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

Does not wisdom call, And understanding lift up her voice?

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

On top of the heights beside the way, Where the paths meet, she takes her stand;

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

Beside the gates, at the opening to the city, At the entrance of the doors, she cries out:

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

“To 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 naive ones, understand prudence; And, O fools, understand wisdom.

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

“Listen, for I will speak noble things; And the opening of my lips will reveal right things.

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

“For my mouth will utter 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 utterances of my mouth are in righteousness; There is nothing crooked or perverted in them.

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

“They are all straightforward to him who understands, And right to those who find knowledge.

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

“Take my instruction and not silver, And knowledge rather than choicest 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 jewels; And all desirable things cannot compare with her.

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

“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And I find knowledge and discretion.

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 and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate.

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

“ Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding, power is mine.

15 B y me kings reign and rulers decree justice.

“By me kings reign, And rulers decree justice.

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

“By me princes rule, and nobles, All who judge rightly.

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

“I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will 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 honor are with me, Enduring wealth 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, even pure gold, And my yield better than choicest 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 walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice,

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

To endow those who love me with wealth, That I may fill their treasuries.

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

“The Lord possessed me at 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.

“From everlasting I was established, From the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth.

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

“When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no springs abounding with water.

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

“ Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills I was brought forth;

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

While He had not yet made the earth and the fields, Nor the first 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 established the heavens, I was there, When He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,

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

When He made firm the skies above, When the springs of the deep became fixed,

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 set for the sea its boundary So that the water would not transgress His command, When He marked out 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,

Then I was beside Him, as a master workman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him,

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

Rejoicing in the world, His earth, And having my delight in 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, O sons, listen to me, For blessed are they who keep my ways.

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

“ Heed instruction and be wise, And do not neglect it.

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 who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at my doorposts.

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

“For he who finds me finds life And obtains favor from 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 who sins against me injures himself; All those who hate me love death.”