| 1 |
Doth not wisdom cry, And understanding put forth her voice? |
| 2 |
On the top of high places by the way, Where the paths meet, she standeth; |
| 3 |
Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, At the coming in at the doors, she crieth aloud: |
| 4 |
Unto you, O men, I call; And my voice is to the sons of men. |
| 5 |
O ye simple, understand prudence; And, ye fools, be of an understanding heart. |
| 6 |
Hear, for I will speak excellent things; And the opening of my lips shall be right things. |
| 7 |
For my mouth shall utter truth; And wickedness is an abomination to my lips. |
| 8 |
All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; There is nothing crooked 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 to be compared unto it. |
| 12 |
I wisdom have made prudence my dwelling, And find out knowledge `and' discretion. |
| 13 |
The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil: Pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, And the perverse mouth, do I hate. |
| 14 |
Counsel is mine, and sound knowledge: I am understanding; I have might. |
| 15 |
By me kings reign, And princes decree justice. |
| 16 |
By me princes rule, And nobles, `even' all the judges of the earth. |
| 17 |
I love them that love me; And those that seek me diligently shall find me. |
| 18 |
Riches and honor are with me; `Yea', durable wealth and righteousness. |
| 19 |
My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; And my revenue than choice silver. |
| 20 |
I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice; |
| 21 |
That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance, And that I may fill their treasuries. |
| 22 |
Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, Before his works of old. |
| 23 |
I was set up from everlasting, 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 established the heavens, I was there: When he set a circle upon the face of the deep, |
| 28 |
When he made firm the skies above, When the fountains of the deep became strong, |
| 29 |
When he gave to the sea its bound, That the waters should not transgress his commandment, When he marked out the foundations of the earth; |
| 30 |
Then I was by him, `as' a master workman; And I was daily `his' delight, Rejoicing always before him, |
| 31 |
Rejoicing in his habitable earth; And my delight was with the sons of men. |
| 32 |
Now therefore, `my' sons, hearken unto me; For 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 shall obtain favor of Jehovah. |
| 36 |
But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: All they that hate me love death. |