¹² “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
    and I find knowledge and ^(S)discretion.
^13 (T)The fear of the Lord is ^(U)hatred of evil.
^(V)Pride and arrogance and the way of evil
    and ^(W)perverted speech I hate.
¹⁴ I have ^(X)counsel and ^(Y)sound wisdom;
    I have insight; ^(Z)I have strength.
¹⁵ By me ^(AA)kings reign,
    and rulers decree what is just;
¹⁶ by me princes rule,
    and nobles, all who govern justly.^[a]
17 (AB)I love those who love me,
    and ^(AC)those who seek me diligently find me.
^18 (AD)Riches and honor are with me,
    ^(AE)enduring wealth and ^(AF)righteousness.
¹⁹ My fruit is ^(AG)better than ^(AH)gold, even fine gold,
    and my yield than ^(AI)choice silver.
²⁰ I walk in the way of righteousness,
    in the paths of justice,
²¹ granting an inheritance to those who love me,
    and filling their treasuries.

^22 (AJ)“The Lord ^(AK)possessed^[b] me at the beginning of his work,^[c]
    the first of his acts ^(AL)of old.
²³ Ages ago I was ^(AM)set up,
    at the first, ^(AN)before the beginning of the earth.
²⁴ When there were no ^(AO)depths I was ^(AP)brought forth,
    when there were no springs abounding with water.
²⁵ Before the mountains ^(AQ)had been shaped,
    ^(AR)before the hills, I was brought forth,
²⁶ before he had made the earth with its fields,
    or the first of the dust of the world.
²⁷ When he ^(AS)established the heavens, I was there;
    when he drew ^(AT)a circle on the face of the deep,
²⁸ when he ^(AU)made firm the skies above,
    when he established^[d] the fountains of the deep,
²⁹ when he ^(AV)assigned to the sea its ^(AW)limit,
    so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out ^(AX)the foundations of the earth,
³⁰     then ^(AY)I was beside him, like a master workman,
and I was daily his^{[e] (AZ)}delight,
    rejoicing before him always,
^31 (BA)rejoicing in his ^(BB)inhabited world
    and delighting in the children of man.

³² “And now, ^(BC)O sons, listen to me:
    ^(BD)blessed are those who keep my ways.
^33 (BE)Hear instruction and be wise,
    and do not neglect it.
^34 (BF)Blessed is the one who listens to me,
    watching daily at my gates,
    waiting beside my doors.
³⁵ For ^(BG)whoever finds me ^(BH)finds life
    and ^(BI)obtains favor from the Lord,
³⁶ but he who fails to find me ^(BJ)injures himself;
    all who ^(BK)hate me ^(BL)love death.”