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

¶ Doth not wisdom cry, and give her voice to intelligence?

2 S he takes her stand on the top of the high hill, Beside the way, where the paths meet.

She stands in the top of high places, by the way at the crossroads of the paths.

3 S he cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city, At the entrance of the doors:

She cries 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 men.

5 O you simple ones, understand prudence, And you fools, be of an understanding heart.

O ye simple, understand prudence; and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.

6 L isten, for I will speak of excellent things, And from the opening of my lips will come right things;

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

7 F or my mouth will speak truth; Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

For my mouth shall speak truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

8 A ll the words of my mouth are with righteousness; Nothing crooked or perverse is in them.

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

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

They are all plain to him that understands and right to those that have found wisdom.

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

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

11 F or wisdom is better than rubies, And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.

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

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

¶ I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I invent the knowledge of giving counsel.

13 T he fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.

The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; pride, arrogancy, the evil way, and the perverse mouth, do I hate.

14 C ounsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength.

With me is counsel, and existence; I am understanding; strength belongs to me.

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

By me the kings reign, and the princes decree justice.

16 B y me princes rule, and nobles, All the judges of the earth.

By me the princes rule, and all of the governors judge the earth.

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

I love those that love me, and those that seek me early shall find me.

18 R iches and honor are with me, Enduring riches and righteousness.

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

19 M y fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold, And my revenue than choice silver.

My fruit is better than gold, yea, than precious stones, and my revenue than choice silver.

20 I traverse the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice,

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

21 T hat I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth, That I may fill their treasuries.

that I may cause my friends to inherit existence 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 I have been established from everlasting, From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.

I was set up with eternal dominion, from the beginning, before the earth was.

24 W hen there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water.

I was begotten before the depths, before the existence of the fountains of many waters.

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

Before the mountains were founded, before the hills was I begotten.

26 W hile as yet He had not made the earth or the fields, Or the primal dust of the world.

While as yet he had not made the earth nor the fields nor the beginning of the dust of the world,

27 W hen He prepared the heavens, I was there, When He drew a circle on the face of the deep,

when he composed the heavens, I was there. When he set a compass upon the face of the depth,

28 W hen He established the clouds above, When He strengthened the fountains of the deep,

when he established the clouds above, when he strengthened the fountains of the deep,

29 W hen He assigned to the sea its limit, So that the waters 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 craftsman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him,

I was with him ordering everything; I was his delight every day, being content before him at all times;

31 R ejoicing in His inhabited world, And my delight was with the sons of men.

I am content in the circumference of his earth, and my contentment is with the sons of men.

32 “ Now therefore, listen to me, my children, For blessed are those who keep my ways.

¶ Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye sons; for blessed are those that keep my ways.

33 H ear instruction and be wise, And do not disdain it.

Hearken unto chastening, and be wise; refuse it not.

34 B lessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors.

Blessed is the man that hears me, keeping vigil at my gates, waiting at the threshold of my doors.

35 F or whoever finds me finds life, And obtains favor from the Lord;

For whosoever finds me shall find life and shall obtain the will of the LORD.

36 B ut he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; All those who hate me love death.”

But he that sins against me wrongs his own soul; all those that hate me love death.