξιχνίασεν αὐτήν·
29
BrentonFor her thoughts are more than the sea, and her counsels profounder than the great deep.
GreekἈπὸ γὰρ θαλάσσης ἐπληθύνθη διανόημα αὐτῆς, καὶ ἡ βουλὴ αὐτῆς ἀπὸ ἀβύσσου μεγάλης.
30
BrentonI also came out as a brook from a river, and as a conduit into a garden.
GreekΚᾀγὼ ὡς διώρυξ ἀπὸ ποταμοῦ, καὶ ὡς ὑδραγωγὸς ἐξῆλθον εἰς παράδεισον.
31
BrentonI said, I will water my best garden, and will water abundantly my garden bed: and, lo, my brook became a river, and my river became a sea.
GreekΕἶπα, ποτιῶ μου τὸν κῆπον, καὶ μεθύσω μου τὴν πρασιάν· καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐγένετό μοι ἡ διώρυξ εἰς ποταμὸν, καὶ ὁ ποταμός μου ἐγένετο εἰς θάλασσαν.
32
BrentonI will yet make doctrine to shine as the morning, and will send forth her light afar off.
GreekἜτι παιδείαν ὡς ὄρθρον φωτιῶ, καὶ ἐκφανῶ αὐτὰ ἕως εἰς μακράν.
33
BrentonI will yet pour out doctrine as prophecy, and leave it to all ages for ever.
GreekἜτι διδασκαλίαν ὡς προφητείαν ἐκχεῶ, καὶ καταλείψω αὐτὴν εἰς γενεὰς αἰώνων.
34
BrentonBehold that I have not laboured for myself only, but for all them that seek wisdom.
GreekἼδετε ὅτι οὐκ ἐμοὶ μόνῳ ἐκοπίασα, ἀλλὰ πᾶσι τοῖς ἐκζητοῦσιν αὐτήν.