1) Is not wisdom calling? and does not reason raise its voice?
2) She stands in elevated places, along the road, at crossroads;
3) she calls out at the gate at the entrance to the city, at the entrance to the door:
4) “To you, people, I cry, and to the sons of men my voice!
5) Learn, you fools, prudence, and fools, learn reason.
6) Listen, because I will speak important things, and the words of my mouth are true;
7) For my tongue shall speak truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips;
8) all the words of my mouth are fair; there is no deceit or guile in them;
9) they are all clear to the rational and fair to those who have acquired knowledge.
10) Accept my teaching, not silver; knowledge is better than choice gold;
11) because wisdom is better than pearls, and nothing desired can compare with it.
12) I, wisdom, dwell with understanding and seek sensible knowledge.
13) The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance and the evil way and deceitful lips.
14) I have advice and truth; I am the mind, I have the strength.
15) By me kings reign and rulers legitimize righteousness;
16) The rulers and nobles and all the judges of the earth rule over me.
17) Those who love me I love, and those who seek me will find me;
18) I have wealth and glory, an unfailing treasure and righteousness;
19) My fruits are better than gold, even the purest gold, and I bring more benefit than choice silver.
20) I walk on the path of righteousness, on the paths of justice,
21) to bring substantial good to those who love me, and I fill their treasuries. [When I proclaim what happens daily, I will not forget to count what is from eternity.]
22) The Lord had me as the beginning of His path, before His creatures, from time immemorial;
23) I have been anointed from everlasting, from the beginning, before the existence of the earth.
24) I was born when there were no deeps yet, when there were no springs abundant with water.
25) I was born before the mountains were erected, before the hills,
26) when He had not yet created either the earth, or the fields, or the initial grains of dust of the universe.
27) When He prepared heaven, I was there. When He drew a circular line across the face of the abyss,
28) when he strengthened the clouds above, when he strengthened the fountains of the deep,
29) when he gave the sea a charter so that the waters would not overstep its boundaries, when he laid the foundations of the earth:
30) then I was an artist with Him, and I was a joy every day, rejoicing in His presence all the time,
31) rejoicing in His earthly circle, and my joy was with the sons of men.
32) So, children, listen to me; and blessed are they who keep my ways!
33) Listen to the instructions and be wise, and do not deviate from it.
34) Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching every day at my gates and standing guard at my doors!
35) because whoever finds me has found life and will receive grace from the Lord;
36) But whoever sins against me harms his own soul: all those who hate me love death.”
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru