⁷ Fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge;
    wisdom and instruction, fools despise.

⁶ For Yahweh will give wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

¹³ Happy is the one^[a] who finds wisdom,
    and one who obtains understanding.
¹⁴ For her^[b] income is better than the income of silver,
    and her revenue than that of gold.
¹⁵ She is more precious than rubies,
    and all your desires shall not compare with her.
¹⁶ Length of days is in her right hand;
    in her left hand are riches and honor.
¹⁷ Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
    and all her paths are peace.
¹⁸ She is a tree of life for those who seize her;
    those who take hold of her are considered happy.

¹⁹ Yahweh in wisdom founded the earth;
    he established the heavens in understanding.
²⁰ With his knowledge, depths broke open,
    and clouds dropped dew.

⁵ Get wisdom and insight;
    do not forget and do not turn from the sayings of my mouth.
⁶ Do not forsake her—then she will guard you;
    love her and she will keep you.
⁷ The beginning of wisdom: Get wisdom!
    With all that is in your possession, gain insight.
⁸ Cherish her and she will exalt you;
    she will honor you if you embrace her.
⁹ She will give a garland for your head;
    she shall bestow a crown of glory upon you.”

¹⁰ Listen, my child, take my sayings,
    and the years of your life shall be great.
¹¹ In the way of wisdom I have instructed you;
    I have led you in the path of uprightness.
¹² When you walk,^[a] your step will not be hampered,
    and if you run, you will not stumble.
¹³ Seize the instruction! Do not let go!
    Guard her, for she is your life.

8 Does not wisdom call,
    and understanding raise its voice?
² Atop the heights^[a] beside the road,
    at the crossroads she stands.
³ Beside gates, before towns,
    at the entrance of doors, she cries out:
⁴ “To you, O people,^[b] I call,
    and my cry is to the children of humankind.
⁵ Learn prudence, O simple ones;
    fools, learn intelligence.^[c]
6 Listen! For noble things I will speak,
    and upright things from the opening of my lips.
⁷ My mouth will utter truth,
    and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
⁸ All sayings of my mouth are in righteousness;
    none of them are twisted and crooked.
⁹ All of them are straight to him who understands,
    and upright to those who find knowledge.
¹⁰ Take my teaching and not silver;
    may you choose knowledge rather than choice gold.
¹¹ For wisdom is better than jewels,
    and all desires shall not compare with her.
¹² I, wisdom, live with prudence,
    and I find knowledge and discretion.
¹³ The fear of Yahweh is hatred of evil,
    pride, and arrogance and an evil way.
    And I hate a mouth of perversity.
¹⁴ Advice and sound judgment^[d] are mine;
    I am understanding, strength is mine.^[e]
15 By me kings reign,
    and rulers decree righteousness.
¹⁶ By me rulers rule,
    and nobles—all judges of righteousness.
¹⁷ I love those who love me,^[f]
    and those who seek me diligently shall find me.
¹⁸ Fortune and glory are with me,
    enduring wealth and righteousness.
¹⁹ My fruit is better than gold,^[g] even refined gold,
    and my yield than choice silver.
²⁰ In the way of righteousness I walk,
    in the midst of paths of justice,
²¹ in order to endow those who love me with wealth,
    and I will fill their treasuries.

²² “Yahweh possessed^[h] me, the first of his ways,
    before his acts of old.^[i]
23 From eternity, I was set up from the first,
    from the beginning^[j] of the earth.
²⁴ When there were no depths, I was brought forth,
    when there were no springs of abounding^[k] water.
²⁵ Before mountains had been shaped,
    before hills, I was brought forth.
²⁶ When he had not yet made earth and fields,
    or the first dust of the world,
²⁷ when he established^[l] the heavens, there I was,
    when he drew^[m] a circle upon the face of the deep,
²⁸ when he made^[n] skies from above,
    when he founded fountains of the deep,
²⁹ when he assigned^[o] his limits to the sea,
    that waters shall not transgress his command,^[p]
    when he marked^[q] the foundations of the earth,
³⁰ I was beside^[r] him, a master workman,
    and I was delighting day by day,
    rejoicing before him always,^[s]
31 rejoicing in the world of his earth,
    and my delight was with the children of humankind.

³² “And now, children, listen to me;
    happy are those who will keep my ways.
³³ Hear teaching and be wise;
    do not neglect it.
³⁴ Happy is the person who listens to me,
    in order to keep watch at my doors day by day,
    in order to guard the frames of my entrances.
³⁵ For he who finds me is he who finds^[t] life,
    and he obtains favor from Yahweh.
³⁶ But he who misses me injures himself.^[u]
    All those who hate me love death.”

9 Wisdom has built her house;
    she has hewn her seven pillars.
² She has slaughtered her slaughtering, mixed her wine,
    and also set her table.
³ She has sent her servant girls,^[v] she calls
    upon the wings of the high places of town,
⁴ “Whoever is simple, let him turn here.”
    As for the one who lacks sense,^[w] she says to him,
⁵ “Come, eat with my bread;
    drink with the wine I have mixed.
⁶ Lay aside simplicity and live;
    walk in the way of understanding.”

¹⁰ The start of wisdom is fear of Yahweh,
    and knowledge of the Holy One,^[a] insight.
¹¹ For by me your days shall increase,
    and years of life shall multiply for you.
¹² If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,
    and if you scoff, alone you shall bear it.

² Pride comes, then disgrace comes,
    but wisdom is with the humble.

³³ In the heart^[a] of him who has understanding, wisdom rests,
    but even in the midst of fools it becomes known.