New English [1970], THE NEW ENGLISH BIBLE (OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS; CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS, CAMBRIDGE) [word count] [B16000].
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Epilogue
1 I thank thee, my Lord and King,
I praise thee, my God and Saviour,
I give thee thanks,
2 because thou hast been my protector and helper,
rescuing me from death,
from the trap laid by a slanderous tongue
and from lips that utter lies.
In the face of my assailants thou didst come to my help;
3 in the fullness of thy mercy and glory thou didst rescue me
from grinding teeth which waited to devour me,
from hands that threatened my life,
from the many troubles I endured,
4 from the choking fire around me,
from the flames I had not kindled,
5 from the deep recesses of the grave,
from the foul tongue and its lies—
6 a wicked slander spoken in the king's presence.
I came near to death;
I was on the brink of the grave.
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Epilogue
7 They surrounded me on every side,
and there was no one to help me.
I looked for human aid and there was none.
8 Then I remembered thy mercy, Lord,
thy deeds in bygone days;
thou dost deliver those who patiently trust thee
and free them from the power of their enemies.
9 So I sent up a prayer from the earth
and begged for rescue from death.
10 I cried, ‘Lord, thou art my Father; note
do not desert me in time of trouble,
when I am helpless in the face of arrogance.
11 I will praise thee continually,
I will sing hymns of thanksgiving.’
And my prayer was granted;
12 for thou didst save me from death
and rescue me from my desperate plight.
Therefore I will thank thee and praise thee
and bless thee, O Lord.
13 When I was still young, before I set out on my travels,
I asked openly for wisdom in my prayers.
14 In the forecourt of the sanctuary I laid claim to her,
and I shall seek her out to the end.
15 From the first blossom to the ripening of the grape
she has been the delight of my heart.
From my youth my steps have followed her without swerving.
16 I had hardly begun to listen when I was rewarded,
and I gained for myself much instruction.
17 I made progress in my studies;
all honour to him who gives me wisdom!
18 I determined to practise what I had learnt;
I pursued goodness, and shall never regret it.
19 I strove for wisdom with all my might,
and was scrupulous in whatever I did.
I spread out my hands to heaven above,
deploring my ignorance;
20 I set my heart on possessing wisdom,
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Epilogue
and by keeping myself pure I found her.
With her I gained understanding from the first;
therefore I shall never be at a loss.
21 Because I passionately yearned to discover her,
I won a noble prize.
22 The Lord gave me eloquence as my reward,
and with it I will praise him.
23 Come to me, you who need instruction,
and lodge in my house of learning.
24 Why do you admit to a lack of these things,
yet leave your great thirst unslaked?
25 I have made my proclamation:
‘Buy for yourselves without money,
26 bend your neck to the yoke,
be ready to accept discipline;
you need not go far to find it.’
27 See for yourselves how little were my labours
compared with the great peace I have found.
28 Your share of instruction may cost you a large sum of silver,
but it will bring you a large return in gold.
29 May you take delight in the Lord's mercy
and never be ashamed of praising him.
30 Do your duty in good time,
and in his own time he will reward you.
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New English [1970], THE NEW ENGLISH BIBLE (OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS; CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS, CAMBRIDGE) [word count] [B16000].
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