Wisdom’s Appeal
1Doesn’t wisdom call out?
Doesn’t understanding make her voice heard?
2At the heights overlooking the road,
at the crossroads, she takes her stand.
3Beside the gates leading into the city,
at the main entrance, she cries out:
4“People, I call out to you;
my cry is to the children of Adam.
5Learn to be shrewd, you who are inexperienced;
develop common sense, you who are foolish.
6Listen, for I speak of noble things,
and what my lips say is right.
7For my mouth tells the truth,
and wickedness is detestable to my lips.
8All the words from my mouth are righteous;
none of them are deceptive or perverse.
9All of them are clear to the perceptive,
and right to those who discover knowledge.
10Accept my instruction instead of silver,
and knowledge rather than pure gold.
11For wisdom is better than jewels,
and nothing desirable can equal it.
12I, wisdom, share a home with shrewdness
and have knowledge and discretion.
13To fear the Lord is to hate evil.
I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct,
and perverse speech.
14I possess good advice and sound wisdom;
I have understanding and strength.
15It is by me that kings reign
and rulers enact just law;
16by me, princes lead,
as do nobles and all righteous judges.
17I love those who love me,
and those who search for me find me.
18With me are riches and honor,
lasting wealth and righteousness.
19My fruit is better than solid gold,
and my harvest than pure silver.
20I walk in the ways of righteousness,
along the paths of justice,
21giving wealth as an inheritance to those who love me,
and filling their treasuries.
22“The Lord acquired me
at the beginning of his creation,
before his works of long ago.
23I was formed before ancient times,
from the beginning, before the earth began.
24I was born
when there were no watery depths
and no springs filled with water.
25Before the mountains were established,
prior to the hills, I was given birth —
26before he made the land, the fields,
or the first soil on earth.
27I was there when he established the heavens,
when he laid out the horizon on the surface of the ocean,
28when he placed the skies above,
when the fountains of the ocean gushed out,
29when he set a limit for the sea
so that the waters would not violate his command,
when he laid out the foundations of the earth.
30I was a skilled craftsman beside him.
I was his delight every day,
always rejoicing before him.
31I was rejoicing in his inhabited world,
delighting in the children of Adam.
32“And now, sons, listen to me;
those who keep my ways are happy.
33Listen to instruction and be wise;
don’t ignore it.
34Anyone who listens to me is happy,
watching at my doors every day,
waiting by the posts of my doorway.
35For the one who finds me finds life
and obtains favor from the Lord,
36but the one who misses me harms himself;
all who hate me love death.”