22  ^z“The Lord ^apossessed¹ me ^bat the beginning of his work,²

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 established³ 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 his⁴ 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.”