Ecclesiasticus — Ecclesiasticus Jesu, filii Sirach
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Chapter 24
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Douay-Rheims><Vulgate><Knox Bible
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Wisdom shall praise her own self, and shall be honoured in God, and shall glory in the midst of her people,
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Sapientia laudabit animam suam, et in Deo honorabitur, et in medio populi sui gloriabitur,
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Hear now how wisdom speaks in her own regard, of the honour God has given her, of the boast she utters among the nation that is hers.
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And shall open her mouth in the churches of the most High, and shall glorify herself in the sight of his power,
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et in ecclesiis Altissimi aperiet os suum, et in conspectu virtutis illius gloriabitur,
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In the court of the most High, in the presence of all his host, she makes her boast aloud,
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And in the midst of her own people she shall be exalted, and shall be admired in the holy assembly.
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et in medio populi sui exaltabitur, et in plenitudine sancta admirabitur,
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and here, amid the holy gathering of her own people, that high renown of hers is echoed;
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And in the multitude of the elect she shall have praise, and among the blessed she shall be blessed, saying:
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et in multitudine electorum habebit laudem, et inter benedictos benedicetur, dicens:
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praise is hers from God’s chosen, blessing from blessed lips.
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I came out of the mouth of the most High, the firstborn before all creatures:
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Ego ex ore Altissimi prodivi, primogenita ante omnem creaturam.
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I am that word, she says, that was uttered by the mouth of the most High, the primal birth before ever creation began.
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I made that in the heavens there should rise light that never faileth, and as a cloud I covered all the earth:
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Ego feci in cælis ut oriretur lumen indeficiens, et sicut nebula texi omnem terram.
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Through me light rose in the heavens, inexhaustible; it was I that covered, as with a mist, the earth.
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I dwelt in the highest places, and my throne is in a pillar of a cloud.
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Ego in altissimis habitavi, et thronus meus in columna nubis.
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In high heaven was my dwelling-place, my throne a pillar of cloud;
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I alone have compassed the circuit of heaven, and have penetrated into the bottom of the deep, and have walked in the waves of the sea,
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Gyrum cæli circuivi sola, et profundum abyssi penetravi: in fluctibus maris ambulavi.
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none but I might span the sky’s vault, pierce the depth of the abyss, walk on the sea’s waves;
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And have stood in all the earth: and in every people,
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Et in omni terra steti: et in omni populo,
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no part of earth but gave a resting-place to my feet.
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And in every nation I have had the chief rule:
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et in omni gente primatum habui:
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People was none, nor any race of men, but I had dominion there;
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And by my power I have trodden under my feet the hearts of all the high and low: and in all these I sought rest, and I shall abide in the inheritance of the Lord.
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et omnium excellentium et humilium corda virtute calcavi. Et in his omnibus requiem quæsivi, et in hæreditate Domini morabor.
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high and low, my power ruled over men’s hearts. Yet with all these I sought rest in vain; it is among the Lord’s people that I mean to dwell.
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Then the creator of all things commanded, and said to me: and he that made me, rested in my tabernacle,
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Tunc præcepit, et dixit mihi Creator omnium: et qui creavit me, requievit in tabernaculo meo.
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He who fashioned me, he, my own Creator, has found me a dwelling-place;
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And he said to me: Let thy dwelling be in Jacob, and thy inheritance in Israel, and take root in my elect.
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Et dixit mihi: In Jacob inhabita, et in Israël hæreditare, et in electis meis mitte radices.
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and his command to me was that I should find my home in Jacob, throw in my lot with Israel, take root among his chosen race.
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From the beginning, and before the world, was I created, and unto the world to come I shall not cease to be, and in the holy dwelling place I have ministered before him.
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Ab initio et ante sæcula creata sum, et usque ad futurum sæculum non desinam: et in habitatione sancta coram ipso ministravi.
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From the beginning of time, before the worlds, he had made me, unfailing to all eternity; in his own holy dwelling-place I had waited on his presence;
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And so was I established in Sion, and in the holy city likewise I rested, and my power was in Jerusalem.
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Et sic in Sion firmata sum, et in civitate sanctificata similiter requievi, et in Jerusalem potestas mea.
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and now, no less faithfully, I made Sion my stronghold, the holy city my resting-place, Jerusalem my throne.
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And I took root in an honourable people, and in the portion of my God his inheritance, and my abode is in the full assembly of saints.
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Et radicavi in populo honorificato, et in parte Dei mei hæreditas illius, et in plenitudine sanctorum detentio mea.
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My roots spread out among the people that enjoys his favour, my God has granted me a share in his own domain; where his faithful servants are gathered I love to linger.
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I was exalted like a cedar in Libanus, and as a cypress tree on mount Sion.
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Quasi cedrus exaltata sum in Libano, et quasi cypressus in monte Sion:
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I grew to my full stature as cedar grows on Lebanon, as cypress on Sion’s hill;
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I was exalted like a palm tree in Cades, and as a rose plant in Jericho:
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quasi palma exaltata sum in Cades, et quasi plantatio rosæ in Jericho:
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or a palm tree in Cades, or a rose bush in Jericho;
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As a fair olive tree in the plains, and as a plane tree by the water in the streets, was I exalted.
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quasi oliva speciosa in campis, et quasi platanus exaltata sum juxta aquam in plateis.
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grew like some fair olive in the valley, some plane-tree in a well-watered street.
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I gave a sweet smell like cinnamon, and aromatical balm: I yielded a sweet odour like the best myrrh:
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Sicut cinnamomum et balsamum aromatizans odorem dedi; quasi myrrha electa dedi suavitatem odoris:
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Cinnamon and odorous balm have no scent like mine; the choicest myrrh has no such fragrance.
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And I perfumed my dwelling as storax, and galbanum, and onyx, and aloes, and as the frankincense not cut, and my odour is as the purest balm.
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et quasi storax, et galbanus, et ungula, et gutta, et quasi Libanus non incisus vaporavi habitationem meam, et quasi balsamum non mistum odor meus.
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Perfumed is all my dwelling-place with storax, and galbanum, and onycha, and stacte, and frankincense uncrushed; the smell of me is like pure balm.
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I have stretched out my branches as the turpentine tree, and my branches are of honour and grace.
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Ego quasi terebinthus extendi ramos meos, et rami mei honoris et gratiæ.
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Mastic-tree spread not its branches so wide, as I the hopes I proffer of glory and of grace.
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As the vine I have brought forth a pleasant odour: and my flowers are the fruit of honour and riches.
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Ego quasi vitis fructificavi suavitatem odoris: et flores mei fructus honoris et honestatis.
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No vine ever yielded fruit so fragrant; the enjoyment of honour and riches is the fruit I bear.
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I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope.
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Ego mater pulchræ dilectionis, et timoris, et agnitionis, et sanctæ spei.
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It is I that give birth to all noble loving, all reverence, all true knowledge, and the holy gift of hope.
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In me is all grace of the way and of the truth, in me is all hope of life and of virtue.
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In me gratia omnis viæ et veritatis: in me omnis spes vitæ et virtutis.
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From me comes every grace of faithful observance, from me all promise of life and vigour.
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Come over to me, all ye that desire me, and be filled with my fruits.
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Transite ad me, omnes qui concupiscitis me, et a generationibus meis implemini:
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Hither turn your steps, all you that have learned to long for me; take your fill of the increase I yield.
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For my spirit is sweet above honey, and my inheritance above honey and the honeycomb.
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spiritus enim meus super mel dulcis, et hæreditas mea super mel et favum.
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Never was honey so sweet as the influence I inspire, never honey-comb as the gift I bring;
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My memory is unto everlasting generations.
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Memoria mea in generatione sæculorum.
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mine is a renown that endures, age after age.
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They that eat me, shall yet hunger: and they that drink me, shall yet thirst.
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Qui edunt me, adhuc esurient, et qui bibunt me, adhuc sitient.
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Eat of this fruit, and you will yet hunger for more; drink of this wine, and your thirst for it is still unquenched.
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He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me, shall not sin.
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Qui audit me non confundetur, et qui operantur in me non peccabunt:
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He who listens to me will never be disappointed; he who lives by me will do no wrong;
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They that explain me shall have life everlasting.
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qui elucidant me, vitam æternam habebunt.
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he who reads my lesson aright will find in it life eternal.
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All these things are the book of life, and the covenant of the most High, and the knowledge of truth.
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Hæc omnia liber vitæ, et testamentum Altissimi, et agnitio veritatis.
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What things are these I write of? What but the life-giving book that is the covenant of the most High, and the revelation of all truth?
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Moses commanded a law in the precepts of justices, and an inheritance to the house of Jacob, and the promises to Israel.
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Legem mandavit Moyses in præceptis justitiarum, et hæreditatem domui Jacob, et Israël promissiones.
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What but the law Moses enjoined, with the duties it prescribes, the inheritance it bestows, the promises it holds out?
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He appointed to David his servant to raise up of him a most mighty king, and sitting on the throne of glory for ever.
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Posuit David, puero suo, excitare regem ex ipso fortissimum, et in throno honoris sedentem in sempiternum.
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Solemnly he pledged himself to give his servant David an heir most valiant, that should hold his royal throne for ever.
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Who filleth up wisdom as the Phison, and as the Tigris in the days of the new fruits.
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Qui implet quasi Phison sapientiam, et sicut Tigris in diebus novorum:
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Who but he can make wisdom flow, deep as the stream Phison sends down, or Tigris, in the spring;
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Who maketh understanding to abound as the Euphrates, who multiplieth it as the Jordan in the time of harvest.
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qui adimplet quasi Euphrates sensum, qui multiplicat quasi Jordanis in tempore messis:
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make the tide of prudence run, strong as Euphrates’ own, or Jordan’s tide in the month of harvest;
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Who sendeth knowledge as the light, and riseth up as Gehon in the time of the vintage.
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qui mittit disciplinam sicut lucem, et assistens quasi Gehon in die vindemiæ.
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make obedience rise to its full height, like Nile or Gehon when men gather the vintage?
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Who first hath perfect knowledge of her, and a weaker shall not search her out.
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Qui perficit primus scire ipsam, et infirmior non investigabit eam.
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He it was that first attained to wisdom’s secret, never since made known to any less than himself;
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For her thoughts are more vast than the sea, and her counsels more deep than the great ocean.
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A mari enim abundavit cogitatio ejus, et consilium illius ab abysso magna.
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so deep are her thoughts, sea-deep, so dark her counsels, dark as the great abyss.
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I, wisdom, have poured out rivers.
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Ego sapientiam effudi flumina:
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From me rivers flow, says Wisdom, deep rivers.
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I, like a brook out of a river of a mighty water; I, like a channel of a river, and like an aqueduct, came out of paradise.
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ego quasi trames aquæ immensæ de fluvio: ego quasi fluvii dioryx, et sicut aquæductus exivi de paradiso.
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And what am I? A conduit that carries off the river’s overflow, its channel, the aqueduct that waters a park.
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I said: I will water my garden of plants, and I will water abundantly the fruits of my meadow.
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Dixi: Rigabo hortum meum plantationum, et inebriabo prati mei fructum.
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I thought to refresh my well-set garden, give drink to the fruits that fringe its border;
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And behold my brook became a great river, and my river came near to a sea:
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Et ecce factus est mihi trames abundans, et fluvius meus appropinquavit ad mare:
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and all at once my channel overflowed, this stream of mine had nigh turned into a sea!
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For I make doctrine to shine forth to all as the morning light, and I will declare it afar off.
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quoniam doctrinam quasi antelucanum illumino omnibus, et enarrabo illam usque ad longinquum.
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Teaching is here like the dawn for brightness, shedding its rays afar.
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I will penetrate to all the lower parts of the earth, and will behold all that sleep, and will enlighten all that hope in the Lord.
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Penetrabo omnes inferiores partes terræ, et inspiciam omnes dormientes, et illuminabo omnes sperantes in Domino.
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Nay, I will make my way down to the depths of earth, and visit those who sleep there, and to such as trust in the Lord I will bring light.
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I will yet pour out doctrine as prophecy, and will leave it to them that seek wisdom, and will not cease to instruct their offspring even to the holy age.
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Adhuc doctrinam quasi prophetiam effundam, et relinquam illam quærentibus sapientiam, et non desinam in progenies illorum usque in ævum sanctum.
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My teaching shall yet flow on, faithful as prophecy, heirloom to all such as make wisdom their quest, and to their children yet, until the holy days come.
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See ye that I have not laboured for myself only, but for all that seek out the truth.
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Videte quoniam non soli mihi laboravi, sed omnibus exquirentibus veritatem.
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See how I have toiled, not for my own sake merely, but for all such as covet wisdom!