⁷ The fear of Yahweh^[a] is the beginning of knowledge;
    but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.

¹³ Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
    the man who gets understanding.
¹⁴ For her good profit is better than getting silver,
    and her return is better than fine gold.
¹⁵ She is more precious than rubies.
    None of the things you can desire are to be compared to 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.
    All her paths are peace.
¹⁸ She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her.
    Happy is everyone who retains her.
¹⁹ By wisdom Yahweh founded the earth.
    By understanding, he established the heavens.
²⁰ By his knowledge, the depths were broken up,
    and the skies drop down the dew.

¹⁰ Listen, my son, and receive my sayings.
    The years of your life will be many.
¹¹ I have taught you in the way of wisdom.
    I have led you in straight paths.
¹² When you go, your steps will not be hampered.
    When you run, you will not stumble.
¹³ Take firm hold of instruction.
    Don’t let her go.
    Keep her, for she is your life.

5 My son, pay attention to my wisdom.
    Turn your ear to my understanding,
² that you may maintain discretion,
    that your lips may preserve knowledge.

8 Doesn’t wisdom cry out?
    Doesn’t understanding raise her voice?
² On the top of high places by the way,
    where the paths meet, she stands.
³ Beside the gates, at the entry of the city,
    at the entry doors, she cries aloud:
⁴ “I call to you men!
    I send my voice to the sons of mankind.
⁵ You simple, understand prudence!
    You fools, be of an understanding heart!
⁶ Hear, for I will speak excellent things.
    The opening of my lips is for right things.
⁷ For my mouth speaks truth.
    Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
⁸ All the words of my mouth are in righteousness.
    There is nothing crooked or perverse in them.
⁹ They are all plain to him who understands,
    right to those who find knowledge.
¹⁰ Receive my instruction rather than silver,
    knowledge rather than choice gold.
¹¹ For wisdom is better than rubies.
    All the things that may be desired can’t be compared to it.

¹² “I, wisdom, have made prudence my dwelling.
    Find out knowledge and discretion.
¹³ The fear of Yahweh is to hate evil.
    I hate pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverse mouth.
¹⁴ Counsel and sound knowledge are mine.
    I have understanding and power.
¹⁵ By me kings reign,
    and princes decree justice.
¹⁶ By me princes rule,
    nobles, and all the righteous rulers of the earth.
¹⁷ I love those who love me.
    Those who seek me diligently will find me.
¹⁸ With me are riches, honor,
    enduring wealth, and prosperity.
¹⁹ My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold,
    my yield than choice silver.
²⁰ I walk in the way of righteousness,
    in the middle of the paths of justice,
²¹ that I may give wealth to those who love me.
    I fill their treasuries.

²² “Yahweh possessed me in the beginning of his work,
    before his deeds of old.
²³ I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning,
    before the earth existed.
²⁴ When there were no depths, I was born,
    when there were no springs abounding with water.
²⁵ Before the mountains were settled in place,
    before the hills, I was born;
²⁶ while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields,
    nor the beginning of the dust of the world.
²⁷ When he established the heavens, I was there.
    When he set a circle on the surface of the deep,
²⁸ when he established the clouds above,
    when the springs of the deep became strong,
²⁹ when he gave to the sea its boundary,
    that the waters should not violate his commandment,
    when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
³⁰ then I was the craftsman by his side.
    I was a delight day by day,
    always rejoicing before him,
³¹ rejoicing in his whole world.
    My delight was with the sons of men.

³² “Now therefore, my sons, listen to me,
    for blessed are those who keep my ways.
³³ Hear instruction, and be wise.
    Don’t refuse it.
³⁴ Blessed is the man who hears me,
    watching daily at my gates,
    waiting at my door posts.
³⁵ For whoever finds me, finds life,
    and will obtain favor from Yahweh.
³⁶ But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul.
    All those who hate me love death.”

9 Wisdom has built her house.
    She has carved out her seven pillars.
² She has prepared her meat.
    She has mixed her wine.
    She has also set her table.
³ She has sent out her maidens.
    She cries from the highest places of the city:
⁴ “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
    As for him who is void of understanding, she says to him,
⁵ “Come, eat some of my bread,
    Drink some of the wine which I have mixed!
⁶ Leave your simple ways, and live.
    Walk in the way of understanding.”