1 Does not wisdom call,
And understandinga Lit givelift 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 “Ob Lit simplenaive ones, understand prudence;
And, O fools, understandc Lit heartwisdom. | |
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 thand Lit coralsjewels;
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 workse Lit from thenof old. | |
23 “From everlasting I wasf Or consecratedestablished,
From the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth. | |
24 “When there were no depths I wasg Or bornbrought forth,
When there were no springs abounding with water. | |
25 “Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills I wash Or bornbrought forth; | |
26 While He had not yet made the earth and thei Lit outside placesfields,
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 becamej Lit strongfixed, | |
29 When He set for the sea its boundary
So that the water would not transgress Hisk Lit mouthcommand,
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,
l Or PlayingRejoicing always before Him, | |
31 m Or PlayingRejoicing 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 whon Or misses mesins against me injures himself;
All those who hate me love death.” | |
