| 1 Who calls? Is it not Wisdom? Who lifts up her voice? | |
| 2 Is it not Knowledge? She shouts from the hilltops and waits by the crossroads; | |
| 3 in the vicinity of the city gates she speaks, | |
| 4 “To you, people, I call, for my message is directed to all that live, | |
| 5 so that the ignorant may learn and the thoughtless come to their senses. | |
| 6 Listen to me for I speak of vital things and everything I say is true. | |
| 7 Truthful words come from my mouth and my lips do not lend themselves to evil. | |
| 8 All my words are right, none are twisted or deceitful. | |
| 9 The intelligent will verify their truth, the wise perceive their sincerity. | |
| 10 Prefer my teaching to silver and seek wisdom rather than gold, | |
| 11 because wisdom has more value than any jewel and all that you may desire cannot equal it. | |
| 12 I, Wisdom, dwell with discretion and count prudence among my friends. | |
| 13 The fear of Yahweh is rejection of evil. I hate all pride, arrogance, wicked ways and lies, | |
| 14 but I love counsel, discretion, prudence and strength. | |
| 15 Kings reign by my power, their ministers issue just laws; | |
| 16 by me princes govern, and the great and noble of the earth as well. | |
| 17 I love those who love me and go to meet those who seek me. | |
| 18 Riches and honor are with me, true well-being and upright living. | |
| 19 More precious than silver and gold are my fruit and my yield. | |
| 20 I proceed on the path of righteousness and make use of the ways of justice, | |
| 21 giving riches to those who love me, and filling their cellars. | |
| 22 Yahweh created me first, at the beginning of his works. | |
| 23 He formed me from of old, from eternity, even before the earth. | |
| 24 The abyss did not exist when I was born, the springs of the sea had not gushed forth, | |
| 25 the mountains were still not set in their place nor the hills, when I was born | |
| 26 before he made the earth or countryside, or the first grains of the world’s dust. | |
| 27 I was there when he made the skies and drew the earth’s compass on the abyss, | |
| 28 when he formed the clouds above and when the springs of the ocean emerged; | |
| 29 when he made the sea with its limits, that it might not overflow. When he laid the foundations of the earth, | |
| 30 I was close beside him, the designer of his works, and I was his daily delight, forever playing in his presence, | |
| 31 playing throughout the world and delighting to be with humans. | |
| 32 Now then, my sons, listen to me: happy are those who follow my ways. | |
| 33 Listen to my teaching and gain wisdom; do not ignore it. | |
| 34 Happy are those who listen to me and wait at my gates every day, watching, close to my threshold. | |
| 35 Those who find me find life: theirs is Yahweh’s blessing. | |
| 36 Those who offend me will undergo affliction; they hate me for they love death. | |
