Old/New Testament

¹ Does Wisdom not call?
    Does Understanding not lift up her voice?
² On the heights, by the wayside,
    at the crossroads—she takes her stand;
³ by the gates leading into the city,
    at the roads of access she cries out:
⁴ “I call out to you, O men;
    my appeal is to the sons of men.
⁵ You who are simple, acquire prudence;
    you who are foolish, acquire understanding.
⁶ Listen, for I speak of important matters;
    what I proclaim is honest and right.
⁷ For my mouth proclaims the truth;
    wickedness is abhorrent to my lips.
⁸ “All the words of my mouth are upright;
    not a single word is false or crooked.
⁹ All of them are clear to those who are intelligent^[b]
    and right to those who have acquired knowledge.
¹⁰ Choose my instruction rather than silver
    and knowledge instead of pure gold.
¹¹ For Wisdom is better than pearls,
    and no object of desire can compare with her.
¹² “I, Wisdom, dwell with prudence,
    and I possess knowledge and discretion.^[c]
13 The fear of the Lord implies hatred of evil;^[d]
    I hate pride and arrogance,
    evil ways and perverse speech.
¹⁴ From me issue forth counsel and prudence;
    insight and strength^[e] are mine.
¹⁵ Through me kings reign,
    and rulers decree what is just.
¹⁶ By me princes and nobles rule,
    all those who govern rightly.
¹⁷ “I love those who love me,
    and those who diligently seek me will find me.
¹⁸ With me are riches and honor,
    enduring wealth and prosperity.
¹⁹ My fruit is better than the finest gold,
    and what I yield surpasses pure silver.
²⁰ I walk on the way of righteousness,
    along the paths of justice,
²¹ bestowing wealth on those who love me
    and heaping up their treasuries.

²² “The Lord created me as the firstborn of his ways,
    before the oldest of his works.
²³ I was established in the earliest times,
    at the beginning, before the earth.
²⁴ I was brought forth when there were no ocean depths,
    when there were no springs overflowing with water.
²⁵ Before the mountains had been shaped,
    before the hills, I was brought forth,
²⁶ when he had not yet made the earth and the fields
    or the mass of the world’s soil.
²⁷ “When he set the heavens in place, I was there,
    when he designated where the ocean and the horizon^[g] meet,
²⁸ when he fixed the canopy of the clouds above
    and limited the fountains of the deep,
²⁹ when he assigned the boundaries of the sea
    so that the waters would not transgress his command,
and when he established the foundations of the earth,
³⁰     then I was beside him as a master craftsman,^[h]
and I was his delight day after day,
    exulting in his presence continually,
³¹ rejoicing in his inhabited world
    and delighting in the children of men.^[i]
32 “So now, my sons, listen to me;
    blessed^[j] are those who keep my ways.
³³ Listen to instruction and gain wisdom;
    do not reject it.
³⁴ Blessed is the one who listens to me,
    who keeps watch daily at my gates,
    waiting at my doorway.
³⁵ For whoever finds me finds life
    and receives favor from the Lord.
³⁶ But whoever sins against me harms himself,
    and all who hate me love death.”

¹ Wisdom has built her house;
    she has hewn her seven pillars.
² She has slain her animals and mixed her wine,
    and she has spread her table.
³ She has sent forth her maidservants
    and proclaimed from the heights of the city,
⁴ “Let those who are simple^[l] turn in here.”
    To the person without understanding she says,
⁵ “Come and partake of my food,
    and taste the wine that I have prepared!
⁶ Abandon foolishness so that you may live;
    walk in the way of understanding.

⁷ “If you correct an arrogant man, you invite insults;
    if you rebuke a wicked man, you incur abuse.
⁸ If you reprove an insolent man, he will hate you;
    if you reprove a wise man, he will love you.
⁹ Instruct a wise man, and he will become wiser still;
    teach a righteous man, and he will advance in learning.
^{10     [n]}“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,^[o]
    and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
¹¹ For by me your days will be multiplied,
    and years will be added to your life.
¹² If you are wise, it is to your advantage;
    if you are arrogant, you alone will bear the blame.”

¹³ The woman Folly^[q] acts impulsively;
    she is undisciplined and lacking in knowledge.
¹⁴ She sits at the door of her house,
    upon a seat commanding the city,
¹⁵ calling out to the passers-by
    who are hurrying on their straight way,
¹⁶ “You who are simple, turn in here.”
    To the fool she says,
¹⁷ “Stolen water is sweet,
    and bread eaten in secret tastes good.”
¹⁸ But little does he know that the dead are there
    and that her guests are headed for the netherworld.