⁴ “People, I am calling you,
raising my voice to all mankind.
⁵ You who don’t direct your lives,
understand caution;
as for you, you fools,
get some common sense!

⁶ “Listen! I will say worthwhile things;
when I speak, my words are right.
⁷ My mouth says what is true,
because my lips detest evil.
⁸ All the words from my mouth are righteous;
nothing false or crooked is in them.
⁹ They are all clear to those who understand
and straightforward to those who gain knowledge.
¹⁰ Receive my instruction, rather than silver;
knowledge, rather than the finest gold.
¹¹ For wisdom is better than pearls;
nothing you want can compare with her.

¹² “I, wisdom, live together with caution;
I attain knowledge and discretion.
¹³ The fear of Adonai is hatred of evil.
I hate pride and arrogance,
evil ways and duplicitous speech.
¹⁴ Good advice is mine, and common sense;
I am insight, power is mine.
¹⁵ By me kings reign,
and princes make just laws.
¹⁶ By me princes govern,
nobles too, and all the earth’s rulers.
¹⁷ I love those who love me;
and those who seek me will find me.
¹⁸ Riches and honor are with me,
lasting wealth and righteousness.
¹⁹ My fruit is better than gold, fine gold,
my produce better than the finest silver.
²⁰ I follow the course of righteousness
along the paths of justice,
²¹ to endow with wealth those who love me
and fill their treasuries.
²² “Adonai made me as the beginning of his way,
the first of his ancient works.
²³ I was appointed before the world,
before the start, before the earth’s beginnings.
²⁴ When I was brought forth, there were no ocean depths,
no springs brimming with water.
²⁵ I was brought forth before the hills,
before the mountains had settled in place;
²⁶ he had not yet made the earth, the fields,
or even the earth’s first grains of dust.
²⁷ When he established the heavens, I was there.
When he drew the horizon’s circle on the deep,
²⁸ when he set the skies above in place,
when the fountains of the deep poured forth,
²⁹ when he prescribed boundaries for the sea,
so that its water would not transgress his command,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
³⁰ I was with him as someone he could trust.
For me, every day was pure delight,
as I played in his presence all the time,.
³¹ playing everywhere on his earth,
and delighting to be with humankind.

³² “Therefore, children, listen to me:
happy are those who keep my ways.
³³ Hear instruction, and grow wise;
do not refuse it.
³⁴ How happy the person who listens to me,
who watches daily at my gates
and waits outside my doors.
³⁵ For he who finds me finds life
and obtains the favor of Adonai.
³⁶ But he who misses me harms himself;
all who hate me love death.”