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

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

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

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

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

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

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 unto the sons of men.

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

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

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

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

7 F or my mouth will speak truth; 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 with righteousness; Nothing crooked or perverse is 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, 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 one may desire cannot be compared with her.

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

12 “ I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, 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 the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth 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 wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength.

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, All the judges 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 diligently will find me.

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

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

Wealth and honour with me, Lasting substance and righteousness.

19 M y fruit is better than gold, yes, 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 traverse 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 who love me to inherit wealth, That I may fill their treasuries.

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

22 “ The Lord possessed me at 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 have been established from everlasting, From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.

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, I was brought forth;

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

26 W hile as yet He had not made the earth or the fields, Or the primal 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 prepared the heavens, I was there, When He drew a circle on 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 established the clouds above, When He strengthened the fountains of the deep,

In His strengthening clouds above, In His making strong 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,

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 craftsman; 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 inhabited world, 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 “ Now therefore, listen to me, my children, For blessed 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 disdain it.

Hear instruction, and be wise, and slight not.

34 B lessed 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 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 sins against me wrongs his own soul; All those who hate me love death.”

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