NAB

Does not Wisdom call,
and Understanding raise her voice?

On the top of the heights along the road,
at the crossroads she takes her stand;

By the gates at the approaches of the city,
in the entryways she cries aloud:

“To you, O people, I call;
my appeal is to you mortals.

You naive ones, gain prudence,
you fools, gain sense.

Listen! for noble things I speak;
my lips proclaim honest words.

Indeed, my mouth utters truth,
and my lips abhor wickedness.

All the words of my mouth are sincere,
none of them wily or crooked;

All of them are straightforward to the intelligent,
and right to those who attain knowledge.

Take my instruction instead of silver,
and knowledge rather than choice gold.

[For Wisdom is better than corals,
and no treasures can compare with her.]

I, Wisdom, dwell with prudence,
and useful knowledge I have.

[The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil;]
Pride, arrogance, the evil way,
and the perverse mouth I hate.

Mine are counsel and advice;
Mine is strength; I am understanding.

By me kings reign,
and rulers enact justice;

By me princes govern,
and nobles, all the judges of the earth.

Those who love me I also love,
and those who seek me find me.

With me are riches and honor,
wealth that endures, and righteousness.

My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold,
and my yield than choice silver.

On the way of righteousness I walk,
along the paths of justice,

Granting wealth to those who love me,
and filling their treasuries.

“The LORD begot me, the beginning of his works,
the forerunner of his deeds of long ago;

From of old I was formed,
at the first, before the earth.

When there were no deeps I was brought forth,
when there were no fountains or springs of water;

Before the mountains were settled into place,
before the hills, I was brought forth;

When the earth and the fields were not yet made,
nor the first clods of the world.

When he established the heavens, there was I,
when he marked out the vault over the face of the deep;

When he made firm the skies above,
when he fixed fast the springs of the deep;

When he set for the sea its limit,
so that the waters should not transgress his command;
When he fixed the foundations of earth,

then was I beside him as artisan;
I was his delight day by day,
playing before him all the while,

Playing over the whole of his earth,
having my delight with human beings.

Now, children, listen to me;
happy are they who keep my ways.

Listen to instruction and grow wise,
do not reject it!

Happy the one who listens to me,
attending daily at my gates,
keeping watch at my doorposts;

For whoever finds me finds life,
and wins favor from the LORD;

But those who pass me by do violence to themselves;
all who hate me love death.”