THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON.

1 Love righteousness, ye that be judges of the earth,

Think ye of the Lord * with a good mind,

And in singleness of heart seek ye him;

2 Because he is found of them that tempt him not,

And is manifested to them that do not distrust him.

3 For crooked thoughts separate from God;

And the supreme Power, when it is brought to the proof, † putteth to confusion the foolish:

4 Because wisdom will not enter into a soul that deviseth evil,

Nor dwell in a body that is held in pledge by sin.

5 For a holy spirit of discipline will flee deceit.

And will start away from thoughts that are without understanding,

And will be ‡ put to confusion when unrighteousness hath come in.

6 For § wisdom is a spirit that loveth man,

And she will not hold a ** blasphemer guiltless for his lips;

Because God beareth witness of his reins,

And is a true overseer of his heart,

And a hearer of his tongue:

7 Because the spirit of the Lord hath filled †† the world,

And that which holdeth all things together hath knowledge of every voice.

8 Therefore no man that uttereth unrighteous things shall be unseen;

‡‡ Neither shall Justice, when it convicteth, pass him by.

9 For in the midst of his counsels the ungodly shall be searched out;

And the sound of his words shall come unto the Lord

To bring to conviction his lawless deeds:

10 Because there is an ear of jealousy that listeneth to all things,

And the noise of murmurings is not hid.

11 Beware then of unprofitable murmuring,

And refrain your tongue from backbiting;

Because no secret utterance shall go on its way void,

And a mouth that belieth destroyeth a soul.

12 Court not death in the error of your life;

Neither draw upon yourselves destruction by the works of your hands:

13 Because God made not death;

Neither delighteth he when the living perish:

14 For he created all things that they might have being:

And§§ the generative powers of the world are healthsome,

And there is no poison of destruction in them:

Nor hath Hades *** royal dominion upon earth,

15 For righteousness is immortal:

16 But ungodly men by their hands and their words called ††† death unto them:

Deeming him a friend they ‡‡‡ consumed away,

And they made a covenant with him,

Because they are worthy to be of his portion.