1Doesn’t Wisdom call out, and discernment raise her voice?
2At the top of the heights overlooking the road, at the crossroads she takes her stand.
3Beside the gates, at the opening to the city, at the entrance of the gateways she shouts aloud:
4“To you, O men, I call out, and my voice is to all humankind.
5Understand prudence, O naïve ones, and understand good sense, O foolish ones.
6Listen, for I speak of things that are correct, and the opening of my lips brings forth upright words.
7For my mouth will utter truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8All the words of my mouth are spoken in righteousness; nothing in them is twisted or perverted.
9All of them are straightforward to the one who understands, and they are right to those finding knowledge.”
10Take my teaching, and not silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold.
11Because Wisdom is better than gems, and all delightful things cannot be compared with her.
12“I, Wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion.
13The fear of Yahweh is to hate evil— pride and arrogance and the evil road and a perverse mouth, I hate.
14Counsel belongs to me, along with sound advice. I have understanding; strength belongs to me.
15By me kings reign, and by me rulers decree righteousness.
16By me rulers govern; even nobles—all who judge with righteousness.
17I love those who love me, and those who desire me will find me.
18Riches and glory are with me, enduring prosperity and righteousness.
19My fruit is better than gold, even better than refined gold, and my gain is better than silver.
20I walk in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of justice,
21to cause those who love me to inherit property, and I will fill their storehouses.
22Yahweh created me at the beginning of his journey, prior to his works from back then.
23From antiquity I was woven together, from the start, from the earlier times of the earth.
24I was born when there were no deep oceans, when there were no springs abounding with waters.
25Before the mountains were settled, before the hills were formed I was born;
26when he had not yet made the earth and the fields, or the initial dust of the world;
27when he prepared the heavens, I was there; when he inscribed the horizon above the face of the deep;
28when he fixed the clouds above, when he strengthened the springs of the deep;
29when he set for the sea its limit so the waters would not disobey his mouth; when he marked out the foundations of the earth;
30then I was beside him growing up, and I was his great delight daily, playing in his presence at every moment;
31playing in the world—his earth, and full of delight with humankind.
32So now, O sons, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways.
33Listen to my teaching and become wise, and do not neglect it.
34Blessed is the one who listens to me, keeping watch at my doors day after day, watching at the entrance to my gates,
35because the one finding me finds life, and he will obtain favor from Yahweh.
36But the one sinning against me is doing violence to his own soul; all those who hate me love death.”
REV Bible
