¶ The prayse of the wysdome of God.
CAPI. VIII. [unspec A]
DOth nat wysdome crye? dothe nat vn derstan ••ynge put forth her voyce? Standeth she nat in the hye places in the stretes and wayes? dothe she nat crye before the whole cytie, and in the gates where mē go out and in? It is you, O ye men (sayeth she) whom I call: Unto (the chyldren of mē) do I lyfte vp my voyce. Take hede vnto knowledge: O ye ignoraunte: be wyse in herte, O ye foles. Geue eate, for I wyll speake of greate matters, and open my lyp∣pes to tell thynges that be ryght. For my throte shalbe talkynge of the truth and my lyppes abhorre vngodlynesse. All the wordes of my mouth are ryghteous, there is no frowardenesse nor falshede therin.
They are all playne to suche as wyll vnderstande, and ryght to them that fynde knowledge. Receaue my doctryne, and nat syluer, and my knowledge / more then fyne golde. For wysdome is more worth then precyous stones, yee all thynges that thou canst desyre / maye nat be compared vnto it. I wysdome haue my dwellynge [unspec B] with knowledge, and prudente councell is myne owne. The feare of the Lorde ab∣horreth wyckednesse, pryde, disdayne, and the euyll waye: and a mouth that speakethe wycked thynges I vtterly abhorre. I can geue councell and be a gyde: I haue vnder standynge I haue strengthe, Thorowe me / kynges reygne: thorowe me / prynces make iust lawes. Thorowe me, do prynces beare rule / and all iudges of the earthe exe∣cute iudgement. I am louynge vnto those that loue me: and they that seke me early / shall fynde me. Ryches and honour are with me. Yee excellent goodes and rygh∣teousnesse. My frute is better then golde and precyous stone / and myne encrease more worthe then fyne syluer. I wyll gyde the in the waye of ryghteousnesse, and in the strete of iudgemente. That I may [unspec C] sende prosperyte to those that loue me / and to encrease theyr treasure ☞ The Lorde him selfe had me in possessyou ☞ in the be∣gynnynge of his wayes, or euer he beganne hys worckes aforetyme. I haue bene or∣deued from euerlastyng and frō the begyn∣nynge or euer the earth was made. When I was borne: there were nether depthes nor springes of water. Before the foundacions of the mountaynes were layed, ye before al hylles was I borne. The earth and all that is vpon the earth was nat yet made, no nat the grounde it selfe. ‡ For when he made the heauens, I was present: when he set vp the depthes in ordre / when he hangd the clou∣des aboue: when he fastened the springes of the depe: when he shut the see with in cer∣tayne boundes, that the waters shulde nat go ouer theyr marckes. When he layed the foundacions of the erath I was with him / ordrynge all thynges dely••ynge dayly, and reioysynge alwaye before hym. As for the rounde compase of thys worlde / I make it ioyfull: for my delyte is to be amonge the chyldren of men. Therfore herken vnto me▪ O ye chyldren, blessed are they that kepe my wayes. geue eare vnto nurtour, be wyse and refuse it nat. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watchynge dayly at my gates / and geuynge attendaunce at the postes of my dores. For who so fyndeth me, fyndethe lyfe, and shal obtayue fauour of the Lorde. but who so offendeth agaynst me, hurtethe his owne soule. And all they that hate me / are the louers of deathe.