1 D oes not skillful and godly Wisdom cry out, and understanding raise her voice ?

¶ Doth not wisdom cry, and give her voice to intelligence?

2 O n the top of the heights beside the way, where the paths meet, stands Wisdom;

She stands in the top of high places, by the way at the crossroads of the paths.

3 A t the gates at the entrance of the town, at the coming in at the doors, she cries out:

She cries at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors.

4 T o you, O men, I call, and my voice is directed to the sons of men.

Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of men.

5 O you simple and thoughtless ones, understand prudence; you fools, be of an understanding heart.

O ye simple, understand prudence; and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.

6 H ear, for I will speak excellent and princely things; and the opening of my lips shall be for right things.

Hear, for I will speak of excellent things, and the opening of my lips shall be right things.

7 F or my mouth shall utter truth, and wrongdoing is detestable and loathsome to my lips.

For my mouth shall speak truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

8 A ll the words of my mouth are righteous (upright and in right standing with God); there is nothing contrary to truth or crooked in them.

All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing perverse or twisted in them.

9 T hey are all plain to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge.

They are all plain to him that understands and right to those that have found wisdom.

10 R eceive my instruction in preference to silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold,

Receive my chastening and not silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold.

11 F or skillful and godly Wisdom is better than rubies or pearls, and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.

For wisdom is better than precious stones; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.

12 I , Wisdom, make prudence my dwelling, and I find out knowledge and discretion.

¶ I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I invent the knowledge of giving counsel.

13 T he reverent fear and worshipful awe of the Lord the hatred of evil; pride, arrogance, the evil way, and perverted and twisted speech I hate.

The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; pride, arrogancy, the evil way, and the perverse mouth, do I hate.

14 I have counsel and sound knowledge, I have understanding, I have might and power.

With me is counsel, and existence; I am understanding; strength belongs to me.

15 B y me kings reign and rulers decree justice.

By me the kings reign, and the princes decree justice.

16 B y me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges and governors of the earth.

By me the princes rule, and all of the governors judge the earth.

17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me early and diligently shall find me.

I love those that love me, and those that seek me early shall find me.

18 R iches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and righteousness (uprightness in every area and relation, and right standing with God).

Riches and honour are with me, yea, durable riches and righteousness.

19 M y fruit is better than gold, yes, than refined gold, and my increase than choice silver.

My fruit is better than gold, yea, than precious stones, and my revenue than choice silver.

20 I walk in the way of righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation), in the midst of the paths of justice,

I shall lead in the way of righteousness in the midst of the paths of judgment,

21 T hat I may cause those who love me to inherit riches and that I may fill their treasuries.

that I may cause my friends to inherit existence and I will fill their treasures.

22 T he Lord formed and brought me forth at the beginning of His way, before His acts of old.

¶ The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.

23 I was inaugurated and ordained from everlasting, from the beginning, before ever the earth existed.

I was set up with eternal dominion, from the beginning, before the earth was.

24 W hen there were no deeps, I was brought forth, when there were no fountains laden with water.

I was begotten before the depths, before the existence of the fountains of many waters.

25 B efore the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was brought forth,

Before the mountains were founded, before the hills was I begotten.

26 W hile as yet He had not made the land or the fields or the first of the dust of the earth.

While as yet he had not made the earth nor the fields nor the beginning of the dust of the world,

27 W hen He prepared the heavens, I was there; when He drew a circle upon the face of the deep and stretched out the firmament over it,

when he composed the heavens, I was there. When he set a compass upon the face of the depth,

28 W hen He made firm the skies above, when He established the fountains of the deep,

when he established the clouds above, when he strengthened the fountains of the deep,

29 W hen He gave to the sea its limit and His decree that the waters should not transgress His command, when He appointed the foundations of the earth—

when he gave to the sea his decree that the waters should not pass his commandment, when he appointed the foundations of the earth,

30 T hen I was beside Him as a master and director of the work; and I was daily His delight, rejoicing before Him always,

I was with him ordering everything; I was his delight every day, being content before him at all times;

31 R ejoicing in His inhabited earth and delighting in the sons of men.

I am content in the circumference of his earth, and my contentment is with the sons of men.

32 N ow therefore listen to me, O you sons; for blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are those who keep my ways.

¶ Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye sons; for blessed are those that keep my ways.

33 H ear instruction and be wise, and do not refuse or neglect it.

Hearken unto chastening, and be wise; refuse it not.

34 B lessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.

Blessed is the man that hears me, keeping vigil at my gates, waiting at the threshold of my doors.

35 F or whoever finds me finds life and draws forth and obtains favor from the Lord.

For whosoever finds me shall find life and shall obtain the will of the LORD.

36 B ut he who misses me or sins against me wrongs and injures himself; all who hate me love and court death.

But he that sins against me wrongs his own soul; all those that hate me love death.