1 D oes not wisdom call, And understanding lift up her voice?

2 O n top of the heights beside the way, Where the paths meet, she takes her stand;

3 B eside the gates, at the opening to the city, At the entrance of the doors, she cries out:

4 “ To you, O men, I call, And my voice is to the sons of men.

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

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

7 “ For my mouth will utter truth; And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

8 “ All the utterances of my mouth are in righteousness; There is nothing crooked or perverted in them.

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

10 “ Take my instruction and not silver, And knowledge rather than choicest gold.

11 “ For wisdom is better than jewels; And all desirable things cannot compare with her.

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

13 “ The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate.

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

15 “ By me kings reign, And rulers decree justice.

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

17 “ I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me.

18 “ Riches and honor are with me, Enduring wealth and righteousness.

19 “ My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold, And my yield better than choicest silver.

20 “ I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice,

21 T o endow those who love me with wealth, That I may fill their treasuries.

22 “ The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old.

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

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

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

26 W hile He had not yet made the earth and the fields, Nor the first dust of the world.

27 “ 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 the springs of the deep became fixed,

29 W hen 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 workman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him,

31 R ejoicing in the world, His earth, And having my delight in the sons of men.

32 “ Now therefore, O sons, listen to me, For blessed are they who keep my ways.

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

34 “ Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at my doorposts.

35 “ For he who finds me finds life And obtains favor from the Lord.

36 “ But he who sins against me injures himself; All those who hate me love death.”