Ecclesiasticus 51

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

1I will thank thee, O Lord and King, and praise thee, O God my Saviour: I do give praise unto thy name:

I will thank thee, O Lord and King, and praise thee, O Source my Saviour: I do give praise unto thy name:

2For thou art my defender and helper, and has preserved my body from destruction, and from the snare of the slanderous tongue, and from the lips that forge lies, and has been mine helper against mine adversaries:

For thou art my defender and helper, and hast preserved my body from destruction, and from the snare of the slanderous tongue, and from the lips that forge lies, and hast been mine helper against mine adversaries — against the adversarial states that rose within and without:

3And hast delivered me, according to the multitude of thy mercies and greatness of thy name, from the teeth of them that were ready to devour me, and out of the hands of such as sought after my life, and from the manifold afflictions which I had;

And hast delivered me, according to the multitude of thy mercies and greatness of thy name, from the teeth of them that were ready to devour me, and out of the hands of such as sought after my life, and from the manifold afflictions which I had;

4From the choking of fire on every side, and from the midst of the fire which I kindled not;

From the choking of fire on every side, and from the midst of the fire which I kindled not — truth's consuming fire closing round a state that did not light it;

5From the depth of the belly of hell, from an unclean tongue, and from lying words.

From the depth of the belly of hell — the shadow-state's very depth — from an unclean tongue, and from lying words.

6By an accusation to the king from an unrighteous tongue my soul drew near even unto death, my life was near to the hell beneath.

By an accusation to the king from an unrighteous tongue my soul drew near even unto death, my life was near to the hell beneath — near the shadow-state below.

7They compassed me on every side, and there was no man to help me: I looked for the succour of men, but there was none.

They compassed me on every side, and there was no man to help me: I looked for the succour of men, but there was none.

8Then thought I upon thy mercy, O Lord, and upon thy acts of old, how thou deliverest such as wait for thee, and savest them out of the hands of the enemies.

Then thought I upon thy mercy, O indwelling LORD, and upon thy acts of old, how thou deliverest such as wait for thee, and savest them out of the hands of the enemies.

9Then lifted I up my supplications from the earth, and prayed for deliverance from death.

Then lifted I up my supplications from the earth — from the outer life itself — and prayed for deliverance from death.

10I called upon the Lord, the Father of my Lord, that he would not leave me in the days of my trouble, and in the time of the proud, when there was no help.

I called upon the indwelling LORD, the Father of my Lord, that he would not leave me in the days of my trouble, and in the time of the proud, when there was no help.

11I will praise thy name continually, and will sing praises with thanksgiving; and so my prayer was heard:

I will praise thy name continually, and will sing praises with thanksgiving; and so my prayer was heard:

12For thou savedst me from destruction, and deliveredst me from the evil time: therefore will I give thanks, and praise thee, and bless thy name, O Lord.

For thou savedst me from destruction, and deliveredst me from the evil time: therefore will I give thanks, and praise thee, and bless thy name, O indwelling LORD.

13When I was yet young, or ever I went abroad, I desired wisdom openly in my prayer.

When I was yet young, or ever I went abroad, I desired wisdom openly in my prayer — Wisdom, the divine Love-Wisdom of the Source, ordering all things, sought openly from the first.

14I prayed for her before the temple, and will seek her out even to the end.

I prayed for her before the temple — before the established sanctuary-state — and will seek her out even to the end.

15Even from the flower till the grape was ripe hath my heart delighted in her: my foot went the right way, from my youth up sought I after her.

Even from the flower till the grape was ripe has my heart delighted in her: my foot went the right way, from my youth up sought I after her.

16I bowed down mine ear a little, and received her, and gat much learning.

I bowed down mine ear a little, and received her, and got much learning.

17I profited therein, therefore will I ascribe glory unto him that giveth me wisdom.

I profited therein, therefore will I ascribe glory unto him that gives me wisdom.

18For I purposed to do after her, and earnestly I followed that which is good; so shall I not be confounded.

For I purposed to do after her, and earnestly I followed that which is good; so shall I not be confounded.

19My soul hath wrestled with her, and in my doings I was exact: I stretched forth my hands to the heaven above, and bewailed my ignorances of her.

My soul has wrestled with her — the night-struggle of the soul that refuses release until the blessing — and in my doings I was exact: I stretched forth my hands to the heaven above, the inner realm, and bewailed my ignorances of her.

20I directed my soul unto her, and I found her in pureness: I have had my heart joined with her from the beginning, therefore shall I not be foresaken.

I directed my soul unto her, and I found her in pureness: I have had my heart joined with her from the beginning, therefore shall I not be forsaken.

21My heart was troubled in seeking her: therefore have I gotten a good possession.

My heart was troubled in seeking her: therefore have I gotten a good possession.

22The Lord hath given me a tongue for my reward, and I will praise him therewith.

The indwelling LORD has given me a tongue for my reward, and I will praise him therewith — speech itself given back as the faculty of praise.

23Draw near unto me, ye unlearned, and dwell in the house of learning.

Draw near unto me, ye unlearned, and dwell in the house of learning.

24Wherefore are ye slow, and what say ye to these things, seeing your souls are very thirsty?

Wherefore are ye slow, and what say ye to these things, seeing your souls are very thirsty? — the soul's thirst for the waters of truth.

25I opened my mouth, and said, Buy her for yourselves without money.

I opened my mouth, and said, Buy her for yourselves without money — take Wisdom, who is not bought, as the free gift she is.

26Put your neck under the yoke, and let your soul receive instruction: she is hard at hand to find.

Put your neck under the yoke, and let your soul receive instruction: she is hard at hand to find.

27Behold with your eyes, how that I have but little labour, and have gotten unto me much rest.

Behold with your eyes, how that I have but little labour, and have gotten unto me much rest — rest in the Source, the Sabbath-state of the soul that has found her.

28Get learning with a great sum of money, and get much gold by her.

Get learning with a great sum of money, and get much gold by her.

29Let your soul rejoice in his mercy, and be not ashamed of his praise.

Let your soul rejoice in his mercy, and be not ashamed of his praise.

30Work your work betimes, and in his time he will give you your reward.

Work your work betimes, and in his time he will give you your reward.

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