^{1 Ref} Doth not wisdom call? And understanding give forth her voice?

^{2 Ref} At the head of high places by the way, Between the paths she hath stood,

^{3 Ref} At the side of the gates, at the mouth of the city, The entrance of the openings, she crieth aloud,

^{4 Ref} `Unto you, O men, I call, And my voice `is' unto the sons of men.

^{5 Ref} Understand, ye simple ones, prudence, And ye fools, understand the heart,

^{6 Ref} Hearken, for noble things I speak, And the opening of my lips `is' uprightness.

^{7 Ref} For truth doth my mouth utter, And an abomination to my lips `is' wickedness.

^{8 Ref} In righteousness `are' all the sayings of my mouth, Nothing in them is froward and perverse.

^{9 Ref} All of them `are' plain to the intelligent, And upright to those finding knowledge.

^{10 Ref} Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold.

^{11 Ref} For better `is' wisdom than rubies, Yea, all delights are not comparable with it.

^{12 Ref} I, wisdom, have dwelt with prudence, And a knowledge of devices I find out.

^{13 Ref} The fear of Jehovah `is' to hate evil; Pride, and arrogance, and an evil way, And a froward mouth, I have hated.

^{14 Ref} Mine `is' counsel and substance, I `am' understanding, I have might.

^{15 Ref} By me kings reign, and princes decree righteousness,

¹⁶ By me do chiefs rule, and nobles, All judges of the earth.

^{17 Ref} I love those loving me, And those seeking me earnestly do find me.

^{18 Ref} Wealth and honour `are' with me, Lasting substance and righteousness.

^{19 Ref} Better `is' my fruit than gold, even fine gold, And mine increase than choice silver.

^{20 Ref} In a path of righteousness I cause to walk, In midst of paths of judgment,

^{21 Ref} To cause my lovers to inherit substance, Yea, their treasures I fill.

^{22 Ref} Jehovah possessed me -- the beginning of His way, Before His works since then.

^{23 Ref} From the age I was anointed, from the first, From former states of the earth.

^{24 Ref} In there being no depths, I was brought forth, In there being no fountains heavy `with' waters,

^{25 Ref} Before mountains were sunk, Before heights, I was brought forth.

^{26 Ref} While He had not made the earth, and out-places, And the top of the dusts of the world.

^{27 Ref} In His preparing the heavens I `am' there, In His decreeing a circle on the face of the deep,

²⁸ In His strengthening clouds above, In His making strong fountains of the deep,

^{29 Ref} In His setting for the sea its limit, And the waters transgress not His command, In His decreeing the foundations of earth,

^{30 Ref} Then I am near Him, a workman, And I am a delight -- day by day. Rejoicing before Him at all times,

^{31 Ref} Rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth, And my delights `are' with the sons of men.

^{32 Ref} And now, ye sons, hearken to me, Yea, happy are they who keep my ways.

^{33 Ref} Hear instruction, and be wise, and slight not.

^{34 Ref} O the happiness of the man hearkening to me, To watch at my doors day by day, To watch at the door-posts of my entrance.

^{35 Ref} For whoso is finding me, hath found life, And bringeth out good-will from Jehovah.

^{36 Ref} And whoso is missing me, is wronging his soul, All hating me have loved death!

^{1 Ref} Is not wisdom crying out, and the voice of knowledge sounding?

^{2 Ref} At the top of the highways, at the meeting of the roads, she takes her place;

^{3 Ref} Where the roads go into the town her cry goes out, at the doorways her voice is loud:

^{4 Ref} I am crying out to you, O men; my voice comes to the sons of men.

^{5 Ref} Become expert in reason, O you simple ones; you foolish ones, take training to heart.

^{6 Ref} Give ear, for my words are true, and my lips are open to give out what is upright.

^{7 Ref} For good faith goes out of my mouth, and false lips are disgusting to me.

^{8 Ref} All the words of my mouth are righteousness; there is nothing false or twisted in them.

^{9 Ref} They are all true to him whose mind is awake, and straightforward to those who get knowledge.

^{10 Ref} Take my teaching, and not silver; get knowledge in place of the best gold.

^{11 Ref} For wisdom is better than jewels, and all things which may be desired are nothing in comparison with her.

^{12 Ref} I, wisdom, have made wise behaviour my near relation; I am seen to be the special friend of wise purposes.

^{13 Ref} The fear of the Lord is seen in hating evil: pride, a high opinion of oneself, the evil way, and the false tongue, are unpleasing to me.

^{14 Ref} Wise design and good sense are mine; reason and strength are mine.

^{15 Ref} Through me kings have their power, and rulers give right decisions.

¹⁶ Through me chiefs have authority, and the noble ones are judging in righteousness.

^{17 Ref} Those who have given me their love are loved by me, and those who make search for me with care will get me.

^{18 Ref} Wealth and honour are in my hands, even wealth without equal and righteousness.

^{19 Ref} My fruit is better than gold, even than the best gold; and my increase is more to be desired than silver.

^{20 Ref} I go in the road of righteousness, in the way of right judging:

^{21 Ref} So that I may give my lovers wealth for their heritage, making their store-houses full.

^{22 Ref} The Lord made me as the start of his way, the first of his works in the past.

^{23 Ref} From eternal days I was given my place, from the birth of time, before the earth was.

^{24 Ref} When there was no deep I was given birth, when there were no fountains flowing with water.

^{25 Ref} Before the mountains were put in their places, before the hills was my birth:

^{26 Ref} When he had not made the earth or the fields or the dust of the world.

^{27 Ref} When he made ready the heavens I was there: when he put an arch over the face of the deep:

²⁸ When he made strong the skies overhead: when the fountains of the deep were fixed:

^{29 Ref} When he put a limit to the sea, so that the waters might not go against his word: when he put in position the bases of the earth:

^{30 Ref} Then I was by his side, as a master workman: and I was his delight from day to day, playing before him at all times;

^{31 Ref} Playing in his earth; and my delight was with the sons of men.

^{32 Ref} Give ear to me then, my sons: for happy are those who keep my ways.

^{33 Ref} Take my teaching and be wise; do not let it go.

^{34 Ref} Happy is the man who gives ear to me, watching at my doors day by day, keeping his place by the pillars of my house.

^{35 Ref} For whoever gets me gets life, and grace from the Lord will come to him.

^{36 Ref} But he who does evil to me, does wrong to his soul: all my haters are in love with death.

^{1 Ref} Doth not wisdom cry, And understanding put forth her voice?

^{2 Ref} On the top of high places by the way, Where the paths meet, she standeth;

^{3 Ref} Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, At the coming in at the doors, she crieth aloud:

^{4 Ref} Unto you, O men, I call; And my voice is to the sons of men.

^{5 Ref} O ye simple, understand prudence; And, ye fools, be of an understanding heart.

^{6 Ref} Hear, for I will speak excellent things; And the opening of my lips shall be right things.

^{7 Ref} For my mouth shall utter truth; And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

^{8 Ref} All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; There is nothing crooked or perverse in them.

^{9 Ref} They are all plain to him that understandeth, And right to them that find knowledge.

^{10 Ref} Receive my instruction, and not silver; And knowledge rather than choice gold.

^{11 Ref} For wisdom is better than rubies; And all the things that may be desired are not to be compared unto it.

^{12 Ref} I wisdom have made prudence my dwelling, And find out knowledge `and' discretion.

^{13 Ref} The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil: Pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, And the perverse mouth, do I hate.

^{14 Ref} Counsel is mine, and sound knowledge: I am understanding; I have might.

^{15 Ref} By me kings reign, And princes decree justice.

¹⁶ By me princes rule, And nobles, `even' all the judges of the earth.

^{17 Ref} I love them that love me; And those that seek me diligently shall find me.

^{18 Ref} Riches and honor are with me; `Yea', durable wealth and righteousness.

^{19 Ref} My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; And my revenue than choice silver.

^{20 Ref} I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice;

^{21 Ref} That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance, And that I may fill their treasuries.

^{22 Ref} Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, Before his works of old.

^{23 Ref} I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, Before the earth was.

^{24 Ref} When there were no depths, I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water.

^{25 Ref} Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills was I brought forth;

^{26 Ref} While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, Nor the beginning of the dust of the world.

^{27 Ref} When he established the heavens, I was there: When he set a circle upon the face of the deep,

²⁸ When he made firm the skies above, When the fountains of the deep became strong,

^{29 Ref} When he gave to the sea its bound, That the waters should not transgress his commandment, When he marked out the foundations of the earth;

^{30 Ref} Then I was by him, `as' a master workman; And I was daily `his' delight, Rejoicing always before him,

^{31 Ref} Rejoicing in his habitable earth; And my delight was with the sons of men.

^{32 Ref} Now therefore, `my' sons, hearken unto me; For blessed are they that keep my ways.

^{33 Ref} Hear instruction, and be wise, And refuse it not.

^{34 Ref} Blessed is the man that heareth me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors.

^{35 Ref} For whoso findeth me findeth life, And shall obtain favor of Jehovah.

^{36 Ref} But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: All they that hate me love death.