The Blessing of Wisdom

1Does not wisdom call,

And discernment give forth her voice?

2At the top of the heights upon the way,

Where the pathways meet, she takes her stand;

3Beside the gates, at the opening to the city,

At the entrance of the doors, she makes a shout:

4“To you, O men, I call,

And my voice is to the sons of men.

5O simple ones, understand prudence;

And, O fools, understand a heart of wisdom.

6Listen, for I will speak noble things;

And the opening of my lips will reveal upright things.

7For my mouth will utter truth;

And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

8All the words of my mouth are in righteousness;

There is nothing twisted or crooked in them.

9They are all straightforward to him who understands,

And right to those who find knowledge.

10Take my discipline and not silver,

And knowledge rather than choicest fine gold.

11For wisdom is better than pearls;

And all desirable things cannot compare 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 way

And the mouth of [†]perverted words, I hate.

14Counsel is mine and sound wisdom;

I am understanding, might is mine.

15By me kings reign,

And rulers mark out righteousness.

16By me princes rule, and nobles,

All who judge rightly.

17I love those who love me;

And those who earnestly seek me will find me.

18Riches and glory are with me,

Enduring wealth and righteousness.

19My fruit is better than fine gold, even pure gold,

And my produce better than choice silver.

20I walk in the path of righteousness,

In the midst of the pathways of justice,

21To give those who love me an inheritance of wealth,

That I may fill their treasuries.

22“Yahweh possessed me at the beginning of His way,

Before His deeds [†]of old.

23From everlasting I was [†]installed,

From the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth.

24When there were no depths I was [†]brought forth,

When there were no springs heavy with water.

25Before the mountains were settled,

Before the hills I was [†]brought forth;

26While He had not yet made the earth and the fields outside,

Nor the first dust of the world.

27When He established the heavens, I was there,

When He marked out a circle on the face of the deep,

28When He made firm the skies above,

When the springs of the deep became strong,

29When He set for the sea its boundary

So that the water would not pass over His [†]command,

When He marked out the foundations of the earth;

30Then I was beside Him, as a master workman;

And I was a daily delight,

[†]Rejoicing always before Him,

31[†]Rejoicing in the world, His earth,

My delight is in the sons of men.

32“So now, O sons, listen to me,

For blessed are they who keep my ways.

33Hear discipline and be wise,

And do not neglect it.

34How blessed is the man who hears me,

To watch daily at my doors,

To keep watch at my doorposts.

35For he who finds me finds life

And obtains favor from Yahweh.

36But he who [†]sins against me does violence to his own soul;

All those who hate me love death.”