1988 verses about Wisdom

Show not yourself valiant in wine; For wine has destroyed many.

Rebuke not your neighbor at a banquet of wine, Neither set him at nothing in his mirth: Speak not to him a word of reproach, And press not upon him by asking back a debt.

Speak, you that are the elder, for it becomes you, but with sound knowledge; And hinder not music.

Pour not out talk where there is a performance of music, And display not your wisdom out of season.

Sum up your speech, many things in few words; Be as one that knows and yet holds his tongue.

If you be among great men, behave not as their equal; And when another is speaking, make not much babbling.

Before thunder speedeth lightning; And before a shamefast man favor shall go forth.

He that fears the Lord will receive his discipline; And those who seek him early shall find favor.

He that seeks the law shall be filled therewith: But the hypocrite shall stumble thereat.

A man of counsel will not neglect a thought; A strange and proud man will not crouch in fear, Even after he has done a thing by himself without counsel.

Do nothing without counsel; And when you have once done, repent not.

Go not in a way of conflict; And stumble not in stony places.

Be not confident in a smooth way.

A wise man will not hate the law; But he that is a hypocrite therein is as a ship in a storm.

A man of understanding will put his trust in the law; And the law is faithful to him, as when one asks at the oracle.

Prepare your speech, and so shall you be heard; Bind up instruction, and make your answer.

The heart of a fool is as a cartwheel; And his thoughts like a rolling axle tree.

Why does one day excel another, When all the light of every day in the year is of the sun?

By the knowledge of the Lord they were distinguished; And he varied seasons and feasts:

In the abundance of his knowledge the Lord distinguished them, And made their ways various:

And thus look upon all the works of the Most High; Two and two, one against another.

To son and wife, to brother and friend, Give not power over you while you live; And give not your goods to another, Lest you repent and make supplication for them again.

In all your works keep the upper hand; Bring not a stain on your honor.

And be not excessive toward any; And without judgement do nothing.

The vision of dreams is as this thing against that, The likeness of a face near a face.

If they be not sent from the Most High in your visitation, Give not your heart to them.

Without lying shall the law be accomplished; And wisdom is perfection to a faithful mouth.

A well-instructed man knows many things; And he that has much experience will declare understanding.

He that has no experience knows few things: But he that has wandered shall increase his skill.

In my wandering I have seen many things; And more than my words is my understanding.

A froward heart will cause heaviness: And a man of experience will recompense him.

Every counsellor extols counsel; But there is that counsels for himself.

Let your soul beware of a counsellor, And know you before what is his interest (For he will take counsel for himself); Lest he cast the lot upon you,

And say to you, Your way is good: And he will stand near you, to see what will happen to you.

Take not counsel with one that looks askance at you; And hide your counsel from such as are jealous of you.

Take not counsel with a woman about her rival; Neither with a coward about war; Nor with a merchant about exchange; Nor with a buyer about selling; Nor with an envious man about thankfulness; Nor with an unmerciful man about kindliness; Nor with a sluggard about any kind of work; Nor with a hireling in your house about finishing his work; Nor with an idle servant about much business: Give not heed to these in any matter of counsel.

But rather be continually with a godly man, Whom you shall have known to be a keeper of the commandments, Who in his soul is as your own soul, And who will grieve with you, if you shall miscarry.

And make the counsel of your heart to stand; For there is none more faithful to you than it.

For a man’s soul is sometime wont to bring him tidings, More than seven watchmen that sit on high on a watch-tower.

And above all this entreat the Most High, That he may direct your way in truth.

Let reason be the beginning of every work, And let counsel go before every action.

There is one that is shrewd and the instructor of many, And yet is unprofitable to his own soul.

For grace was not given him from the Lord; Because he is deprived of all wisdom.

There is one that is wise to his own soul; And the fruits of his understanding are trustworthy in the mouth.

A wise man will instruct his own people; And the fruits of his understanding are trustworthy.

A wise man shall be filled with blessing; And all those who see him shall call him happy.

The wise man shall inherit confidence among his people, And his name shall live forever.

For all things are not profitable for all men, Neither has every soul pleasure in every thing.

The skill of the physician shall lift up his head; And in the sight of great men he shall be admired.

The Lord created medicines out of the earth; And a prudent man will have no disgust at them.

Was not water made sweet with wood, That the virtue thereof might be known?

And he gave men skill, That they might be glorified in his marvelous works.

With these will the apothecary make a confection; And his works shall not be brought to an end; And from him is peace upon the face of the earth.

The wisdom of the scribe comes by opportunity of leisure; And he that has little business shall become wise.

How shall he become wise that holds the plow, That glories in the shaft of the goad, That drives oxen, and is occupied in their labors, And whose discourse is of the stock of bulls?

All these put their trust in their hands; And each becomes wise in his own work.

Not so he that has applied his soul, And meditateth in the law of the Most High; He will seek out the wisdom of all the ancients, And will be occupied in prophecies.

He will keep the discourse of the men of renown, And will enter in amidst the subtleties of parables.

He will seek out the hidden meaning of proverbs, And be conversant in the dark sayings of parables.

He will serve among great men, And appear before him that rules: He will travel through the land of strange nations; For he has tried good things and evil among men.

If the great Lord will, He shall be filled with the spirit of understanding: He shall pour forth the words of his wisdom, And in prayer give thanks to the Lord.

He shall direct his counsel and knowledge, And in his secrets shall he meditate.

He shall show forth the instruction which he has been taught, And shall glory in the law of the covenant of the Lord.

Many shall commend his understanding; And so long as the world endures, it shall not be blotted out: His memorial shall not depart, And his name shall live from generation to generation.

Nations shall declare his wisdom, And the congregation shall tell out his praise.

Yet more will I utter, which I have thought upon; And I am filled as the moon at the full.

None can say, What is this? wherefore is that? For in his season they shall all be sought out. At his word the waters stood as a heap, And the receptacles of waters at the word of his mouth.

None can say, What is this? wherefore is that? For all things are created for their uses.

His ways are plain to the holy; So are they stumbling blocks to the wicked.

Therefore from the beginning I was resolved, And I thought this, and left it in writing;

Wine and music rejoice the heart; And the love of wisdom is above both.

The pipe and the lute make pleasant melody; And a pleasant tongue is above both.

Gold and silver will make the foot stand sure; And counsel is esteemed above them both.

Have regard to your name; For it continueth with you longer than a thousand great treasures of gold.

My children, keep instruction in peace: But wisdom that is hid, and a treasure that is not seen, What profit is in them both?

Better is a man that hides his foolishness Than a man that hides his wisdom.

And of silence before those who salute you; And of looking upon a woman that is a harlot;

Of repeating and speaking what you have heard; And of revealing of secrets.

Sure keeping is good, where an evil wife is; And where many hands are, shut you close.

Be not ashamed to instruct the unwise and foolish, And one of extreme old age that contends with those that are young; And so shall you be well instructed indeed, And approved in the sight of every man living.

Look not upon every body in regard of beauty, And sit not in the midst of women;

I will make mention now of the works of the Lord, And will declare the things that I have seen: In the words of the Lord are his works.

The Lord has not given power to the saints to declare all his marvelous works; Which the Almighty Lord firmly settled, That whatever is might be established in his glory.

He searcheth out the deep, and the heart, And he has understanding of their cunning plans: For the Most High knows all knowledge, And he looks into the signs of the world,

Declaring the things that are past, and the things that shall be, And revealing the traces of hidden things.

The mighty works of his wisdom he has ordered, Who is from everlasting to everlasting: Nothing has been added to them, nor diminished from them; And he had no need of any counsellor.

By his counsel he has stilled the deep, And planted islands therein.

We may say many things, yet shall we not attain; And the sum of our words is, He is all.

For the Lord made all things; And to the godly gave he wisdom.

Such as did bear rule in their kingdoms, And were men renowned for their power, Giving counsel by their understanding, Such as have brought tidings in prophecies:

Leaders of the people by their counsels, And by their understanding men of learning for the people; Wise were their words in their instruction:

Peoples will declare their wisdom, And the congregation tells out their praise.

God give you wisdom in your heart To judge his people in righteousness, That their good things be not abolished, And that their glory endure for all their generations.

How wise was you made in your youth, And filled as a river with understanding!

Your soul covered the earth, And you filled it with dark parables.

For your songs and proverbs and parables, And for your interpretations, the countries marveled at you.

As an olive tree budding forth fruits, And as a cypress growing high among the clouds.

I have written in this book the instruction of understanding and knowledge, I Jesus, the son of Sirach Eleazar, of Jerusalem, Who out of his heart poured forth wisdom.

Blessed is he that shall be exercised in these things; And he that lays them up in his heart shall become wise.

For if he do them, he shall be strong to all things: For the light of the Lord is his guide.