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The Commendation of Wisdom

¹ Does not ^(C1)wisdom call,
And understanding lift up her voice?

² On the top of ^(C1)the heights beside the way,
Where the paths meet, wisdom takes her stand;

³ Beside the ^(C1)gates, at the entrance to the city,
At the entrance of the doors, she cries out:

⁴ "To you, O men, I call,
And my voice is directed to the sons of men.

⁵ "O you ^(C1)naive or inexperienced who are easily misled, understand prudence and seek astute common sense;
And, O you closed-minded, self-confident ^(C2)fools, understand wisdom seek the insight and self-discipline that leads to godly living. ^(VR1)

⁶ "Listen, for I will speak ^(C1)excellent and noble things;
And the opening of my lips will reveal ^(C2)right things.

⁷ "For my ^(C1)mouth will utter truth,
And wickedness is repulsive and loathsome to my lips.

⁸ "All the words of my mouth are in righteousness (upright, in right standing with God);
There is nothing ^(C1)contrary to truth or perverted (crooked) in them.

⁹ "They are all ^(C1)straightforward to him who understands with an open and willing mind,
And right to those who ^(C2)find knowledge and live by it.

¹⁰ "Take my ^(C1)instruction rather than seeking silver,
And take knowledge rather than choicest gold,

¹¹ For wisdom is ^(C1)better than rubies;
And ^(C2)all desirable things cannot compare with her. ^(VR1)

¹² "I, godly wisdom, ^(C1)reside with prudence good judgment, moral courage and astute common sense,
And I find ^(C2)knowledge and discretion. ^(VR1)

¹³ "The reverent ^(C1)fear and worshipful awe of the LORD includes the hatred of evil;
^(C2)Pride and arrogance and ^(C3)the evil way,
And the ^(C4)perverted mouth, I hate.

¹⁴ "^(C1)Counsel is mine and ^(C2)sound wisdom;
I am understanding, ^(C3)power and strength are mine.

¹⁵ "By me ^(C1)kings reign
And rulers decide and decree justice. ^(VR1)

¹⁶ "By me princes rule, and nobles,
All who judge and govern rightly.

¹⁷ "I ^(C1)love those who love me;
And ^(C2)those who seek me early and diligently will find me. ^(VR1)

¹⁸ "^(C1)Riches and honor are with me,
Enduring ^(C2)wealth and righteousness (right standing with God). ^(VR1)

¹⁹ "My fruit is ^(C1)better than gold, even pure gold,
And my yield is better than ^(C2)choicest silver.

²⁰ "I, Wisdom, continuously walk in the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice,

²¹ That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth and true riches,
And that I may ^(C1)fill their treasuries.

²² "The LORD created and possessed me ^(C1)at the beginning of His way,
Before His works of old were accomplished.

²³ "From everlasting I was ^(C1)established and ordained,
From the beginning, ^(C2)before the earth existed, I, godly wisdom, existed. ^(VR1)

²⁴ "When there were no ocean ^(C1)depths I was born,
When there were no fountains and springs overflowing with water.

²⁵ "^(C1)Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills, I was born; ^(VR1)

²⁶ While He had not yet made the earth and the fields,
Or the first of the dust of the earth.

²⁷ "When He ^(C1)established the heavens, I Wisdom was there;
When ^(C2)He drew a circle upon the face of the deep,

²⁸ When He made firm the skies above,
When the fountains and springs of the deep became fixed and strong,

²⁹ When ^(C1)He set for the sea its boundary
So that the waters would not transgress the boundaries set by His command,
When He marked out ^(C2)the foundations of the earth— ^(VR1)

³⁰ Then ^(C1)I was beside Him, as a master craftsman;
And I was daily His delight;
Rejoicing before Him always, ^(VR1)

³¹ Rejoicing in the world, His inhabited earth,
And having ^(C1)my delight in the sons of men. ^(VR1)

³² "Now therefore, O sons, ^(C1)listen to me,
For ^(C2)blessed happy, prosperous, to be admired are they who keep my ways. ^(VR1)

³³ "^(C1)Heed (pay attention to) instruction and be wise,
And do not ignore or neglect it.

³⁴ "^(C1)Blessed happy, prosperous, to be admired is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at my doorposts.

³⁵ "For ^(C1)whoever finds me (Wisdom) finds life
And ^(C2)obtains favor and grace from the LORD.

³⁶ "But he who fails to find me or sins against me ^(C1)injures himself;
All those who ^(C2)hate me ^(C3)love and court death."