| 1 | She reaches mightily from one end of the earth to the other, and she orders all things well. |
| 2 | I loved her and sought her from my youth; I desired to take her for my bride, and became enamored of her beauty. |
| 3 | She glorifies her noble birth by living with God, and the Lord of all loves her. |
| 4 | For she is an initiate in the knowledge of God, and an associate in his works. |
| 5 | If riches are a desirable possession in life, what is richer than wisdom, the active cause of all things? |
| 6 | And if understanding is effective, who more than she is fashioner of what exists? |
| 7 | And if anyone loves righteousness, her labors are virtues; for she teaches self-control and prudence, justice and courage; nothing in life is more profitable for mortals than these. |
| 8 | And if anyone longs for wide experience, she knows the things of old, and infers the things to come; she understands turns of speech and the solutions of riddles; she has foreknowledge of signs and wonders and of the outcome of seasons and times. |
| 9 | Therefore I determined to take her to live with me, knowing that she would give me good counsel and encouragement in cares and grief. |
| 10 | Because of her I shall have glory among the multitudes and honor in the presence of the elders, though I am young. |
| 11 | I shall be found keen in judgment, and in the sight of rulers I shall be admired. |
| 12 | When I am silent they will wait for me, and when I speak they will give heed; if I speak at greater length, they will put their hands on their mouths. |
| 13 | Because of her I shall have immortality, and leave an everlasting remembrance to those who come after me. |
| 14 | I shall govern peoples, and nations will be subject to me; |
| 15 | dread monarchs will be afraid of me when they hear of me; among the people I shall show myself capable, and courageous in war. |
| 16 | When I enter my house, I shall find rest with her; for companionship with her has no bitterness, and life with her has no pain, but gladness and joy. |
| 17 | When I considered these things inwardly, and pondered in my heart that in kinship with wisdom there is immortality, |
| 18 | and in friendship with her, pure delight, and in the labors of her hands, unfailing wealth, and in the experience of her company, understanding, and renown in sharing her words, I went about seeking how to get her for myself. |
| 19 | As a child I was naturally gifted, and a good soul fell to my lot; |
| 20 | or rather, being good, I entered an undefiled body. |
| 21 | But I perceived that I would not possess wisdom unless God gave her to me — and it was a mark of insight to know whose gift she was — so I appealed to the Lord and implored him, and with my whole heart I said: |
