Ecclesiasticus 39

How to read these pages: the text itself comes first, verse by verse, in the volume's own translation. Beneath each verse stands its Meaning — a rendering of what the passage's terms name in the inner life, drawn from the correspondences the text itself uses. The text is never altered; the meaning is offered, not imposed.

King James Version

1But he that giveth his mind to the law of the most High, and is occupied in the meditation thereof, will seek out the wisdom of all the ancient, and be occupied in prophecies.

But he that gives his mind to the law of the most High — the written order of the divine life — and is occupied in the meditation thereof, will seek out the wisdom of all the ancient, and be occupied in prophecies — the forth-tellings of the faculties that heard the Source.

2He will keep the sayings of the renowned men: and where subtil parables are, he will be there also.

He will keep the sayings of the renowned men: and where subtil parables are — outer stories carrying inner truth in its finer turns — he will be there also.

3He will seek out the secrets of grave sentences, and be conversant in dark parables.

He will seek out the secrets of grave sentences, and be conversant in dark parables.

4He shall serve among great men, and appear before princes: he will travel through strange countries; for he hath tried the good and the evil among men.

He shall serve among great men, and appear before princes — the ruling states: he will travel through strange countries, through states foreign to his own; for he has tried the good and the evil among men.

5He will give his heart to resort early to the Lord that made him, and will pray before the most High, and will open his mouth in prayer, and make supplication for his sins.

He will give his heart to resort early to the indwelling LORD that made him, and will pray before the most High, and will open his mouth in prayer, and make supplication for his sins — for his own missing of the mark.

6When the great Lord will, he shall be filled with the spirit of understanding: he shall pour out wise sentences, and give thanks unto the Lord in his prayer.

When the great indwelling LORD wills, he shall be filled with the Spirit of understanding — the Breath of the acting Presence filling the faculty: he shall pour out wise sentences, and give thanks unto the indwelling LORD in his prayer.

7He shall direct his counsel and knowledge, and in his secrets shall he meditate.

He shall direct his counsel and knowledge, and in his secrets shall he meditate.

8He shall shew forth that which he hath learned, and shall glory in the law of the covenant of the Lord.

He shall show forth that which he has learned, and shall glory in the law of the covenant of the indwelling LORD — the order of the relationship written into the state.

9Many shall commend his understanding; and so long as the world endureth, it shall not be blotted out; his memorial shall not depart away, and his name shall live from generation to generation.

Many shall commend his understanding; and so long as the world endures, it shall not be blotted out; his memorial shall not depart away, and his name shall live from generation to generation — from state to succeeding state.

10Nations shall shew forth his wisdom, and the congregation shall declare his praise.

Nations shall show forth his wisdom, and the congregation — the gathered company of faculties — shall declare his praise.

11If he die, he shall leave a greater name than a thousand: and if he live, he shall increase it.

If he die, he shall leave a greater name than a thousand: and if he live, he shall increase it.

12Yet have I more to say, which I have thought upon; for I am filled as the moon at the full.

Yet have I more to say, which I have thought upon; for I am filled as the moon at the full — as the lesser light, reflected faith, at its fullness of borrowed light.

13Hearken unto me, ye holy children, and bud forth as a rose growing by the brook of the field:

Hearken unto me, ye holy children — states set apart to the Source — and bud forth as a rose growing by the brook of the field:

14And give ye a sweet savour as frankincense, and flourish as a lily, send forth a smell, and sing a song of praise, bless the Lord in all his works.

And give ye a sweet savour as frankincense, and flourish as a lily, send forth a smell, and sing a song of praise — Praise itself, Judah's song — bless the indwelling LORD in all his works.

15Magnify his name, and shew forth his praise with the songs of your lips, and with harps, and in praising him ye shall say after this manner:

Magnify his name, and show forth his praise with the songs of your lips, and with harps, and in praising him ye shall say after this manner:

16All the works of the Lord are exceeding good, and whatsoever he commandeth shall be accomplished in due season.

All the works of the indwelling LORD are exceeding good, and whatsoever he commands shall be accomplished in due season — in its ordered change of state.

17And none may say, What is this? wherefore is that? for at time convenient they shall all be sought out: at his commandment the waters stood as an heap, and at the words of his mouth the receptacles of waters.

And none may say, What is this? wherefore is that? for at time convenient they shall all be sought out: at his commandment the waters — the unformed thoughts — stood as an heap, and at the words of his mouth the receptacles of waters, the reservoirs of thought.

18At his commandment is done whatsoever pleaseth him; and none can hinder, when he will save.

At his commandment is done whatsoever pleases him; and none can hinder, when he will save.

19The works of all flesh are before him, and nothing can be hid from his eyes.

The works of all flesh are before him — every faculty in its sense-bound life lies open before Him — and nothing can be hid from his eyes.

20He seeth from everlasting to everlasting; and there is nothing wonderful before him.

He sees from everlasting to everlasting; and there is nothing wonderful before him — nothing stands outside His knowing.

21A man need not to say, What is this? wherefore is that? for he hath made all things for their uses.

A man need not to say, What is this? wherefore is that? for he has made all things for their uses.

22His blessing covered the dry land as a river, and watered it as a flood.

His blessing — divine increase by spiritual law — covered the dry land, the formed stable consciousness, as a river, the current of life, and watered it as a flood, the inundation that covers the old earth.

23As he hath turned the waters into saltness: so shall the heathen inherit his wrath.

As he has turned the waters into saltness: so shall the heathen — the outer sense-nations — inherit his wrath, the order confronting them in the form their own state has chosen.

24As his ways are plain unto the holy; so are they stumblingblocks unto the wicked.

As his ways are plain unto the holy — the states wholly of the divine order; so are they stumblingblocks unto the wicked — the states twisted away from the order.

25For the good are good things created from the beginning: so evil things for sinners.

For the good are good things created from the beginning — from the first principle: so evil things for sinners — for the states that miss the mark, the consequences of error prepared by error itself.

26The principal things for the whole use of man’s life are water, fire, iron, and salt, flour of wheat, honey, milk, and the blood of the grape, and oil, and clothing.

The principal things for the whole use of man's life are water, fire, iron, and salt, flour of wheat, honey, milk, and the blood of the grape — the life-stream of the vine's fruit, wine, the spiritual essence of truth — and oil, the Spirit's substance, and clothing.

27All these things are for good to the godly: so to the sinners they are turned into evil.

All these things are for good to the godly: so to the sinners — the error-bound states — they are turned into evil, each gift taking the colour of the state that receives it.

28There be spirits that are created for vengeance, which in their fury lay on sore strokes; in the time of destruction they pour out their force, and appease the wrath of him that made them.

There be spirits that are created for vengeance — breaths appointed to the settling of accounts — which in their fury lay on sore strokes; in the time of destruction they pour out their force, and appease the wrath of him that made them, the confrontation spent when its work is done.

29Fire, and hail, and famine, and death, all these were created for vengeance;

Fire, and hail, and famine — the lack-state — and death, all these were created for vengeance, for the settling of the order against disorder;

30Teeth of wild beasts, and scorpions, serpents, and the sword punishing the wicked to destruction.

Teeth of wild beasts — the untamed instincts — and scorpions, serpents — the subtle sense-consciousness — and the sword, the cutting word of judgment, punishing the wicked to destruction.

31They shall rejoice in his commandment, and they shall be ready upon earth, when need is; and when their time is come, they shall not transgress his word.

They shall rejoice in his commandment, and they shall be ready upon earth, in the outer life, when need is; and when their time is come, they shall not transgress his word.

32Therefore from the beginning I was resolved, and thought upon these things, and have left them in writing.

Therefore from the beginning — from the first principle — I was resolved, and thought upon these things, and have left them in writing.

33All the works of the Lord are good: and he will give every needful thing in due season.

All the works of the indwelling LORD are good: and he will give every needful thing in due season.

34So that a man cannot say, This is worse than that: for in time they shall all be well approved.

So that a man cannot say, This is worse than that: for in time they shall all be well approved.

35And therefore praise ye the Lord with the whole heart and mouth, and bless the name of the Lord.

And therefore praise ye the indwelling LORD with the whole heart and mouth, and bless the name of the indwelling LORD.

Companion volume to The Why Bible — the King James Apocrypha, rendered in its spiritual meanings. First final edition, October 2026.