81 Does not wisdom call , And understanding lift up her voice ? 2 On top of the heights beside the way , Where the paths meet , she takes her stand ; 3 Beside the gates , at the opening to the city , At the entrance of the doors , she cries out: 4 "To you, O men , I call , And my voice is to the sons of men . 5 "O naive ones , understand prudence ; And, O fools , understand wisdom . 6 "Listen , for I will speak noble things ; And the opening of my lips will reveal right things . 7 "For my mouth will utter truth ; And wickedness is an abomination to my lips . 8 "All the utterances of my mouth are in righteousness ; There is nothing crooked or perverted in them. 9 "They are all straightforward to him who understands , And right to those who find knowledge . 10 "Take my instruction and not silver , And knowledge rather than choicest gold . 11 "For wisdom is better than jewels ; And all desirable things cannot compare with her.
12 "I, wisdom , dwell with prudence , And I find knowledge and discretion . 13 "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil ; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth , I hate . 14 " Counsel is mine and sound wisdom ; I am understanding , power is mine. 15 "By me kings reign , And rulers decree justice . 16 "By me princes rule , and nobles , All who judge rightly . 17 "I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me. 18 " Riches and honor are with me, Enduring wealth and righteousness . 19 "My fruit is better than gold , even pure gold , And my yield better than choicest silver . 20 "I walk in the way of righteousness , In the midst of the paths of justice , 21 To endow those who love me with wealth , That I may fill their treasuries .
22 "The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way , Before His works of old . 23 "From everlasting I was established , From the beginning , from the earliest times of the earth . 24 "When there were no depths I was brought forth , When there were no springs abounding with water . 25 " Before the mountains were settled , Before the hills I was brought forth ; 26 While He had not yet made the earth and the fields , Nor the first dust of the world . 27 "When He established the heavens , I was there , When He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep , 28 When He made firm the skies above e , When the springs of the deep became fixed , 29 When He set for the sea its boundary So that the water would not transgress His command , When He marked out the foundations of the earth ; 30 Then I was beside Him, as a master workman ; And I was daily His delight , Rejoicing always e before Him, 31 Rejoicing in the world , His earth , And having my delight in the sons of men .
32 "Now therefore, O sons , listen to me, For blessed are they who keep my ways . 33 " Heed instruction and be wise , And do not neglect it. 34 " Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates , Waiting at my doorposts . 35 "For he who finds me finds life And obtains favor from the Lord . 36 "But he who sins against me injures himself ; All those who hate me love death ."
