Wisdom of Solomon Chap. VIII.

This excerpt is taken from The Apocrapha An American Translation by: Edgar J. Goodspeed. Vintage Books (A Division of Random House) New York. C. 1959. 1938.

For she reaches in strength from one end of the earth to the 
other, 
And conducts everything well.
2 I loved her and sought after her from my youth up,
And I undertook to make her my bride,
And I fell in love with her beauty.
3 She glorifies her high birth in living with God,
For the Lord of all loves her. 
4 For she is initiated into the knowledge of God,
And is a searcher of his works.
5 But if the possession of wealth is to be desired in life, 
What is richer than wisdom, which operates everything? 
6 And if understanding works, 
Who in all the world is a greater craftsman than she? 
7 And if a man loves uprightness,
Her labors are virtues;
For she teaches self-control and understanding,
Uprightness and courage;
Nothing in life is more useful to men than these.
8 But if a man longs for much experience,
She knows antiquity and can forecast the future,
She understands the tricks of language and the solving of 
riddles;
She knows the meaning of signs and portents,
And the outcomes of seasons and periods.
9 So I decided to bring her to live with me,
Knowing that she would give me good counsel,
And encouragement in cares and grief. 
10 Because of her I will have glory among the multitude,
And honor with the elders, though I am young,
11 I will be found keen in judgment,
and I will be admired in the presence of monarchs.
12 When I am silent, they will wait for me to speak,
And when I speak, they will pay attention,
And if I talk some length,
They will put their hands over their mouths.
13 Because of her, I will have immortality,
And leave an everlasting memory to those who come after me.
14 I will govern peoples, and nations will be subject to me.
15 Dread sovereigns will be frightened when they hear of me;
Among the people I will appear good and in war brave. 
16 When I enter my house, I will find rest in her,
For intercourse with her has no bitterness,
And living with her no grief,
But gladness and joy.
17 When I considered these things with myself,
And reflected in my mind
That in kinship with wisdom there is immortality,
18 And in her friendship there is pure delight,
And unfailing wealth in the labors of her hands,
And understanding in the experience of her company,
And glory in sharing in her words,
I went about seeking how to win her for myself.
19 I was a well-formed child,
And a good soul fell to me,
20 Or rather, I was good and entered an undefiled body.
21 But I perceived that I could not win her unless God gave
her to me
(And this too came of understanding, to know from whom 
the favor came.)
I appealed to the Lord and besought him,
And said with all my heart: