New King James Version

Christian Standard Bible

1Does not wisdom cry out, And understanding lift up her voice?

1Doesn't wisdom call out? Doesn't understanding make her voice heard?

2She takes her stand on the top of the high hill, Beside the way, where the paths meet.

2At the heights overlooking the road, at the crossroads, she takes her stand.

3She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city, At the entrance of the doors:

3Beside the gates leading into the city, at the main entrance, she cries out:

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

4"People, I call out to you; my cry is to the children of Adam.

5O you simple ones, understand prudence, And you fools, be of an understanding heart.

5Learn to be shrewd, you who are inexperienced; develop common sense, you who are foolish.

6Listen, for I will speak of excellent things, And from the opening of my lips will come right things;

6Listen, for I speak of noble things, and what my lips say is right.

7For my mouth will speak truth; Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

7For my mouth tells the truth, and wickedness is detestable to my lips.

8All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; Nothing crooked or perverse is in them.

8All the words from my mouth are righteous; none of them are deceptive or perverse.

9They are all plain to him who understands, And right to those who find knowledge.

9All of them are clear to the perceptive, and right to those who discover knowledge.

10Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold;

10Accept my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold.

11For wisdom is better than rubies, And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.

11For wisdom is better than jewels, and nothing desirable can equal it.

12“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And find out knowledge and discretion.

12I, wisdom, share a home with shrewdness and have knowledge and discretion.

13The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.

13To fear the LORD is to hate evil. I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.

14Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength.

14I possess good advice and sound wisdom; I have understanding and strength.

15By me kings reign, And rulers decree justice.

15It is by me that kings reign and rulers enact just law;

16By me princes rule, and nobles, All the judges of the earth.

16by me, princes lead, as do nobles and all righteous judges.

17I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me.

17I love those who love me, and those who search for me find me.

18Riches and honor are with me, Enduring riches and righteousness.

18With me are riches and honor, lasting wealth and righteousness.

19My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold, And my revenue than choice silver.

19My fruit is better than solid gold, and my harvest than pure silver.

20I traverse the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice,

20I walk in the ways of righteousness, along the paths of justice,

21That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth, That I may fill their treasuries.

21giving wealth as an inheritance to those who love me, and filling their treasuries.

22“The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old.

22"The LORD acquired me at the beginning of his creation, before his works of long ago.

23I have been established from everlasting, From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.

23I was formed before ancient times, from the beginning, before the earth began.

24When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water.

24I was born when there were no watery depths and no springs filled with water.

25Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills, I was brought forth;

25Before the mountains were established, prior to the hills, I was given birth--

26While as yet He had not made the earth or the fields, Or the primal dust of the world.

26before he made the land, the fields, or the first soil on earth.

27When He prepared the heavens, I was there, When He drew a circle on the face of the deep,

27I was there when he established the heavens, when he laid out the horizon on the surface of the ocean,

28When He established the clouds above, When He strengthened the fountains of the deep,

28when he placed the skies above, when the fountains of the ocean gushed out,

29When He assigned to the sea its limit, So that the waters would not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth,

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.

30Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him,

30I was a skilled craftsman beside him. I was his delight every day, always rejoicing before him.

31Rejoicing in His inhabited world, And my delight was with the sons of men.

31I was rejoicing in his inhabited world, delighting in the children of Adam.

32“Now therefore, listen to me, my children, For blessed are those who keep my ways.

32"And now, sons, listen to me; those who keep my ways are happy.

33Hear instruction and be wise, And do not disdain it.

33Listen to instruction and be wise; don't ignore it.

34Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors.

34Anyone who listens to me is happy, watching at my doors every day, waiting by the posts of my doorway.

35For whoever finds me finds life, And obtains favor from the LORD;

35For the one who finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD,

36But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; All those who hate me love death.”

36but the one who misses me harms himself; all who hate me love death."

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.