8 Does not wisdom call
    and understanding raise her voice?^(A)
2 On the heights, beside the way,
    at the crossroads she takes her stand;
³ beside the gates in front of the town,
    at the entrance of the portals she cries out:^(B)
4 “To you, O people, I call,
    and my cry is to all who live.
⁵ O simple ones, learn prudence;
    acquire intelligence, you who lack it.^(C)
6 Hear, for I will speak noble things,
    and from my lips will come what is right,^(D)
7 for my mouth will utter truth;
    wickedness is an abomination to my lips.^(E)
8 All the words of my mouth are righteous;
    there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.
⁹ They are all straight to one who understands
    and right to those who find knowledge.^(F)
10 Take my instruction instead of silver
    and knowledge rather than choice gold,^(G)
11 for wisdom is better than jewels,
    and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.^(H)
12 I, wisdom, live with prudence,
    and I attain knowledge and discretion.^(I)
13 The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.
Pride and arrogance and the way of evil
    and perverted speech I hate.^(J)
14 I have good advice and sound wisdom;
    I have insight; I have strength.^(K)
15 By me kings reign,
    and rulers decree what is just;^(L)
16 by me rulers rule,
    and nobles, all who govern rightly.
¹⁷ I love those who love me,
    and those who seek me diligently find me.^(M)
18 Riches and honor are with me,
    enduring wealth and prosperity.^(N)
19 My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold,
    and my yield than choice silver.^(O)
20 I walk in the way of righteousness,
    along the paths of justice,
²¹ endowing with wealth those who love me
    and filling their treasuries.

²² “The Lord created me at the beginning^[a] of his work,^[b]
    the first of his acts of long ago.^(P)
23 Ages ago I was set up,
    at the first, before the beginning of the earth.^(Q)
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth,
    when there were no springs abounding with water.
²⁵ Before the mountains had been shaped,
    before the hills, I was brought forth,^(R)
26 when he had not yet made earth and fields^[c]
    or the world’s first bits of soil.
²⁷ When he established the heavens, I was there;
    when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,^(S)
28 when he made firm the skies above,
    when he established the fountains of the deep,
²⁹ when he assigned to the sea its limit,
    so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth,^(T)
30     then I was beside him, like a master worker,^[d]
and I was daily his^[e] delight,
    playing before him always,^(U)
31 playing in his inhabited world
    and delighting in the human race.^(V)