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.” | |