| 1 | Is not wisdom crying out, and the voice of knowledge sounding? |
| 2 | At the top of the highways, at the meeting of the roads, she takes her place; |
| 3 | Where the roads go into the town her cry goes out, at the doorways her voice is loud: |
| 4 | I am crying out to you, O men; my voice comes to the sons of men. |
| 5 | Become expert in reason, O you simple ones; you foolish ones, take training to heart. |
| 6 | Give ear, for my words are true, and my lips are open to give out what is upright. |
| 7 | For good faith goes out of my mouth, and false lips are disgusting to me. |
| 8 | All the words of my mouth are righteousness; there is nothing false or twisted in them. |
| 9 | They are all true to him whose mind is awake, and straightforward to those who get knowledge. |
| 10 | Take my teaching, and not silver; get knowledge in place of the best gold. |
| 11 | For wisdom is better than jewels, and all things which may be desired are nothing in comparison with her. |
| 12 | I, wisdom, have made wise behaviour my near relation; I am seen to be the special friend of wise purposes. |
| 13 | The fear of the Lord is seen in hating evil: pride, a high opinion of oneself, the evil way, and the false tongue, are unpleasing to me. |
| 14 | Wise design and good sense are mine; reason and strength are mine. |
| 15 | Through me kings have their power, and rulers give right decisions. |
| 16 | Through me chiefs have authority, and the noble ones are judging in righteousness. |
| 17 | Those who have given me their love are loved by me, and those who make search for me with care will get me. |
| 18 | Wealth and honour are in my hands, even wealth without equal and righteousness. |
| 19 | My fruit is better than gold, even than the best gold; and my increase is more to be desired than silver. |
| 20 | I go in the road of righteousness, in the way of right judging: |
| 21 | So that I may give my lovers wealth for their heritage, making their store-houses full. |
| 22 | The Lord made me as the start of his way, the first of his works in the past. |
| 23 | From eternal days I was given my place, from the birth of time, before the earth was. |
| 24 | When there was no deep I was given birth, when there were no fountains flowing with water. |
| 25 | Before the mountains were put in their places, before the hills was my birth: |
| 26 | When he had not made the earth or the fields or the dust of the world. |
| 27 | When he made ready the heavens I was there: when he put an arch over the face of the deep: |
| 28 | When he made strong the skies overhead: when the fountains of the deep were fixed: |
| 29 | When he put a limit to the sea, so that the waters might not go against his word: when he put in position the bases of the earth: |
| 30 | Then I was by his side, as a master workman: and I was his delight from day to day, playing before him at all times; |
| 31 | Playing in his earth; and my delight was with the sons of men. |
| 32 | Give ear to me then, my sons: for happy are those who keep my ways. |
| 33 | Take my teaching and be wise; do not let it go. |
| 34 | Happy is the man who gives ear to me, watching at my doors day by day, keeping his place by the pillars of my house. |
| 35 | For whoever gets me gets life, and grace from the Lord will come to him. |
| 36 | But he who does evil to me, does wrong to his soul: all my haters are in love with death. |
