| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Does not wisdom cry out, And understanding lift up her voice? | 1Doesn't Wisdom call out? Doesn't Understanding make her voice heard? |
| 2She takes her stand on the top of the high hill, Beside the way, where the paths meet. | 2At the heights overlooking the road, at the crossroads, she takes her stand. |
| 3She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city, At the entrance of the doors: | 3Beside the gates at the entry to the city, at the main entrance, she cries out:" |
| 4“To you, O men, I call, And my voice is to the sons of men. | 4People, I call out to you; my cry is to mankind. |
| 5O you simple ones, understand prudence, And you fools, be of an understanding heart. | 5Learn to be shrewd, you who are inexperienced; develop common sense, you who are foolish. |
| 6Listen, for I will speak of excellent things, And from the opening of my lips will come right things; | 6Listen, for I speak of noble things, and what my lips say is right. |
| 7For my mouth will speak truth; Wickedness is an abomination to my lips. | 7For my mouth tells the truth, and wickedness is detestable to my lips. |
| 8All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; Nothing crooked or perverse is in them. | 8All the words of my mouth are righteous; none of them are deceptive or perverse. |
| 9They are all plain to him who understands, And right to those who find knowledge. | 9All of them are clear to the perceptive, and right to those who discover knowledge. |
| 10Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold; | 10Accept my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold. |
| 11For wisdom is better than rubies, And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her. | 11For wisdom is better than jewels, and nothing desirable can compare with it. |
| 12“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And find out knowledge and discretion. | 12I, Wisdom, share a home with shrewdness and have knowledge and discretion. |
| 13The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate. | 13To fear the LORD is to hate evil. I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech. |
| 14Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength. | 14I possess good advice and competence; I have understanding and strength. |
| 15By me kings reign, And rulers decree justice. | 15It is by me that kings reign and rulers enact just law; |
| 16By me princes rule, and nobles, All the judges of the earth. | 16by me, princes lead, as do nobles and all righteous judges. |
| 17I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me. | 17I love those who love me, and those who search for me find me. |
| 18Riches and honor are with me, Enduring riches and righteousness. | 18With me are riches and honor, lasting wealth and righteousness. |
| 19My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold, And my revenue than choice silver. | 19My fruit is better than solid gold, and my harvest than pure silver. |
| 20I traverse the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice, | 20I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice, |
| 21That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth, That I may fill their treasuries. | 21giving wealth as an inheritance to those who love me, and filling their treasuries." |
| 22“The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old. | 22The LORD made me at the beginning of His creation, before His works of long ago. |
| 23I have been established from everlasting, From the beginning, before there was ever an earth. | 23I was formed before ancient times, from the beginning, before the earth began. |
| 24When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water. | 24I was born when there were no watery depths and no springs filled with water. |
| 25Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills, I was brought forth; | 25I was delivered before the mountains and hills were established, |
| 26While as yet He had not made the earth or the fields, Or the primal dust of the world. | 26before He made the land, the fields, or the first soil on earth. |
| 27When He prepared the heavens, I was there, When He drew a circle on the face of the deep, | 27I was there when He established the heavens, when He laid out the horizon on the surface of the ocean, |
| 28When He established the clouds above, When He strengthened the fountains of the deep, | 28when He placed the skies above, when the fountains of the ocean gushed out, |
| 29When He assigned to the sea its limit, So that the waters would not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth, | 29when He set a limit for the sea so that the waters would not violate His command, when He laid out the foundations of the earth. |
| 30Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him, | 30I was a skilled craftsman beside Him. I was His delight every day, always rejoicing before Him. |
| 31Rejoicing in His inhabited world, And my delight was with the sons of men. | 31I was rejoicing in His inhabited world, delighting in the human race." |
| 32“Now therefore, listen to me, my children, For blessed are those who keep my ways. | 32And now, my sons, listen to me; those who keep my ways are happy. |
| 33Hear instruction and be wise, And do not disdain it. | 33Listen to instruction and be wise; don't ignore it. |
| 34Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors. | 34Anyone who listens to me is happy, watching at my doors every day, waiting by the posts of my doorway. |
| 35For whoever finds me finds life, And obtains favor from the LORD; | 35For the one who finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD, |
| 36But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; All those who hate me love death.” | 36but the one who misses me harms himself; all who hate me love death." |
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