1Does not wisdom call out,
and understanding raise her voice?
1Does not wisdom cry out, and understanding give forth her voice?
2On the heights overlooking the road,
at the crossroads she takes her stand.
2At the head of the heights, beside the road, at the house of the paths, she takes her stand.
3Beside the gates to the city,
at the entrances she cries out:
3At the hand of the gates, at the mouth of the city, at the entrance of the doors, she cries out:
4“To you, O men, I call out,
and my cry is to the sons of men.
4“To you, O men, do I call, and my voice is to the sons of man!
5O simple ones, learn to be shrewd;
O fools, gain understanding.a
5Discern prudence, O simple ones; and you foolish ones, understand the heart.
6Listen, for I speak of noble things,
and the opening of my lips will reveal right.
6Listen, for noble things do I speak, and the opening of my lips is uprightness.
7For my mouth will speak the truth,
and wickedness is detestable to my lips.
7For my mouth utters truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8All the words of my mouth are righteous;
none are crooked or perverse.
8In righteousness are all the words of my mouth; nothing in them is crooked or perverse.
9They are all plain to the discerning,
and upright to those who find knowledge.
9All of them are plain to the intelligent, and upright to those finding knowledge.
10Receive my instruction instead of silver,
and knowledge rather than pure gold.
10Receive my instruction and not silver, and knowledge above choicest gold.
11For wisdom is more precious than rubies,
and nothing you desire compares with her.
11For better is wisdom than rubies, and all delights cannot be compared with her.
12I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence,
and I find knowledge and discretion.
12I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and knowledge of discretion I find out.
13To fear the LORD is to hate evil;
I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.
13The fear of YHWH is to hate evil; I hate pride, and arrogance, and the way of evil, and the mouth of perversity.
14Counsel and sound judgment are mine;
I have insight and strength.
14Counsel and sound wisdom are unto me; I am understanding; unto me is strength.
15By me kings reign,
and rulers enact just laws;
15By me kings reign, and rulers decree justice.
16By me princes rule,
and all nobles who govern justly.a
16By me princes rule, and nobles—all those judging with righteousness.
17I love those who love me,
and those who seek me early shall find me.
17I love those who love me, and those seeking me earnestly will find me.
18With me are riches and honor,
enduring wealth and righteousness.
18Riches and honor are with me, surpassing wealth and righteousness.
19My fruit is better than gold, pure gold,
and my harvest surpasses choice silver.
19Better is my fruit than gold, even pure gold, and my produce than choice silver.
20I walk in the way of righteousness,
along the paths of justice,
20In the way of righteousness I walk, in the midst of the paths of justice,
21bestowing wealth on those who love me
and making their treasuries full.
21to cause those loving me to inherit substance, and their treasuries I will fill.
22The LORD created me as His first course,a
before His works of old.
22YHWH acquired me at the beginning of His way, before His works at that time.
23From everlasting I was established,
from the beginning, before the earth began.
23From everlasting I was poured out, from the head, from before the earth.
24When there were no watery depths, I was brought forth,
when no springs were overflowing with water.
24In being no depths, I was brought forth, in being no springs heavy with waters.
25Before the mountains were settled,
before the hills, I was brought forth,
25Before the mountains were sunk, before the hills, I was brought forth—
26before He made the land or fields,
or any of the dust of the earth.
26while He had not made the land, or the outside places, or the first dusts of the world.
27I was there when He established the heavens,
when He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,
27In His establishing the heavens, I was there; in His inscribing a circle on the face of the deep,
28when He established the clouds above,
when the fountains of the deep gushed forth,
28in His strengthening the clouds above, in His making strong the fountains of the deep,
29when He set a boundary for the sea,
so that the waters would not surpass His command,
when He marked out the foundations of the earth.
29in His setting for the sea its limit, so that the waters would not cross over His command, in His marking out the foundations of the earth,
30Then I was a skilled craftsman at His side,
and His delighta day by day,
rejoicing always in His presence.
30then I was beside Him as a craftsman, and I was a delight day by day, laughing before His face at every time,
31I was rejoicing in His whole world,
delighting together in the sons of men.
31laughing in the world of His earth, and delighting together with the sons of man.
32Now therefore, my sons, listen to me,
for blessed are those who keep my ways.
32So now, my sons, listen to me, for blessed are those who keep my ways.
33Listen to instruction and be wise;
do not ignore it.
33Listen to discipline and be wise, and do not neglect it.
34Blessed is the man who listens to me,
watching daily at my doors,
waiting at the posts of my doorway.
34Blessed is the man listening to me, watching at my gates day by day, keeping watch at the posts of my doors.
35For whoever finds me finds life
and obtains the favor of the LORD.
35For the one finding me has found life, and he brings forth favor from YHWH;
36But he who fails to find me harms himself;
all who hate me love death.”
36but the one sinning against me is wronging his soul; all those hating me love death.”