| 1 | Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice? |
| 2 | On the heights, beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; |
| 3 | beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries out: |
| 4 | “To you, O people, I call, and my cry is to all that live. |
| 5 | O simple ones, learn prudence; acquire intelligence, you who lack it. |
| 6 | Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right; |
| 7 | for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips. |
| 8 | All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them. |
| 9 | They are all straight to one who understands and right to those who find knowledge. |
| 10 | Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold; |
| 11 | for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her. |
| 12 | I, wisdom, live with prudence, and I attain knowledge and discretion. |
| 13 | The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. |
| 14 | I have good advice and sound wisdom; I have insight, I have strength. |
| 15 | By me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just; |
| 16 | by me rulers rule, and nobles, all who govern rightly. |
| 17 | I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me. |
| 18 | Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and prosperity. |
| 19 | My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and my yield than choice silver. |
| 20 | I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice, |
| 21 | endowing with wealth those who love me, and filling their treasuries. |
| 22 | The LORD created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of long ago. |
| 23 | Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning 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 had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth — |
| 26 | when he had not yet made earth and fields, or the world’s first bits of soil. |
| 27 | When he established the heavens, I was there, when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, |
| 28 | when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, |
| 29 | when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, |
| 30 | then I was beside him, like a master worker; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, |
| 31 | rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the human race. |
| 32 | “And now, my children, listen to me: happy are those who keep my ways. |
| 33 | Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it. |
| 34 | Happy is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. |
| 35 | For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD; |
| 36 | but those who miss me injure themselves; all who hate me love death.” |