Ben Sira 48:15-25

15 Solomon reigned in days of peace, and God brought all his enemies under him, that he might build a house in his name, and prepare a sanctuary for ever: O how wise wast thou in thy youth!
16 And thou wast filled as a river with wisdom, and thy soul covered the earth.
17 And thou didst multiply riddles in parables: thy name went abroad to the islands far off, and thou wast beloved in thy peace.
18 The countries wondered at thee for thy canticles, and proverbs, and parables, and interpretations,
19 And at the name of the Lord God, whose surname is, God of Israel.
20 Thou didst gather gold as copper, and didst multiply silver as lead,
21 And thou didst bow thyself to women: and by thy body thou wast brought under subjection.
22 Thou hast stained thy glory, and defiled thy seed so as to bring wrath upon thy children, and to have thy folly kindled,
23 That thou shouldst make the kingdom to be divided, and out of Ephraim a rebellious kingdom to rule.
24 But God will not leave off his mercy, and he will not destroy, nor abolish his own works, neither will he out up by the roots the offspring of his elect: and he will not utterly take away the seed of him that loveth the Lord.
25 Wherefore he gave a remnant to Jacob, and to David of the same stock.
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