⁷ The dread of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; fools despise wisdom and teaching. (The fear of the Lord/Reverence for the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; but fools despise wisdom and teaching.)

⁶ For the Lord giveth wisdom; and prudence and knowing is of his mouth. (For the Lord giveth wisdom; and understanding and knowledge cometh from his mouth.)

¹³ Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom, and that floweth with prudence. (Blessed is the person who findeth wisdom, and who floweth with understanding.)

¹⁴ The getting thereof is better than the merchandise of gold and of silver; the fruits thereof be the first and the cleanest.

¹⁵ It is more precious than all riches; and all things that be desired, may not be comparisoned to this (and nothing that is desired, can be compared to it).

¹⁶ Length of days is in the right half thereof, and riches and glory be in the left half thereof. (Length of days is in its right hand, and riches and glory be in its left hand.)

¹⁷ The ways thereof be fair ways, and all the paths thereof be peaceable. (Its way be fair ways, and all its paths be peaceful.)

¹⁸ It is a tree of life to them that take (hold of) it; and he that holdeth (onto) it, is blessed.

¹⁹ The Lord founded the earth by (his) wisdom; he stablished (the) heavens by (his) prudence.

²⁰ The depths of waters brake out by his wisdom; and (the) clouds waxed (al)together with dew.

⁵ Wield thou wisdom, wield thou prudence; forget thou not, neither bow thou away from the words of my mouth.

⁶ Forsake thou not it, and it shall keep thee (safe); love thou it, and it shall keep thee (safe).

⁷ The beginning of wisdom, wield thou wisdom; and in all thy possession, get thou prudence. (The beginning of wisdom, is that thou first obtain wisdom; and among all thy possessions, of greatest importance is that thou get understanding.)

⁸ Take thou it, and it shall enhance thee; thou shalt be glorified of it, when thou hast embraced it. (Take thou it unto thy heart, and it shall advance thee, or shall promote thee, or raise thee up; thou shalt be honoured, when thou hast embraced it.)

⁹ It shall give increasings of graces to thine head; and a noble crown shall defend thee. (It shall bring many favours upon thee; and they shall adorn thee like a noble crown.)

¹⁰ My son, hear thou, and take my words (to heart); (so) that the years of (thy) life be multiplied to thee.

¹¹ I shall show to thee the way of wisdom; and I shall lead thee by the paths of equity (and I shall lead thee on the fair ways).

¹² Into which when thou hast entered, thy goings shall not be made strait; and thou shalt run, and shalt not have hurting (and thou shalt not be caused to stumble).

¹³ Hold thou (fast to my) teaching, and forsake [thou] it not; keep thou it (near), for it is thy life.

5 My son, perceive thou my wisdom, and bow down thine ear to my prudence; (My son, pay attention to my wisdom, and listen to my understanding of things;)

² (so) that thou keep thy thoughts (proper), and thy lips keep teaching (and thy lips speak knowingly).

8 Whether wisdom crieth not oft; and prudence giveth her voice? (Whether not wisdom crieth often, and understanding giveth forth her voice?)

² In most sovereign and high tops, above the way, in the midst of paths, (On hilltops, on the way, in the midst of paths,)

³ and it standeth beside the gate(s) of the city, in those enclosings, and speaketh, and saith,

⁴ A! ye men, I cry oft to you; and my voice is to the sons of men. (O! ye people, I often cry to you; and my words be for the sons and daughters of men.)

⁵ Little children, that is, little of wit, understand ye wisdom; and ye unwise men, perceiveth in heart. (Ye of little intelligence, understand ye wisdom; and ye who be unwise, think in your hearts.)

⁶ Hear ye (Listen ye), for I shall speak of great things; and my lips shall be opened, to preach rightful things.

⁷ My throat shall bethink truth; and my lips shall curse a wicked man. (My mouth shall speak the truth; and my lips shall curse the wicked/for my lips hate wicked words.)

⁸ My words be just; no shrewd thing, neither wayward is in those. (My words be right, or true; there is nothing depraved, or wicked, in them.)

⁹ They be rightful to them that understand; and they be even to them that find knowing. (They be right to those who understand; and they be obvious to those who find knowledge.)

¹⁰ Take ye my chastising, and not money (Receive, or accept, ye my discipline, and not money); choose ye teaching, more than treasure.

¹¹ For wisdom is better than all riches most precious (For wisdom is better than all of the most precious riches); and all desirable thing may not be comparisoned thereto.

¹² I, wisdom, dwell in counsel (live in good advice); and I am among learned thoughts.

¹³ The dread of the Lord hateth evil; I curse boast, and pride, and a shrewd way, and a double-tongued mouth. (The fear of the Lord is to hate evil/To have reverence for the Lord is to hate evil; I curse boast, and pride, and a depraved way, and speaking with a double-tongue, or with duplicity.)

¹⁴ Counsel is mine, and equity; prudence is mine, and strength. (Forethought is mine, and fairness, or equality; understanding is mine, and strength.)

¹⁵ Kings reign by me; and makers of laws deem just things by me. (Kings reign by me; and law-makers justly judge by me/and rulers make just laws by me.)

¹⁶ Princes command by me; and mighty men deem rightfulness by me. (Leaders command by me; and mighty men judge rightly, or with justice, by me.)

¹⁷ I love them that love me; and they that wake early to me, shall find me. (I love them who love me; and they who wake up early to seek me, shall find me.)

¹⁸ With me be riches, and glory; sovereign riches, and rightfulness.

¹⁹ My fruit is better than gold, and precious stone(s); and my seeds be better than chosen silver (and my recompense is better than chosen silver).

²⁰ I go in the ways of rightfulness, in the midst of the paths of doom; (I go on the ways of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of justice;)

²¹ that I make rich them that love me (so that I make rich those who love me), and that I fill their treasures/their treasuries.

²² The Lord wielded me in the beginning of his ways (The Lord created me at the beginning of his ways); before that he made anything, (yea,) at the (very) beginning.

²³ From without beginning I was ordained; and from eld times, before that the earth was made.

²⁴ [The] Depths of waters were not yet (made); and I was conceived then. The wells of waters had not broken out yet (The water wells had not yet broken forth),

²⁵ and hills stood not (al)together yet by firm heaviness; before little hills I was born. (and the mountains did not yet stand with firm heaviness; yea, I was born before the little hills.)

²⁶ Yet he had not made [the] earth; and floods, and the earths of the world. (He had not yet made the earth; and the rivers, and the dust of the world.)

²⁷ When he made ready heavens, I was present (When he prepared the heavens, I was there); (and) when he compassed, [or (en)closed,] the depths of (the) waters by certain law and compass.

²⁸ When he made steadfast the air above; and weighed the wells of waters (and set in place the water wells).

²⁹ When he compassed to the sea his mark (When he set the boundaries for the seas); and setted law to (the) waters, that they should not pass their coasts. When he weighed the foundaments of [the] earth;

³⁰ I was making all (these) things with him. And I delighted by all days, and played before him in all time,

³¹ and I played in the world; and my delights be to be with the sons of men (and my delight is to be with the sons and daughters of men).

³² Now, therefore, sons, hear ye me; blessed be they that keep my ways. (And so now, sons and daughters, listen ye to me; blessed be those who follow my ways.)

³³ Hear ye teaching, and be ye wise men; and do not ye cast it away. (Listen ye to my teaching, and be ye wise; and do not ye throw it away.)

³⁴ Blessed is the man that heareth me, and that watcheth at my gates all day (Happy is the person who listeneth to me, and who standeth watch at my gates all day long); and keepeth (guard) at the posts of my door[s].

³⁵ He that findeth me, shall find life; and he shall draw health of the Lord. (He who findeth me, shall find life; and he shall obtain favour from the Lord.)

³⁶ But he that sinneth against me shall hurt his soul; all that hate me, love death. (But he who sinneth against me shall hurt his own soul; all who hate me, love death.)

9 Wisdom builded an house to himself (Wisdom built a house for himself); he hewed out seven pillars,

² he offered his slain sacrifices, he meddled wine (he mixed in spices with the wine), and setted forth his table.

³ He sent his handmaids (He sent forth his servantesses), that they should call to the tower; and to the walls of the city.

⁴ If any man is little (in wit), come he to me. And wisdom spake to unwise men, (and said,) (And that they should say, If any one hath little intelligence, come he to me. And then wisdom spoke to the unwise, and said,)

⁵ Come ye, eat ye my bread; and drink ye the wine, which I have meddled to you (and drink ye the wine, in which I have mixed in spices for you).

⁶ Forsake ye young childhood, and live ye; and go ye by the way of prudence. (Abandon ye foolishness, and have life; and go ye on the way of understanding.)

¹⁰ The beginning of wisdom is the dread of the Lord; and prudence is the knowing of saints. (The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord; and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding./The beginning of wisdom is reverence for the Lord; and to know the Holy One is to have understanding.)

¹¹ For thy days shall be multiplied by me; and [the] years of (thy) life shall be increased to thee.

¹² If thou art wise, thou shalt be wise to thyself, and to thy neighbours. Forsooth if thou art a scorner, thou alone shalt bear evil. (If thou art wise, thou shalt be wise, or gain advantage, for thyself, and for thy friends as well. But if thou art a mocker, thou alone shalt bear the evil.)

² Where pride is, there also despising shall be; but where meekness is, there also is wisdom. (Where there is pride, there shall also be despising; but where there is humility, there is also wisdom.)

³³ Wisdom resteth in the heart of a wise man; and he shall teach all unlearned men. (Wisdom resteth in the hearts of the wise; and they shall teach all the unlearned.)