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

Doth not wisdom call? And understanding give forth her voice?

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

At the head of high places by the way, Between the paths she hath stood,

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

At the side of the gates, at the mouth of the city, The entrance of the openings, she crieth aloud,

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 unto the sons of men.

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

Understand, ye simple ones, prudence, And ye fools, understand the heart,

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

Hearken, for noble things I speak, And the opening of my lips uprightness.

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

For truth doth my mouth utter, And an abomination to my lips wickedness.

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.

In righteousness all the sayings of my mouth, Nothing in them is froward and perverse.

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

All of them plain to the intelligent, And upright to those finding knowledge.

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

Receive my instruction, 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 better wisdom than rubies, Yea, all delights are not comparable with it.

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

I, wisdom, have dwelt with prudence, And a knowledge of devices I find out.

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 Jehovah to hate evil; Pride, and arrogance, and an evil way, And a froward mouth, I have hated.

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

Mine counsel and substance, I understanding, I have might.

15 B y me kings reign and rulers decree justice.

By me kings reign, and princes decree righteousness,

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

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

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

I love those loving me, And those seeking me earnestly do 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).

Wealth and honour with me, Lasting substance and righteousness.

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

Better my fruit than gold, even fine gold, And mine increase 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,

In a path of righteousness I cause to walk, In midst of paths of judgment,

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

To cause my lovers to inherit substance, Yea, their treasures I fill.

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

Jehovah possessed me -- the beginning of His way, Before His works since then.

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

From the age I was anointed, from the first, From former states of the earth.

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

In there being no depths, I was brought forth, In there being no fountains heavy waters,

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

Before mountains were sunk, Before heights, 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 made the earth, and out-places, And the top of the dusts 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,

In His preparing the heavens I there, In His decreeing 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,

In His strengthening clouds above, In His making strong 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—

In His setting for the sea its limit, And the waters transgress not His command, In His decreeing the foundations of 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 am near Him, a workman, And I am a delight -- day by day. Rejoicing before Him at all times,

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

Rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth, And my delights 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.

And now, ye sons, hearken to me, Yea, happy are they who keep my ways.

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

Hear instruction, and be wise, and slight 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.

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

For whoso is finding me, hath found life, And bringeth out good-will from Jehovah.

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

And whoso is missing me, is wronging his soul, All hating me have loved death!