THE FIRST BOOK OF ESDRAS

I ESDRAS III, IV

It came to pass in the reign of king Darius, that three young men of the king's bodyguard spake one to another, saying, Let us each write a sentence concerning that which is strongest: and he whose sentence shall seem wiser than the others, unto him shall the king give great gifts, and great honours in token of victory. So they wrote every man his sentence. The first wrote, Wine is the strongest. The second wrote, The king is strongest. The third wrote, Women are strongest but above all things Truth beareth away the victory. Then they took their writings, and delivered them unto the king, and so he read them. And he said unto the young men, Declare unto us your mind concerning the things ye have written.

Then began the first, who had spoken of the strength of wine, and said:

O sirs, how exceeding strong is wine! it causeth all men to err that drink it: it maketh the mind of the king and of the fatherless child to be all one; of the bondman and of the freeman, of the poor man and of the rich: it turneth also every thought into jollity and mirth, so that a man remembereth neither sorrow nor debt: and

when they are in their cups, they forget their love both to friends and brethren, and a little after draw their swords. O sirs, is not wine the strongest, seeing that it enforceth to do thus? Then the second, who had spoken of the strength of the king, began to say:

O sirs, do not men excel in strength, that bear rule over sea and land, and all things in them? But yet is the king stronger: for he is their lord, and hath dominion over them; and in whatsoever he commandeth them they obey him. If he bid them make war one against the other, they do it: and if he send them out against the enemy, they go, and overcome mountains, walls, and towers. They slay and are slain, and transgress not the king's commandment: if they get the victory, they bring all to the king. O sirs, how should not the king be strongest, seeing that in such sort he is obeyed?

Then the third, who had spoken of women, and of Truth, began to speak :

O sirs, is not the king great, and men are many, and wine is strong? who is it then that ruleth them, or hath the lordship over them? are they not women? Women have borne the king and all the people that bear rule by sea and land. Even of them came they: and they nourished them that planted the vineyards, from whence cometh the wine. Yea, a man leaveth his own father, and his own country, and cleaveth unto his wife. By this also must ye know that women have dominion over you: do ye not labour and toil, and bring and give all to

women? Yea, a man taketh his sword, and faceth danger and darkness for his love. 0 sirs, how can it be but women should be strong, seeing they do thus?

Yet, O sirs, is there a stronger than women. Great is the earth, high is the heaven, swift is the sun in his course, for he compasseth the heavens round about, and fetcheth his course again to his own place in one day. Is not the Maker of these things great? All the earth calleth upon Truth, and the heaven blesseth her: for with her is no unrighteous thing. Wine is wicked, the king is wicked, women are wicked; and they all pass away. But as for Truth, she abideth, and is strong for ever; she liveth and conquereth for evermore. With her there is no accepting of persons or rewards; but she doeth the things that are just, and refraineth from all unrighteous and wicked things; and all men do well like of her works. Neither in her judgment is any unrighteousness; and she is the strength, and the kingdom, and the power, and the majesty, of all ages. Blessed be the God of Truth!

And all the people then shouted, and said, Great is Truth, and strong above all things! And the king said unto him, Ask what thou wilt, and we will give it thee; for thou art indeed found wisest of all.

THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON

WISDOM II, III

The ungodly said within themselves, reasoning not aright:

Short and sorrowful is our life;

And there is no healing when a man cometh to his end,

Neither was any man known to return from the grave.

Because by mere chance were we born,

And hereafter we shall be as though we had never been:

For the breath in our nostrils is smoke,

And our reason is a spark kindled by the beating of our heart,

Which being extinguished, the body shall be turned into ashes,

And the spirit shall be dispersed as thin air; And our life shall pass away as the traces of a cloud.

Thus reasoned they, and they were led astray;
For their own ignorance hath blinded them.
For God created man to be immortal,

And made him an image of his own eternity.
In the eyes of the foolish they seem to die;
And their departure is accounted to be misery,
And their journeying from us to be their ruin:
But they are in peace.

For the souls of the righteous are in the hand

of God,

And there shall no evil touch them.

Their reward is in the Lord,

And the care for them with the Most High.

WISDOM III, IV, V

Though the righteous die in his youth, yet shall he be at rest.

For honourable age is not that which standeth in length of days,

Nor that is measured by number of years:
But wisdom is the gray hair unto men,
And an unspotted life is ripe old age.

Having fulfilled his course in a short time, he fulfilled long years;

For his soul was well-pleasing unto the Lord.

This the people saw, and understood it not,
Neither laid they up this in their minds:
That grace and mercy are with his chosen,
And that he hath regard unto his holy ones.
For their ignorance hath blinded them,
And they knew not the mysteries of God,
Neither hoped they for wages of holiness,
Nor did they judge that there is a prize for
blameless souls.

But when they see this, they shall say within themselves:

This is he whose departure was taken for misery, And whose going from us to be utter destruc