1Doth not, wisdom, cry aloud? and, understanding, send forth her voice?
2At the top of the high places above the way, at the place where paths meet, she taketh her stand:
3Beside the gates, at the entrance of the city,—at the going in of the openings, she shouteth:—
4Unto you, O men, I call, and, my voice, is unto the sons of men;
5Understand, ye simple ones, shrewdness, and, ye dullards understand sense;
6Hear, for, princely things, will I speak, and the opening of my lips shall be of equity;
7For, faithfulness, shall my mouth softly utter, but, the abomination of my lips, shall be lawlessness;
8In righteousness, shall be all the sayings of my mouth, nothing therein, shall be crafty or perverse;
9All of them, shall be plain, to them who would understand, and just, to such as would gain knowledge.
10Receive my correction, and not silver, and knowledge, rather than choicest gold.
11For better is wisdom, than ornaments of coral, and, no delightful things, can equal her.
12I, wisdom, inhabit shrewdness,—and, the knowledge of sagacious things, I gain.
13The reverence of Yahweh, is to hate wickedness: pride, arrogance, and the way of wickedness; And a mouth of perverse things, do I hate.
14Mine, are counsel, and effective working, I, am understanding, mine, is valour:
15By me, kings reign, and dignitaries decree righteousness;
16By me, rulers govern, and nobles—all the righteous judges:
17I love, them who love me, and, they who diligently seek me, find me:
18Riches and honour, are with me, lordly wealth, and righteousness;
19Better is my fruit, than gold—yea fine gold, and mine increase, than choice silver;
20In the way of righteousness, I march along, in the middle of the paths of justice:
21That I may cause them who love me to inherit substance, and, their treasuries, I may fill.
22Yahweh, had constituted me the beginning of his way, before his works, at the commencement of that time;
23At the outset of the ages, had I been established, in advance of the antiquities of the earth;
24When there was no resounding deep, I had been brought forth, when there were no fountains, abounding with water;
25Ere yet the mountains had been settled, before the hills, had I been brought forth;
26Or ever he had made the land and the wastes, or the top of the dry parts of the world:
27When he prepared the heavens, there, was I! When he decreed a vault upon the face of the resounding deep;
28When he made firm the skies above, when the fountains of the resounding deep, waxed strong;
29When he fixed for the sea its bound, that, the waters, should not go beyond his bidding, when he decreed the foundations of the earth:—
30Then became I beside him, a firm and sure worker, then became I filled with delight, day by day, exulting before him on every occasion;
31Exulting in the fruitful land of his earth, Yea, my fulness of delight, was with the sons of men.
32Now, therefore, ye sons, hearken to me, for how happy are they who, to my ways, pay regard!
33Hear ye correction, and be wise, and do not neglect.
34How happy the man that doth hearken to me,—keeping guard at my doors, day by day, watching at the posts of my gates;
35For, he that findeth me, findeth life, and hath obtained favour from Yahweh;
36But, he that misseth me, wrongeth his own soul, all who hate me, love death.