⁷ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

⁶ For the Lord giveth wisdom; out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

¹³ Happy is the man that findeth wisdom and the man that getteth understanding;

¹⁴ for the merchandising of it is better than the merchandising of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.

¹⁵ She is more precious than rubies, and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared to her.

¹⁶ Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and honor.

¹⁷ Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

¹⁸ She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her, and happy is everyone that retaineth her.

¹⁹ The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath He established the heavens;

²⁰ by His knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.

⁵ Get wisdom, get understanding; forget it not, neither decline from the words of my mouth.

⁶ Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee; love her, and she shall keep thee.

⁷ Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom; and with all thy getting, get understanding.

⁸ Exalt her, and she shall promote thee; she shall bring thee honor when thou dost embrace her.

⁹ She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace; a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.”

¹⁰ Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of thy life shall be many.

¹¹ I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.

¹² When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

¹³ Hold fast to instruction, let her not go; keep her, for she is thy life.

5 My son, attend unto my wisdom and bow thine ear to my understanding,

² that thou mayest have regard for discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.

8 Doth not wisdom cry out, and understanding put forth her voice?

² She standeth at the top of high places, by the wayside where the paths meet.

³ She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors:

⁴ “Unto you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of man.

⁵ O ye simple, understand wisdom; and ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.

⁶ Hear, for I will speak of excellent things, and the opening of my lips shall be of right things;

⁷ for my mouth shall speak truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

⁸ All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them.

⁹ They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.

¹⁰ Receive my instruction and not silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold;

¹¹ for wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.

¹² “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and disclose knowledge of learned thoughts.

¹³ The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the froward mouth do I hate.

¹⁴ Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength.

¹⁵ By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.

¹⁶ By me princes rule and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.

¹⁷ I love them that love me, and those that seek me early shall find me.

¹⁸ Riches and honor are with me, yea, durable riches and righteousness.

¹⁹ My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold, and my revenue than choice silver.

²⁰ I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment,

²¹ that I may cause those that love me to inherit substance, and I will fill their treasuries.

²² “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, before His works of old.

²³ I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.

²⁴ When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no fountains abounding with water.

²⁵ Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth,

²⁶ while as yet He had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the first parts of dust of the world.

²⁷ When He prepared the heavens, I was there; when He set a compass upon the face of the deep,

²⁸ when He established the clouds above, when He strengthened the fountains of the deep,

²⁹ when He gave to the sea His decree that the waters should not pass His commandment, when He appointed the foundations of the earth”

³⁰ then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him, and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him,

³¹ rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.

³² “Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children, for blessed are they that keep my ways.

³³ Hear instruction and be wise, and refuse it not.

³⁴ Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.

³⁵ For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain the favor of the Lord.

³⁶ But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul; all they that hate me love death.”

9 Wisdom hath built her house; she hath hewn out her seven pillars.

² She hath killed her beasts, she hath mingled her wine, she hath also furnished her table.

³ She hath sent forth her maidens, she crieth from the highest places of the city:

⁴ “Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither!” As for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him:

⁵ “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine which I have mixed.

⁶ Forsake the foolish and live, and go in the way of understanding.”

¹⁰ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

¹¹ For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.

¹² If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself; but if thou be a scorner, thou alone shall bear it.

² When pride cometh, then cometh shame, but with the lowly is wisdom.

³³ Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding, but that which is innermost in fools is made known.