1 D oth not wisdom call? And understanding give forth her voice?

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

2 A t the head of high places by the way, Between the paths she hath stood,

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

3 A t the side of the gates, at the mouth of the city, The entrance of the openings, she crieth aloud,

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

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

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

5 U nderstand, ye simple ones, prudence, And ye fools, understand the heart,

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

6 H earken, for noble things I speak, And the opening of my lips uprightness.

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

7 F or truth doth my mouth utter, And an abomination to my lips wickedness.

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

8 I n righteousness all the sayings of my mouth, Nothing in them is froward and perverse.

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

9 A ll of them plain to the intelligent, And upright to those finding 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 better wisdom than rubies, Yea, all delights are not comparable with it.

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

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

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

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

14 M ine counsel and substance, I understanding, I have might.

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

15 B y me kings reign, and princes decree righteousness,

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

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

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

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

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

18 W ealth and honour with me, Lasting substance and righteousness.

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

19 B etter my fruit than gold, even fine gold, And mine increase than choice silver.

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

20 I n a path of righteousness I cause to walk, In midst of paths of judgment,

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

21 T o cause my lovers to inherit substance, Yea, their treasures I fill.

that I may cause my friends to inherit existence and I will fill their treasures.

22 J ehovah possessed me -- the beginning of His way, Before His works since then.

¶ The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.

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

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

24 I n there being no depths, I was brought forth, In there being no fountains heavy waters,

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

25 B efore mountains were sunk, Before heights, I was brought forth.

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

26 W hile He had not made the earth, and out-places, And the top of the dusts 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 I n His preparing the heavens I there, In His decreeing 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 I n His strengthening clouds above, In His making strong fountains of the deep,

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

29 I n His setting for the sea its limit, And the waters transgress not His command, In His decreeing the foundations of 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 am near Him, a workman, And I am a delight -- day by day. Rejoicing before Him at all times,

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

31 R ejoicing in the habitable part of His earth, And my delights with the sons of men.

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

32 A nd now, ye sons, hearken to me, Yea, happy are they 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 slight not.

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

34 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.

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

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

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

36 A nd whoso is missing me, is wronging his soul, All hating me have loved death!

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