1 D oth not wisdom cry, And understanding put forth her voice?

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

2 O n the top of high places by the way, Where the paths meet, she standeth;

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

3 B eside the gates, at the entry of the city, At the coming in at the doors, she crieth aloud:

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

4 U nto you, O men, I call; And my voice is to the sons of men.

`Unto you, O men, I call, And my voice unto the sons of men.

5 O ye simple, understand prudence; And, ye 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 things; And the opening of my lips shall be right things.

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

7 F or my mouth shall utter truth; And wickedness is an abomination 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 in righteousness; There is nothing crooked or perverse 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 that understandeth, And right to them that find knowledge.

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

10 R eceive my instruction, and not silver; And knowledge rather than choice gold.

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

11 F or wisdom is better than rubies; And all the things that may be desired are not to be compared unto it.

For better wisdom than rubies, Yea, all delights are not comparable with it.

12 I wisdom have made prudence my dwelling, And find out knowledge and discretion.

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

13 T he fear of Jehovah is to hate evil: Pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, And the perverse mouth, do I hate.

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

14 C ounsel is mine, and sound knowledge: I am understanding; I have might.

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

15 B y me kings reign, And princes decree justice.

By me kings reign, and princes decree righteousness,

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

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

17 I love them that love me; And those that seek me 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; Yea, durable wealth and righteousness.

Wealth and honour with me, Lasting substance and righteousness.

19 M y fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; And my revenue 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, 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 that love me to inherit substance, And that I may fill their treasuries.

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

22 J ehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, Before his works of old.

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

23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, Before the earth was.

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

24 W hen there were no depths, I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding 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 was I brought forth;

Before mountains were sunk, Before heights, I was brought forth.

26 W hile as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, Nor the beginning of the dust of the world.

While He had not made the earth, and out-places, And the top of the dusts of the world.

27 W hen he established the heavens, I was there: When he set a circle upon the face of the deep,

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 the fountains of the deep became strong,

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

29 W hen he gave to the sea its bound, That the waters should not transgress his commandment, When he marked out 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 by him, as a master workman; And I was daily his delight, Rejoicing always before him,

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 habitable earth; And my delight was with the sons of men.

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

32 N ow therefore, my sons, hearken unto me; For blessed are they that 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 refuse it not.

Hear instruction, and be wise, and slight not.

34 B lessed is the man that heareth 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 whoso findeth me findeth life, And shall obtain favor of Jehovah.

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

36 B ut he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: All they that hate me love death.

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