^1. DOES not wisdom call, And understanding [1] lift up her voice?

^2. On top of the heights beside the way, Where the paths meet, she takes her stand;

^3. Beside the gates, at the opening to the city, At the entrance of the doors, she cries out:

^4. «To you, O men, I call, And my voice is to the sons of men.

^5. «O [3] naive ones, understand prudence; And, O fools, understand [2] wisdom.

^6. «Listen, for I will speak noble things; And the opening of my lips will reveal right things.

^7. «For my mouth will utter truth; And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

^8. «All the utterances of my mouth are in righteousness; There is nothing crooked or perverted in them.

^9. «They are all straightforward to him who understands, And right to those who find knowledge.

^10. «Take my instruction and not silver, And knowledge rather than choicest gold.

^11. «For wisdom is better than [4] jewels; And all desirable things cannot compare with her.

^12. «I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And I find knowledge and discretion.

^13. «The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate.

^14. « Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding, power is mine.

^15. «By me kings reign, And rulers decree justice.

^16. «By me princes rule, and nobles, All who judge rightly.

^17. «I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me.

^18. « Riches and honor are with me, Enduring wealth and righteousness.

^19. «My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold, And my yield better than choicest silver.

^20. «I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice,

^21. To endow those who love me with wealth, That I may fill their treasuries.

^22. «The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works [5] of old.

^23. «From everlasting I was [6] established, From the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth.

^24. «When there were no depths I was [7] brought forth, When there were no springs abounding with water.

^25. « Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills I was [8] brought forth;

^26. While He had not yet made the earth and the [9] fields, Nor the first dust of the world.

^27. «When He established the heavens, I was there, When He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,

^28. When He made firm the skies above, When the springs of the deep became [10] fixed,

^29. When He set for the sea its boundary So that the water would not transgress His [11] command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth;

^30. Then I was beside Him, as a master workman; And I was daily His delight, [12] Rejoicing always before Him,

^31. [13] Rejoicing in the world, His earth, And having my delight in the sons of men.

^32. «Now therefore, O sons, listen to me, For blessed are they who keep my ways.

^33. « Heed instruction and be wise, And do not neglect it.

^34. « Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at my doorposts.

^35. «For he who finds me finds life And obtains favor from the LORD.

^36. «But he who [14] sins against me injures himself; All those who hate me love death.»