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of the Lord are ten thousand | the Lord, and that there is times brighter than the fun, nothing fweeter than to take beholding all the ways of heed unto the commandmen, and confidering the ments of the Lord. moft fecret parts.

20 He knew all things ere ever they were created: fo alfo after they were perfected, he looked them upon

all.

21 This man shall be punished in the streets of the city; and where he suspecteth not, he fhall be taken.

22 Thus fhall it go alfo with the wife that leaveth her husband, and bringeth in an heir by another.

28 It is great glory to follow the Lord, and to be received of him is long life.

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CHAP. XXIV. TISDOM fhall praise herself, and fhall glory in the midst of her people.

2 In the congregation of the moft High fhall fhe open her mouth, and triumph before his power.

3 I came out of the mouth of the most High, and co

23 For firft, fhe hath difobeyed the law of the moftvered the earth as a cloud. High; and fecondly, fhe hath trefpaffed against her own hufband; and thirdly, fhe hath played the whore in adultery, and brought children by another man.

4 I dwelt in high places, and my throne is in a cloudy pillar.

24 She fhall be brought out into the congregation, and inquifition fhall be made of her children.

25 Her children fhall not take root, and her branches fhall bring forth no fruit.

5 I alone compaffed the circuit of heaven, and walked in the bottom of the deep.

6 In the waves of the fea, and in all the earth, and in every people, and nation, I got a poffeffion.

With all these I fought reft: and in whofe inheri

26 She fhall leave her me-tance fhall I abide? mory to be curfed, and her reproach fhall not be blotted out.

27 And they that remain fhall know that there is nothing better than the fear of

8 So the Creator of all things gave me a commandment, and he that made me caufed my tabernacle to rest, and faid, Let thy dwelling be in Jacob, and thine inheri

tance

tance in Ifrael.

9 He created me from the
beginning before the world,
and I fhall never fail.

10 In the holy tabernacle
I ferved before him: and fo
was I established in Sion.

11 Likewise in the be-
loved city he gave me reft,
and in Jerufalem was my
power.

12 And I took root in an
honourable people, even in
the portion of the Lord's in-
heritance.

13¶ I was exalted like a
cedar in Libanus, and as a
cypress-tree upon the moun-
tains of Hermon.

14 I was exalted like a
palm-tree in Engaddi, and as
a rofe-plant in Jericho, as a
fair olive-tree in a pleafant
field, and grew up as a plane-
tree by the water.

my flowers are the fruit of
honour and riches.

18 I am the mother of fair
love, and fear, and know-
ledge, and holy hope; I
therefore being eternal, am
given to all my children
which are named of him.

19 Come unto me, all ye
that be defirous of me, and
fill yourselves with my fruits.

20 For my memorial is
fweeter than honey, and
mine inheritance than the
honeycomb.

21 They that eat me shall
yet be hungry, and they
that drink me fhall yet be
thirsty.

22 He that obeyeth me
fhall never be confounded,
and they that work by me
fhall not do amifs.

23 All these things are
the book of the covenant of
the most high God, even the
law which Mofes command-

congregations of Jacob.

15 I gave a fweet smell
like cinnamon and afpala-
thus, and I yielded a pleasanted for an heritage unto the
odour like the beft myrrh, as
galbanum, and onyx, and
fweet ftorax, and as the fume
of frankincense in the taber-
nacle.

16 As the turpentine-tree
Iftretched out my branches,
and my branches are the
branches of honour and
grace.

17 ¶ As the vine brought
I forth pleasant favour, and

24 Faint not to be strong
in the Lord; that he may
confirm you, cleave unto
him: for the Lord Almigh-
ty is God alone, and befides
him there is no other Savi-
our.

25 He filleth all things
with his wifdom, as Phifon,
and as Tigris in the time of
the new fruits.

26 ¶ He

26 He maketh the under[ ftanding to abound like Euphrates, and as Jordan in the time of the harvest.

the love of neighbours, a man and a wife that agree together.

2 Three forts of men my

27 He maketh the doc-foul hateth, and I am greattrine of knowledge appear as ly offended at their life: a the light, and as Geon in the poor man that is proud, a time of vintage. rich man that is a liar, and an old adulterer that doteth. 3 If thou haft gathered nothing in thy youth, how canft thou find any thing in thine age?

28 The first man knew her not perfectly: no more fhall the laft find her out.

29 For her thoughts are more than the fea, and her counfels profounder than the great deep.

30 I alfo came out as a brook from a river, and as a conduit into a garden.

31 I faid, 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 fea.

32 I will yet make doctrine to fhine as the morning, and will fend forth her light afar off.

33 I will yet pour out doctrine as prophecy, and leave it to all ages for ever.

34 Behold, that I have not laboured for myself only, but for all them that feek wisdom.

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4 Oh, how comely a thing is judgment for grey hairs, and for ancient men to know counsel!

5 Oh, how comely is the wifdom of old men, and underftanding and counsel to men of honour!

6 Much experience is the crown of old men, and the fear of God is their glory.

7 There be nine things which I have judged in mine heart to be happy, and the tenth I will utter with my tongue: A man that hath joy of his children, and he that liveth to fee the fall of his enemy.

8 Well is him that dwelleth with a wife of understanding, and that hath not flipped with his tongue, and that hath not ferved a man more unworthy than himself:

9 Well is him that hath found prudence, and he that

speaketh

fpeaketh in the ears of them that will hear :

10 Oh, how great is he that findeth wisdom! yet is there none above him that feareth the Lord.

II But the love of the Lord paffeth all things for illumination; he that holdeth it, whereto fhall he be likened?

12 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of his love: and faith is the beginning of cleaving unto him.

13 [Give me ] any plague, but the plague of the heart and any wickedness, but the wickedness of a wo

man:

14 And any affliction, but the affliction from them that hate me and any revenge, but the revenge of enemies.

15 There is no head above the head of a ferpent; and there is no wrath above the wrath of an enemy.

16I had rather dwell with a lion and a dragon, than to keep house with a wicked

woman.

bitterly.

19 All wickedness is but little to the wickedness of a woman: let the portion of a finner fall upon her.

20 As the climbing of a fandy way is to the feet of the aged, fo is a wife full of words to a quiet man.

21 Stumble not at the beauty of a woman, and defire her not for pleasure.

22 A woman, if she maintain her husband, is full of anger, impudence, and much reproach.

23 A wicked woman abateth the courage, maketh a heavy countenance, and a wounded heart: a woman that will not comfort her husband in diftress, maketh weak hands and feeble knees.

24 Of the woman came the beginning of fin, and through her we all die.

25 Give the water no paffage: neither a wicked woman liberty to gad abroad.

26 If the go not as thou wouldest have her, cut her off from thy flesh, and give her a bill of divorce, and let

17 The wickedness of a woman changeth her face, and darkeneth her counte-her nance like fackcloth.

18 Her husband shall fit among his neighbours; and when he heareth it, shall figh

go.

CHAP. XXVI. LESSED is the man that hath a virtuous

BL

wife,

wife, for the number of his lids. days fhall be double.

2 A virtuous woman rejoiceth her husband, and he fhall fulfil the years of his life in peace.

3 A good wife is a good portion, which fhall be given in the portion of them that fear the Lord. 4 Whether a man be rich or poor, if he have a good heart toward the Lord, he fhall at times rejoice with a cheerful countenance.

5 There be three things that mine heart feareth; and for the fourth I was fore afraid the flander of a city, the gathering together of an unruly multitude, and a falfe accufation: all these are worfe than death.

6 But a grief of heart and forrow is a woman that is jealous over another woman, and a fcourge of the tongue which communicateth with all.

7 An evil wife is a yoke fhaken to and fro: he that hath hold of her, is as though he held a scorpion.

8 A drunken woman, and a gadder abroad, caufeth great anger, and she will not cover her own fhame.

9 The whoredom of a woman may be known in

10 If thy daughter be fhameless, keep her in straitly, left fhe abuse herself through over-much liberty.

II Watch over an impudent eye: and marvel not if fhe trespass against thee.

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13 The grace of a wife delighteth her husband, and her difcretion will fatten his bones.

14 A filent and loving woman is a gift of the Lord: and there is nothing so much worth as a mind well inftructed.

15 A fhame-faced and faithful woman is a double grace, and her continent mind cannot be valued.

16 As the fun when it arifeth in the high heavens; fo is the beauty of a good wife in the ordering of her house.

17 As the clear light is upon the holy candlestick; fo is the beauty of the face in ripe age.

18 As the golden pillars are upon the fockets of filver; fo are the fair feet with a conftant heart.

19 My fon, keep the flower of thine age found; and give not thy strength to ftrangers..

ten

20 When thou hast gotfruitful poffeffion

a

her haughty looks, and eye-through all the field, fow it

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