A King Is Like Everyone Else

1-2Like every human being, I am mortal. I am a descendant of that first man, who was made from the soil. I was conceived from the sperm of a man, in the pleasure of intercourse. For nine months my flesh took shape in the blood of my mother's womb. 3When I was born, I came into the world like anyone else. I began to breathe the same air we all breathe; and like everyone else, the first sound I made was a cry. 4I was wrapped in cloths and cared for. 5No king ever began life differently. 6For all of us, there is one way into life, and there is one way out.

Solomon Declares His Love for Wisdom

77.7: 1 Kgs 3.6–9; Wis 9.1–18Realizing that I was only human, I prayed and was given understanding. The spirit of Wisdom came to me. 8I regarded her more highly than any throne or crown. Wealth was nothing compared to her. 9Precious jewels could not equal her worth; beside Wisdom all the gold in the world is a handful of sand, and silver is nothing more than clay. 10I valued her more than health and good looks. Hers is a brightness that never grows dim, and I preferred it to any other light.

11When Wisdom came to me, all good things came with her. She brought me untold riches. 12I was happy with them all, because Wisdom had brought them to me. I had not realized before that she was the source of all these things. 13I was sincere in learning from her, and now I am glad to share what I learnt. 14No one can ever exhaust the treasures of Wisdom. Use those treasures and you are God's friends; he approves of what you learn from her.

15I pray to God that my thoughts may be worthy of what I have learnt, and that I may speak according to his will. He is Wisdom's guide; he gives correction to those who are wise. 16We are under his power and authority — we ourselves, our words, all our understanding and skills. 17It is he who gave me true knowledge of the forces of nature: what the world is made of; how the elements behave; 18how the calendar is determined by the movements of the sun, the changing seasons, 19the constellations, and the cycles of years. 20He has taught me about the nature of living creatures, the behaviour of wild animals, the force of the winds, the reasoning powers of human beings, the different kinds of plants, and the use of their roots as medicine. 21I learnt things that were well known and things that had never been known before, 22because Wisdom, who gave shape to everything that exists, was my teacher.

The Nature of Wisdom

The spirit of Wisdom is intelligent and holy. It is of one nature but reveals itself in many ways. It is not made of any material substance, and it moves about freely. It is clear, clean, and confident; it cannot be harmed.7.22 cannot be harmed; or does no harm. It loves what is good. It is sharp and unconquerable, 23kind, and a friend of humanity. It is dependable and sure, and has no worries. It has power over everything, and sees everything. It penetrates every spirit that is intelligent and pure, no matter how delicate its substance may be.

24Wisdom moves more easily than motion itself; she is so pure that she penetrates everything. 25She is a breath of God's power — a pure and radiant stream of glory from the Almighty. Nothing that is defiled can ever steal its way into Wisdom. 26She is a reflection of eternal light, a perfect mirror of God's activity and goodness. 27Even though Wisdom acts alone, she can do anything. She makes everything new, although she herself never changes. From generation to generation she enters the souls of holy people, and makes them God's friends and prophets. 28There is nothing that God loves more than people who are at home with Wisdom. 29Wisdom is more beautiful than the sun and all the constellations. She is better than light itself, 30because night always follows day, but evil never overcomes Wisdom.