The Blessings of Wisdom
Does not awisdom call?
Does not bunderstanding raise her voice?
2 On athe heights beside the way,
at the crossroads she takes her stand;
3 beside athe gates in front of bthe town,
at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:
4 “To you, O amen, I call,
and my cry is to athe children of man.
5 O asimple ones, learn bprudence;
O cfools, learn sense.
6 Hear, for I will speak anoble things,
and from my lips will come bwhat is right,
7 for my amouth will utter truth;
wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are righteous;
there is nothing atwisted or crooked in them.
9 They are all astraight to him who understands,
and right to those who find knowledge.
10 aTake my instruction instead of silver,
and knowledge rather than choice gold,
11 afor wisdom is better than jewels,
and ball that you may desire cannot compare with her.
12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
and I find knowledge and adiscretion.
13 aThe fear of the Lord is bhatred of evil.
cPride and arrogance and the way of evil
and dperverted speech I hate.
14 I have acounsel and bsound wisdom;
I have insight; cI have strength.
15 By me akings reign,
and rulers decree what is just;
16 by me princes rule,
and nobles, all who govern justly.
17 aI love those who love me,
and bthose who seek me diligently find me.
18 aRiches and honor are with me,
benduring wealth and brighteousness.
19 My fruit is abetter than bgold, even fine gold,
and my yield than cchoice silver.
20 I walk in the way of righteousness,
in the paths of justice,
21 granting an inheritance to those who love me,
and filling their treasuries.
22 a“The Lord bpossessed me at the beginning of his work,
the first of his acts cof old.
23 Ages ago I was aset up,
at the first, bbefore the beginning of the earth.
24 When there were no adepths I was bbrought forth,
when there were no springs abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains ahad been shaped,
bbefore the hills, I was brought forth,
26 before he had made the earth with its fields,
or the first of the dust of the world.
27 When he aestablished the heavens, I was there;
when he drew ba circle on the face of the deep,
28 when he amade firm the skies above,
when he established the fountains of the deep,
29 when he aassigned to the sea its blimit,
so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out cthe foundations of the earth,
30 then aI was beside him, like a master workman,
and I was daily his bdelight,
rejoicing before him always,
31 arejoicing in his binhabited world
and delighting in the children of man.
32 “And now, aO sons, listen to me:
bblessed are those who keep my ways.
33 aHear instruction and be wise,
and do not neglect it.
34 aBlessed is the one who listens to me,
watching daily at my gates,
waiting beside my doors.
35 For awhoever finds me bfinds life
and cobtains favor from the Lord,
36 but he who fails to find me ainjures himself;
all who bhate me clove death.”