The Holy Bible – Knox Translation
The Book of Wisdom
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Chapter 8
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
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Bold is her sweep from world’s end to world’s end, and everywhere her gracious ordering manifests itself.

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She, from my youth up has been my heart’s true love, my heart’s true quest; she was the bride I longed for, enamoured of her beauty.
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Was I moved by noble birth? No better claim than hers, who dwells in God’s palace, marked out by the Ruler of the world as his favourite;
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the mistress of his craftsmanship, the arbiter of his plans.
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Or should life’s dearest aim be wealth? Why then, who has more wealth at her disposal than wisdom, that turns all to account?
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Or if sound judgement is man’s business, who else on earth goes to work so skilfully as she?
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If thy desire be for honest living, man’s excellences are the fruit she labours to produce; temperance and prudence she teaches, justice and fortitude, and what in life avails man more?
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Or if wide knowledge be thy ambition, she can inform thee of what is past, make conjecture of the future; she is versed in the subtleties of debate, in the reading of all riddles; marvels and portents she can foretell, and what events time or season will bring.

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Her, then, I would take to myself, to share my home; to be my counsellor in prosperity, my solace in anxiety and grief.
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Through her (said I) I shall win fame in the assembly, find honour, though so young, amidst the elders.
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If I sit in judgement, quick wit shall be mine, that shall strike awe into the princes when I appear before them, the admiration of the great.
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Am I silent? They wait my leisure; speak I, they take heed; flows my speech on, they listen, hand on lip.
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She, too, will bring me immortality; imperishable the name I shall leave to after ages.
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Mine to rule peoples, and have nations at my call;
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dread tyrants to daunt by the very name of me, the name of a king so loved by his people, so brave in battle.
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Then home again, to rest upon her bosom; no shrewish mate, no tedious housewife, joy and contentment all of her.

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So ran my thoughts, and well in my heart I pondered them. Wisdom, that brought such kinship with immortality,
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whose friendship was such dear delight, whose exercise brought me credit unfailing, her daily comradeship a training in sound judgement, the eloquence she inspired an earnest of renown; win her for myself I must, and went about to attain my purpose.
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I was, indeed, a boy of good parts, and nobility of nature had fallen to my lot;
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gentle birth above the common had endowed me with a body free from blemish.
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But to be master of myself was a thing I could not hope to come by, except of God’s bounty; I was wise enough already to know whence the gift came. So to the Lord I turned, and made my request of him, praying with all my heart in these words following: