I WOULD seek unto God;
And unto God would | I com | mit my | cause,
Which doeth great things and un I searchable,
Marvelous thingswithout | number.
If I speak of strength, lo! [ he is I strong;
And if of judgment, who shall I set me a | time to
plead ! If I justify myself, my own mouth shall cani | demin
me; If I say, I am perfect, it shall | also prove me per
verse.
Shall mortal man be more I just than | God !
Shall a man be more 1 púre than his | Maker ?
Behold, he putteth no trust in his servants,
And his , angels he chargeth with folly :
How much less
In them that | dwell in | houses of clay,
Whose foundation is in the dust,
Who are | crushed be | fore the moth!
Prhold, happy is the man whom God cor recleth. Therefore despise not thou the chastening of the
Almighty For he maketh sore, anů | bindeth l up He woundeth, , and his hands make | whole. In famine he shall re | deem thee from | death ; And in war, | from the power of the I sword : Thou shalt be hid from ihe scourge of the tongue ; Neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when
it cometh.
CANST thou by searching | find cút God!
Canst thou find out the Almighty | to perfection!
The heights of heaven! | what canst thcu do!
Deeper ihan the grave! | what I canst thou / know?
The measure thereof is longer than the earth,
And broader than the sea.
He doeth great things past | finding out,
Yea, and I wonders without number.
Lo, he goeth before me, and I see him | not ;
He passeth on also, but I do not per | ceive him,
Behold, he taketh away, 'who can hinder him?
Who will say unto him, What doest | thou ?
Behold, I go forward, but he is not there;
And backward, | but I cannot perceive him :
On the left hand, where he doth / work,
But I can not be | hold him :
He hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot
see him.
But he knoweth the way that I take:
When he hath tried me,
I shall cane farth as gold.
There is a path which ( no fowl ! knoweth,
And which the yulture's ! eye liath nct | seen.
But where shall wisdom be fund,
And where is the place of under / standing:
Man knoweth not the price thereof;
Neither is it found in the I land of the | living:
The deep saith, It is not in | me;
And the sea saith, | It is not in | mė.
It cannot be I gotten fir | gold;
Neither shall silver be weighed for the price
there if. No mention shall be made of coral | cr of pearis ; For the price of wisdom | is above | rubies.
whence then cometh | wisdom, And where is the place of | under / standing? Destruction and death sky, “We have heard ihe fame thereof with our í ears.
God understandeth the way there if,
And he knoweth the place there (f.
And unto man he saith, Behold, the fear of the
Lord that is wisdom;
And to depart from evil is / linder / stardirg.
MY sin, fur | get not my I law ;
Bee lei why I heart ; keep my | précépis:
Fir lengih of days, and I years of | life,
And peace | they will add un to ibee.
Let not mercy and fruih för sake thee;
Bind them about thy neck; write tliem upon the
tallet of thy heart.
Then shalt ihou find favour and I good es | teem,
In the sight of God and man:
Trust in the Lord with all thy heart;
And lan not on thy I own under | standing,
In all thy ways acknowledge him,
And he will di | recl thy | paths.
My soni, despise not the chastening of the Lord :
Neither be weary of his cor | rection :
For whom ihe Lord loveth, he cor reciéth :
Even as a father the son in whom he delighteth:
Enter not into the path of the wicked,
And may not in the way of evil | mea.
Avoid it, pass not by it,
Turn, from it and pass a way.
The path of the righteons is as the dawning light,
Thai shineth more and more un | iil the perfect
clav,
Biri Ilie way of the wicked | is as I darkness ;
They know not at what they stumble.
Keep the heart with al diligence :
Forint of it are the lissties of life.
Let thine eyes | look right | 011,
And let thine eyelids I look' | straight be | fire these
Ponder the path of thy | feet :
So shall | ail thy | ways be established.
Turn not to the right hand i nor to the left;
Re | move thy foot from evil.
SELECTED FROM PROVERBS III, IV.
HAPPY the man who findeih I wisdim!
And the man who getrech | under I siauring:
For the merchandise if it is belter than the merchan
dise of silver,
Aąd the gains of it | than fine gild.
More precious is its produce than pearls :
And all thou canst desire is not to Le cum i pared
untu it. Length of days is in her right hand : And in her i lett land í riches and i hun ur. Her ways are ways of pleasadiness, And , all her ! paths are peace. A tree of life is she to them that take hold of her, And happy is every one that relaineth her. Fursake her not, and she will preserve thee; Love her, and she will keep thee. Take fast hold of instruction : 1 let her not go : Kçep her, for she is thy lite.
When thru walkest, thy steps shall | uot be | straighi:
ened ; And if thuu runncst, I thou shalt not | siumble.
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