The Call of Wisdom
20 aWisdom cries aloud in the street,
in the markets she raises her voice;
21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
and fools bhate knowledge?
23 If you cturn at my reproof,1
behold, I will dpour out my spirit to you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 eBecause I have called and you refused to listen,
have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,
25 because you have fignored all my counsel
and would have none of my reproof,
26 I also will glaugh at your calamity;
I will mock when terror strikes you,
27 when terror strikes you like a storm
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you.
28 Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 would have none of my hcounsel
and idespised all my reproof,
31 therefore they shall jeat the fruit of their way,
and have their fill of their own devices.
32 For the ksimple are killed by their turning away,
and the complacency of fools destroys them;
33 but whoever listens to me will dwell secure
and will be at ease, lwithout dread of disaster.”
Blessed Is the One Who Finds Wisdom
13 xBlessed is the one who finds wisdom,
and the one who gets understanding,
14 for the gain from her is ybetter than gain from zsilver
and her profit better than gold.
15 She is more precious than jewels,
and anothing you desire can compare with her.
16 Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
and all her paths are peace.
18 She is a btree of life to those who clay hold of her;
those who hold her fast are called blessed.
19 The Lord dby wisdom founded the earth;
by understanding he established the heavens;
20 by his knowledge ethe deeps broke open,
and the clouds drop down the dew.
The Blessings of Wisdom
1 jDoes not wisdom call?
Does not understanding raise her voice?
2 kOn the heights beside the way,
at the crossroads she takes her stand;
3 beside the gates in front of the town,
at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:
4 “To you, O men, I call,
and my cry is to the children of man.
5 O lsimple ones, learn prudence;
O fools, mlearn sense.
6 Hear, for I will speak noble things,
and from my lips will come what is right,
7 for my mouth will utter truth;
wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are righteous;
there is nothing twisted or ncrooked in them.
9 They are all straight to him who understands,
and right to those who find knowledge.
10 oTake my pinstruction instead of qsilver,
and knowledge rather than choice gold,
11 for wisdom is rbetter than jewels,
and sall that you may desire cannot compare with her.
12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
and I find knowledge and discretion.
13 tThe fear of the Lord is uhatred of evil.
Pride and arrogance and the way of evil
and vperverted speech I hate.
14 I have counsel and sound wisdom;
I have insight; I have strength.
15 By me kings reign,
and rulers decree what is just;
16 by me princes rule,
and nobles, all who govern justly.1
17 I love those who love me,
and those who wseek me diligently find me.
18 Riches and honor are with me,
enduring wealth and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold,
and my yield than xchoice silver.
20 I walk in the yway of righteousness,
in the paths of justice,
21 granting an inheritance to those who love me,
and filling their treasuries.
22 z“The Lord apossessed2 me bat the beginning of his work,3
the first of his acts of old.
23 Ages ago I was set up,
at the first, cbefore the beginning of the earth.
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth,
when there were no springs abounding with water.
25 dBefore the mountains had been shaped,
before the hills, I was brought forth,
26 before he had made the earth with its fields,
or ethe first of the dust of the world.
27 When he festablished the heavens, I was there;
when he gdrew a circle on the face of the deep,
28 hwhen he made firm the skies above,
when he established4 the ifountains of the deep,
29 jwhen he kassigned to the sea its limit,
so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
30 then I was lbeside him, like a master workman,
and I was daily his5 delight,
rejoicing before him always,
31 rejoicing in his inhabited world
and delighting in the children of man.
32 “And now, O sons, listen to me:
blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction and be wise,
and do not mneglect it.
34 nBlessed is the one who listens to me,
watching daily at my gates,
waiting beside my doors.
35 For whoever finds me finds olife
and obtains favor from the Lord,
36 but he who fails to find me injures himself;
all who hate me love death.”
The Way of Wisdom
1 Wisdom has built her house;
she has hewn her seven pillars.
2 She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.
3 She has sent out her young women to pcall
from the highest places in the town,
4 q“Whoever is rsimple, let him turn in here!”
To him who lacks sense she says,
5 “Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 Leave your simple ways,1 and live,
and walk in the way of sinsight.”
7 tWhoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,
and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
ureprove a wise man, and he will love you.
9 Give instruction2 to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
teach a righteous man, and he will vincrease in learning.
10 wThe fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the xknowledge of the Holy One is yinsight.
11 For by me your days will be zmultiplied,
and years will be added to your life.
12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself;
if you scoff, you alone will bear it.
The Way of Folly
13 The woman Folly is aloud;
she is seductive3 and knows nothing.
14 She sits at the door of bher house;
she takes a seat con the highest places of the town,
15 calling to those who pass by,
who are going straight on their way,
16 d“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
And to him who lacks sense she says,
17 “Stolen ewater is sweet,
and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 fBut he does not know that the dead4 are there,
that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
