| 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. |