Wis 7:1-12
1I too am a mortal, the same as all the rest,a
and a descendant of the first one formed of earth.*
And in my mother’s womb I was molded into flesh
2in a ten-month period*—body and blood,
from the seed of a man, and the pleasure that accompanies marriage.
3And I too, when born, inhaled the common air,
and fell upon the kindred earth;
wailing, I uttered that first sound common to all.
4In swaddling clothes and with constant care I was nurtured.
5For no king has any different origin or birth;
6one is the entry into life for all,
and in one same way they leave it.b
7Therefore I prayed, and prudence was given me;
I pleaded and the spirit of Wisdom came to me.c
8I preferred her to scepter and throne,d
And deemed riches nothing in comparison with her,
9nor did I liken any priceless gem to her;
Because all gold, in view of her, is a bit of sand,
and before her, silver is to be accounted mire.
10Beyond health and beauty I loved her,
And I chose to have her rather than the light,
because her radiance never ceases.e
11Yet all good things together came to me with her,f
and countless riches at her hands;
12I rejoiced in them all, because Wisdom is their leader,