BROTHERS: KNOW WISDOM AS CHRIST AND UNDERSTANDING AS THE HOLY SPIRIT.
DOES NOT WISDOM CALL OUT? DOES NOT UNDERSTANDING RAISE HER VOICE? On the heights along the way, where the paths meet, she (WISDOM) takes her stand; beside the gates leading into the city, at the entrances, she cries aloud: "To YOU O MEN, I call out; I raise my voice to all MANKIND. YOU who are SIMPLE, gain PRUDENCE; YOU who are FOOLISH, gain UNDERSTANDING. Listen, for I have WORTHY things to say; I open my LIPS to SPEAK what is RIGHT. My mouth SPEAKS what is TRUE, for my LIPS DETEST WICKEDNESS. All the WORDS of my mouth are JUST; none of them is CROOKED OR PERVERSE. To the DISCERNING all of them are RIGHT; they are FAULTLESS to those who have KNOWLEDGE. CHOOSE MY INSTRUCTION instead of SILVER, KNOWLEDGE rather than choice GOLD, for WISDOM IS MORE PRECIOUS THAN RUBIES, and nothing YOU DESIRE can compare with her. I, WISDOM, dwell together with PRUDENCE; I POSSESS KNOWLEDGE and DISCRETION. To FEAR THE LORD is to HATE EVIL; I HATE PRIDE and ARROGANCE, EVIL BEHAVIOR and PERVERSE SPEECH. COUNSEL and SOUND JUDGEMENT are mine; I have UNDERSTANDING and POWER. By ME KINGS REIN and RULERS MAKE LAWS THAT ARE JUST; BY ME PRINCES GOVERN, and ALL NOBLES WHO RULE THE EARTH. I LOVE THOSE WHO LOVE ME, and THOSE WHO SEEK ME FIND ME. WITH ME ARE RICHES and HONOR, ENDURING WEALTH and PROSPERITY. MY FRUIT (GAL.22-23) IS BETTER THAN FINE GOLD; WHAT I YEILD SURPASSES CHOICE SILVER. I WALK IN THE WAY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, ALONG THE PATHS OF JUSTICE, BESTOWING WEALTH ON THOSE WHO LOVE ME and MAKING THEIR TREASURIES FULL.
The LORD BROUGHT ME FORTH AS THE FIRST OF HIS WORKS, BEFORE HIS DEEDS OF OLD; I was APPOINTED FROM ETERNITY, FROM THE BEGINNING, BEFORE THE WORLD BEGAN. WHEN THERE WERE NO OCEANS, I WAS GIVEN BIRTH, WHEN THERE WERE NO SPRINGS ABOUNDING WITH WATER; BEFORE THE MOUNTAINS WERE SETTLED IN PLACE, BEFORE THE HILLS, I WAS GIVEN BIRTH, BEFORE GOD MADE THE EARTH OR ITS FIELDS OR ANY OF THE DUST OF THE WORLD. I WAS THERE WHEN GOD SET THE HEAVENS IN PLACE, WHEN GOD MARKED OUT THE HORIZON ON THE FACE OF THE DEEP, WHEN GOD ESTABLISHED THE CLOUDS ABOVE and FIXED SECURELY THE FOUTAINS OF THE DEEP, WHEN GOD GAVE THE SEA ITS BOUNDARY SO THE WATERS WOULD NOT OVERSTEP GOD'S COMMAND, and WHEN GOD MARKED OUT THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE EARTH. THEN I WAS THE CRAFTSMAN AT GOD SIDE, REJOICING ALWAYS IN GODS PRESENCE, REJOICING IN GODS WHOLE WORLD and DELIGHTING IN MANKIND.
"NOW THEN, MY SONS, LISTEN TO ME: BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO KEEP MY WAYS. LISTEN TO MY INSTRUCTION and BE WISE, DO NOT IGNORE IT. BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO LISTENS TO ME, WATCHING DAILY AT MY DOORS, (WORDS) WAITING AT MY DOORWAY. (GRACE) FOR WHOEVER FINDS ME FINDS LIFE and RECIEVES FAVOR FROM THE LORD. BUT WHOEVER FAILS TO FIND ME HARMS HIMSELF; ALLWHO HATE ME LOVE DEATH."
INVITATIONS OF WISDOM AND FOLLY:
WISDOM has built her house; she has hewn out its SEVEN PILLARS. (2PET.5-7) She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table. She has sent out her maids, and she calls from the highest point of the city. "LET ALL WHO ARE SIMPLE COME IN HERE!" she says to those who LACK JUDGMENT. "Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed. Leave your SIMPLE WAYS and YOU will LIVE; WALK IN THE WAY OF UNDERSTANDING. WHOEVER CORRECTS A MOCKER INVITES INSULT; WHOEVER REBUKES A WICKED MAN INCURS ABUSE. DO NOT REBUKE A MOCKER OR HE WILL HATE YOU; REBUKE A WISE MAN and HE WILL LOVE YOU. INSTRUCT A WISE MAN and HE WILL BE WISER STILL; TEACH A RIGHTEOUS MAN and HE WILL ADD TO HIS LEARNING. "THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM, and KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOLY ONE IS UNDERSTANDING. FOR THROUGH ME YOUR DAYS WILL BE MANY, and YEARS WILL BE ADDED TO YOUR LIFE. IF YOU ARE WISE, YOUR WISDOM WILL REWARD YOU; IF YOU ARE A MOCKER, YOU ALONE WILL SUFFER."
The WOMAN FOLLY is loud; she is UNDISCIPLINED and WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE. She sits at the door of her house, on a seat at the HIGHEST POINT OF THE CITY, CALLING OUT to those who pass by; who go STRAIGHT on their way. "LET ALL WHO ARE SIMPLE COME IN HERE!" she says to those who LACK JUDGEMENT. "STOLEN WATER IS SWEET; FOOD EATEN IN SECRET IS DELICIOUS!" BUT LITTLE DO THEY KNOW THAT THE DEAD ARE THERE, THAT HER GUESTS ARE IN THE DEPTHS OF THE GRAVE. AMEN!
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