Anonymous (Septuagint) · a new plain-English translation from the original language
1| But he who devotes his soul and sets his mind upon the law of the Most High will search after the understanding held by every sage of old, and will occupy himself with prophecies;
2| he will preserve the accounts of men of renown, and will enter into the twists and turns of parables;
3| he will search out the hidden meanings of proverbs, and busy himself with the riddles of parables.
4| He will serve among the great, and will appear before rulers; he will travel through the lands of foreign nations, for he has tested what is good and what is evil among men.
5| He will set his heart to rise early to the Lord who made him, and will make his plea before the Most High; he will open his mouth in prayer, and will plead concerning his sins.
6| If the great Lord is willing, he will be filled with a spirit of understanding; he himself will pour forth words of wisdom, and in prayer will give thanks to the Lord;
7| he himself will direct his own counsel and knowledge, and will meditate upon his hidden things;
8| he himself will bring to light the instruction he has been taught, and will boast in the law of the Lord's covenant.
9| Many will praise his understanding, and it will never be blotted out to the age; his memory will not depart, and his name will live for generations of generations;
10| nations will recount his wisdom, and the assembly will proclaim his praise;
11| if he continues, he will leave behind a name greater than a thousand, and if he goes to his rest, that very rest becomes his gain.
12| Still thinking further, I will tell it out, for I am filled as full as the moon at its height.
13| Listen to me, devout sons, and sprout up like a rose planted by a flowing stream,
14| and give forth fragrance like frankincense, and put out blossom like the lily; spread abroad your scent, and lift up a song of praise. Bless the Lord for all his works,
15| ascribe greatness to his name, and give him thanks with praise, with songs upon your lips and with harps, and thus you shall say in your thanksgiving:
16| The works of the Lord are all very good, and every one of his commands will be fulfilled in its own time;
17| no one may say, 'What is this? Why is this?' for everything will be sought out in its own time. At his word the water stood still like a heap, and at the utterance of his mouth the reservoirs of the waters gathered.
18| In his command lies all his good pleasure, and there is none who can diminish his saving power.
19| Everything that mortal creatures do lies open before him, and it is not possible to hide from his eyes;
20| he has looked out from age to age, and there is nothing marvelous in his sight.
21| No one may say, 'What is this? Why is this?' for everything has been created for its own purpose.
22| His blessing covers over like a river, and like a flood it has drenched the dry land;
23| so also his wrath will be the inheritance of the nations, just as he turned waters into salt marsh.
24| His ways are straight for the devout, and just so they are stumbling-blocks for the lawless;
25| good things were created from the beginning for the good, and just so evil things for sinners.
26| The chief of all things needed for the life of man are water, fire, iron, and salt, wheat flour, honey, and milk, the blood of the grape, oil, and clothing;
27| all these things turn out for good to the godly, and just so they turn out for evil to sinners.
28| There are spirits that were created for vengeance, and in their fury they have made their scourges strong; in the time of the consummation they will pour out their strength, and will appease the wrath of him who made them.
29| Fire and hail, hunger and plague — every one of these came into being to punish;
30| the teeth of wild beasts, and scorpions, and vipers, and the sword taking vengeance to destroy the ungodly,
31| in his command they rejoice, and are kept ready on the earth for their uses, and in their appointed times they will not overstep his word.
32| For this reason I was resolved from the beginning, and gave it thought, and left it in writing:
33| The works of the Lord are all good, and he will supply every need in its hour;
34| and no one may say, 'This is worse than that,' for all things will prove their worth in their season.
35| And now sing praise with your whole heart and voice, and bless the name of the Lord.