First Reading: Wisdom 8:2-7, 16-18

² I loved her and sought her from my youth, and I desired to take her for my bride, and I became enamored of her beauty.
³ She glorifies her noble birth by living with God, and the Lord of all loves her.
⁴ For she is an initiate in the knowledge of God, and an associate in his works.
⁵ If riches are a desirable possession in life, what is richer than wisdom who effects all things?
⁶ And if understanding is effective, who more than she is fashioner of what exists?
⁷ And if any one loves righteousness, her labors are virtues; for she teaches self-control and prudence, justice and courage; nothing in life is more profitable for men than these.
¹⁶ When I enter my house, I shall find rest with her, for companionship with her has no bitterness, and life with her has no pain, but gladness and joy.
¹⁷ When I considered these things inwardly, and thought upon them in my mind, that in kinship with wisdom there is immortality,
¹⁸ and in friendship with her, pure delight, and in the labors of her hands, unfailing wealth, and in the experience of her company, understanding, and renown in sharing her words, I went about seeking how to get her for myself.