Solomon’s Love for Wisdom

She reaches mightily from one end of the earth to the other,

and she orders all things well.

I loved her and sought her from my youth;

I desired to take her for my bride,

and became enamored of her beauty.

She glorifies her noble birth by living with God,

and the Lord of all loves her.

For she is an initiate in the knowledge of God,

and an associate in his works.

If riches are a desirable possession in life,

what is richer than wisdom, the active cause of all things?

And if understanding is effective,

who more than she is fashioner of what exists?

And if anyone loves righteousness,

her labors are virtues;

for she teaches self-control and prudence,

justice and courage;

nothing in life is more profitable for mortals than these.

And if anyone longs for wide experience,

she knows the things of old, and infers the things to come;

she understands turns of speech and the solutions of riddles;

she has foreknowledge of signs and wonders

and of the outcome of seasons and times.

Therefore I determined to take her to live with me,

knowing that she would give me good counsel

and encouragement in cares and grief.

Because of her I shall have glory among the multitudes

and honor in the presence of the elders, though I am young.

~Wisdom 8:1-10