1Does not Wisdom call out, and Understanding raise her voice?
2On the top of the heights, beside the way, at the place where the paths meet, she takes her stand.
3Beside the gates, at the mouth of the town, at the entrance of the doorways, she cries aloud:
4“To you, O men, I call out, and my voice is to the sons of mankind.
5Understand prudence, O simple ones; and you fools, gain an understanding heart.
6Listen, for I speak of noble things, and the opening of my lips is uprightness.
7For my palate murmurs truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8In righteousness are all the sayings of my mouth; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.
9They are all straightforward to the one who understands, and upright to those who find knowledge.
10Take my instruction and not silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold.
11For wisdom is better than corals, and no delights can compare with her.
12“I, Wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge of discretion.
13The fear of Yahweh is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and a mouth of perversities I hate.
14Mine are counsel and sound wisdom; I am understanding; mine is strength.
15By me kings reign, and rulers decree righteousness.
16By me princes rule, and nobles—all who judge with righteousness.
17I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.
18Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and righteousness.
19My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and my yield than choice silver.
20I walk in the path of righteousness, in the midst of the pathways of justice,
21granting an inheritance to those who love me, and filling their treasuries.
22“Yahweh acquired me at the beginning of his way, before his works of old.
23From eternity I was set in place, from the beginning, from the origins of the earth.
24When there were no deeps I was brought forth, when there were no springs heavy with water.
25Before the mountains were sunk in place, before the hills, I was brought forth,
26while he had not yet made the earth and its fields, nor the first of the dust of the world.
27When he established the heavens, I was there; when he inscribed a circle upon the face of the deep,
28when he made firm the skies above, when the springs of the deep grew strong,
29when he set for the sea its boundary, so that the waters should not transgress his command, when he inscribed the foundations of the earth—
30then I was beside him as a master craftsman, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him at all times,
31rejoicing in his inhabited world, and my delights were with the children of humankind.
32And now, sons, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways.
33Listen to instruction and become wise, and do not neglect it.
34Blessed is the person who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, keeping watch at the posts of my gateways.
35For the one who finds me finds life and obtains favor from Yahweh.
36But the one who misses me does violence to his own self; all who hate me love death.
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