“The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old;
God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells,
How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place;
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.