Love righteousness, you judges of the earth. Think of the Lord with good, and in simplicity of heart seek Him. For He will be found of them who tempt Him not and shows Himself to such as do not distrust Him.

For into a malicious soul wisdom shall not enter, nor dwell in the body that is subject unto sin. For the holy spirit of discipline will flee deceit and remove from thoughts that are without understanding, and will not abide when unrighteousness comes in. For wisdom is a loving spirit and will not acquit a blasphemer of his words, for God is witness of his reins, a true beholder of his heart, and a hearer of his tongue.

Therefore beware of murmuring, which is unprofitable, and refrain your tongue from backbiting, for there is no word so secret that shall go for nought, and the mouth that belies slays the soul.

Therefore let us lie in wait for the righteous because he is not for our turn, and he is clean contrary to our doings; he upbraids us with our offending the law, and objects to our infamy the transgressions of our education. We are esteemed of him as counterfeits; he abstains from our ways as from filthiness; he pronounces the end of the just to be blessed and makes his boast that God is his father.

As for the mysteries of God, they knew them not: neither hoped they for the wages of righteousness, nor discerned a reward for blameless souls. Nevertheless through envy of the devil death came into the world, and they who hold his side find it.

And having been a little chastised, they shall be greatly rewarded, for God proved them and found them worthy for Himself. As gold in the furnace He has tried them and received them as a burnt offering. And in the time of their visitation they shall shine and run to and fro like sparks among the stubble. They shall judge the nations and have dominion over the people, and their Lord shall reign forever.

Those who put their trust in Him shall understand the truth, and such as are faithful in love shall abide with Him, for grace and mercy is to His saints, and He has care for His elect. But the ungodly shall be punished according to their own imaginations, who have neglected the righteous and forsaken the Lord. For who despises wisdom and nurture is miserable, and his hope is vain, his labors unfruitful, and his works unprofitable. For glorious is the fruit of good labors, and the root of wisdom shall never fall away.

For the bewitching of naughtiness obscures honest things, and the wandering of concupiscence undermines the simple mind.

Then shall the righteous man stand in great boldness before the face of such as have afflicted him and made no account of his labors. When they see it, they shall be troubled with terrible fear and shall be amazed at the strangeness of his salvation, so far beyond all they looked for. And they, repenting and groaning for anguish of spirit, shall say within themselves, "This was he, whom we had sometimes in derision and a proverb of reproach. We fools accounted his life madness and his end to be without honor. How is he numbered among the children of God, and his lot is among the saints!"

For the hope of the ungodly is like dust blown away with the wind, a thin froth driven away with the storm, smoke that is dispersed here and there with a tempest and passes away as the remembrance of a guest who tarries but a day. But the righteous live forevermore. Their reward is with the Lord, and the care of them is with the Most High.

Wisdom is glorious, and never fades away. Yea, she is easily seen of those who love her and found of such as seek her. For the beginning of her is the desire of discipline, and the care of discipline is love, and love is the keeping of her laws, and the giving heed unto her laws is the assurance of incorruption, and incorruption makes us near to God.

For wisdom, who is the worker of all things, taught me, for in her is an understanding spirit holy, one only, manifold, subtle, lively, clear, undefiled, plain, not subject to hurt, quickly loving the good thing, which cannot be letted, ready to do good, kind to man, steadfast, sure, free from care, having all power, overseeing all things, going through all understanding, pure and most subtle of spirits.

She is the brightness of the everlasting light, the unspotted mirror of the power of God, and the image of His goodness. And being but one, she can do all things; remaining in herself, she makes all things new; and in all ages entering into holy souls, she makes them friends of God and prophets. For God loves none but him who dwells with wisdom. She is more beautiful than the sun and above all the order of stars; being compared with the light, she is found before it.

After I come into my house, I will repose with her, for her conversation has no bitterness, and to live with her has no sorrow but mirth and joy. And it is great pleasure to have her friendship; in the works of her hands are infinite riches; in the exercise of conference with her, prudence; and in talking with her, a good report. I went about seeking how to take her to me.

Wisdom opens the mouth of the dumb and makes the tongues of those who cannot speak eloquent.

For You love all things and abhor nothing You have made, for You would never have made anything if You had hated it. But You spare all, for they are Yours, O Lord, lover of souls. Therefore You chasten those who offend little by little and warn them by putting them in remembrance where they have offended, that leaving their wickedness they may believe in You, O Lord.

For who shall say, "What have You done?" Or who shall withstand Your judgment? Or who shall accuse You for the nations that perish, whom You made? Or who shall come to stand against You, to be revenged for the unrighteous men? For neither is there any God but You Who cares for all, to whom You might show that Your judgment is not unright. Neither shall king or tyrant be able to set his face against You for any whom You have punished. As much as You are righteous Yourself, You order all things righteously, thinking it not agreeable with Your power to condemn him who has not deserved to be punished.

For Your power is the beginning of righteousness, and because You are the Lord of all, it makes You gracious to all. For when men will not believe that You are of a full power, You show Your strength, and among those who know it, You make their boldness manifest. For to know You is perfect righteousness. Yea, to know Your power is the root of immortality.

Therefore, whereas You chasten us, You scourge our enemies a thousand times more, to the intent that when we judge, we should carefully think of Your goodness, and when we ourselves are judged, we should look for mercy. But those who would not be reformed by that correction, wherein He dallied with them, shall feel a judgment worthy of God.

If they being delighted with their beauty took them to be gods, let them know how much better their Lord is, for the first author of beauty created them. The devising of idols was the beginning of spiritual fornication, and the invention of them the corruption of life.

And employing his labors lewdly, he makes a vain god of the same clay, even he who a little before was made of earth himself, and within a little while after returns to the same, when his life that was lent him shall be demanded. For being mortal, he works a dead thing with wicked hands, for he himself is better than the things he worships: he lived once, but they never.

For it was neither herb nor soothing ointment that restored them to health, but Your word, O Lord, which heals all things. For You have power of life and death; You lead to the gates of hell and bring up again. That Your children, O Lord, whom You love, might know that it is not the growing of fruits that nourishes man but that it is Your word that preserves those who put their trust in You.

For the hope of the unthankful shall melt away as the winter’s hoar frost, and shall run away as unprofitable water. For wickedness, condemned by her own witness, is very timorous, and being pressed with conscience, always forecasts grievous things. For fear is nothing else but a betraying of the succors that reason offers.