| 1 | ¶ Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding give forth her voice? | |
| 2 | On the top of high places by the way, at the cross-paths she taketh her stand. | |
| 3 | Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors, she crieth aloud. | |
| 4 | Unto you, men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of man: | |
| 5 | O ye simple, understand prudence; and ye foolish, understand sense. | |
| 6 | Hear, for I will speak excellent things, and the opening of my lips shall be right things. | |
| 7 | For my palate shall meditate truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. | |
| 8 | All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing tortuous or perverse in them. | |
| 9 | They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge. | |
| 10 | Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold: | |
| 11 | for wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things that may be desired are not equal to it. | |
| 12 | ¶ I wisdom dwell {with} prudence, and find the knowledge {which cometh} of reflection. | |
| 13 | The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil; pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth do I hate. | |
| 14 | Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am intelligence; I have strength. | |
| 15 | By me kings reign, and rulers make just decrees; | |
| 16 | by me princes rule, and nobles, all the judges of the earth. | |
| 17 | I love those that love me; and they that seek me early shall find me. | |
| 18 | Riches and honour are with me; durable wealth and righteousness. | |
| 19 | My fruit is better than fine gold, yea, than pure gold; and my revenue than choice silver. | |
| 20 | I walk in the path of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: | |
| 21 | that I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasuries. | |
| 22 | ¶ Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. | |
| 23 | I was set up from eternity, from the beginning, before the earth was. | |
| 24 | When there were no depths, I was brought forth, when there were no fountains abounding with water. | |
| 25 | Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth; | |
| 26 | while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the beginning of the dust of the world. | |
| 27 | When he prepared the heavens I was there; when he ordained the circle upon the face of the deep; | |
| 28 | when he established the skies above, when the fountains of the deep became strong; | |
| 29 | when he imposed on the sea his decree that the waters should not pass his commandment, when he appointed the foundations of the earth: | |
| 30 | then I was by him {his} nursling, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; | |
| 31 | rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth, and my delights {were} with the sons of men. | |
| 32 | ¶ And now, sons, hearken unto me, and blessed are they that keep my ways: | |
| 33 | hear instruction and be wise, and refuse it not. | |
| 34 | Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. | |
| 35 | For whoso findeth me findeth life, and obtaineth favour of Jehovah; | |
| 36 | but he that sinneth against me doeth violence to his own soul: all they that hate me love death. | |