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

Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?

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

She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths.

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

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

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

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

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

O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.

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

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

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

For my mouth shall speak 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.

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

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

They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.

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

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

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

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

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

I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.

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

The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

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

Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.

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

By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.

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

By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.

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

I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.

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

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

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

My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver.

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

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

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

That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.

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

The Lord possessed me in 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.

I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.

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

When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.

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

Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:

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

While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.

27 “ When He established the heavens, I was there, When He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,

When he prepared 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 the springs of the deep became fixed,

When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:

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;

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

Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: 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.

Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.

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

Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways.

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

Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.

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

Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.

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

For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord.

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

But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.