¹² “I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;
    I possess knowledge and discretion.^(J)
13 To fear the Lord^(K) is to hate evil;^(L)
    I hate^(M) pride and arrogance,
    evil behavior and perverse speech.
¹⁴ Counsel and sound judgment are mine;
    I have insight, I have power.^(N)
15 By me kings reign
    and rulers^(O) issue decrees that are just;
¹⁶ by me princes govern,^(P)
    and nobles—all who rule on earth.^[b]
17 I love those who love me,^(Q)
    and those who seek me find me.^(R)
18 With me are riches and honor,^(S)
    enduring wealth and prosperity.^(T)
19 My fruit is better than fine gold;^(U)
    what I yield surpasses choice silver.^(V)
20 I walk in the way of righteousness,^(W)
    along the paths of justice,
²¹ bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me
    and making their treasuries full.^(X)

²² “The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,^[c][d]
    before his deeds of old;
²³ I was formed long ages ago,
    at the very beginning, when the world came to be.
²⁴ When there were no watery depths, I was given birth,
    when there were no springs overflowing with water;^(Y)
25 before the mountains were settled in place,^(Z)
    before the hills, I was given birth,^(AA)
26 before he made the world or its fields
    or any of the dust of the earth.^(AB)
27 I was there when he set the heavens in place,^(AC)
    when he marked out the horizon^(AD) on the face of the deep,
²⁸ when he established the clouds above^(AE)
    and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,^(AF)
29 when he gave the sea its boundary^(AG)
    so the waters would not overstep his command,^(AH)
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.^(AI)
30     Then I was constantly^[e] at his side.^(AJ)
I was filled with delight day after day,
    rejoicing always in his presence,
³¹ rejoicing in his whole world
    and delighting in mankind.^(AK)

³² “Now then, my children, listen^(AL) to me;
    blessed are^(AM) those who keep my ways.^(AN)
33 Listen to my instruction and be wise;
    do not disregard it.
³⁴ Blessed are those who listen^(AO) to me,
    watching daily at my doors,
    waiting at my doorway.
³⁵ For those who find me^(AP) find life^(AQ)
    and receive favor from the Lord.^(AR)
36 But those who fail to find me harm themselves;^(AS)
    all who hate me love death.”^(AT)

⁹ Then you will understand^(K) what is right and just
    and fair—every good path.
¹⁰ For wisdom will enter your heart,^(L)
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
¹¹ Discretion will protect you,
    and understanding will guard you.^(M)

¹² Wisdom will save^(N) you from the ways of wicked men,
    from men whose words are perverse,
¹³ who have left the straight paths
    to walk in dark ways,^(O)
14 who delight in doing wrong
    and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,^(P)
15 whose paths are crooked^(Q)
    and who are devious in their ways.^(R)

¹⁶ Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman,^(S)
    from the wayward woman with her seductive words,
¹⁷ who has left the partner of her youth
    and ignored the covenant she made before God.^[a](T)
18 Surely her house leads down to death
    and her paths to the spirits of the dead.^(U)
19 None who go to her return
    or attain the paths of life.^(V)

²⁰ Thus you will walk in the ways of the good
    and keep to the paths of the righteous.
²¹ For the upright will live in the land,^(W)
    and the blameless will remain in it;
²² but the wicked^(X) will be cut off from the land,^(Y)
    and the unfaithful will be torn from it.^(Z)

¹³ Blessed are those who find wisdom,
    those who gain understanding,
¹⁴ for she is more profitable than silver
    and yields better returns than gold.^(A)
15 She is more precious than rubies;^(B)
    nothing you desire can compare with her.^(C)
16 Long life is in her right hand;^(D)
    in her left hand are riches and honor.^(E)
17 Her ways are pleasant ways,
    and all her paths are peace.^(F)
18 She is a tree of life^(G) to those who take hold of her;
    those who hold her fast will be blessed.^(H)

¹⁹ By wisdom^(I) the Lord laid the earth’s foundations,^(J)
    by understanding he set the heavens^(K) in place;
²⁰ by his knowledge the watery depths were divided,
    and the clouds let drop the dew.

²¹ My son,^(L) do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight,^(M)
    preserve sound judgment and discretion;
²² they will be life for you,^(N)
    an ornament to grace your neck.^(O)
23 Then you will go on your way in safety,^(P)
    and your foot will not stumble.^(Q)
24 When you lie down,^(R) you will not be afraid;^(S)
    when you lie down, your sleep^(T) will be sweet.

²² “How long will you who are simple^(B) love your simple ways?
    How long will mockers delight in mockery
    and fools hate^(C) knowledge?
²³ Repent at my rebuke!
    Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
    I will make known to you my teachings.
²⁴ But since you refuse^(D) to listen when I call^(E)
    and no one pays attention^(F) when I stretch out my hand,
²⁵ since you disregard all my advice
    and do not accept my rebuke,
²⁶ I in turn will laugh^(G) when disaster^(H) strikes you;
    I will mock^(I) when calamity overtakes you^(J)—
²⁷ when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
    when disaster^(K) sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
    when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

²⁸ “Then they will call to me but I will not answer;^(L)
    they will look for me but will not find me,^(M)
29 since they hated knowledge
    and did not choose to fear the Lord.^(N)
30 Since they would not accept my advice
    and spurned my rebuke,^(O)
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways
    and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.^(P)
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
    and the complacency of fools will destroy them;^(Q)
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety^(R)
    and be at ease, without fear of harm.”^(S)

¹³ Folly is an unruly woman;^(A)
    she is simple and knows nothing.^(B)
14 She sits at the door of her house,
    on a seat at the highest point of the city,^(C)
15 calling out^(D) to those who pass by,
    who go straight on their way,
¹⁶     “Let all who are simple come to my house!”
To those who have no sense^(E) she says,
¹⁷     “Stolen water is sweet;
    food eaten in secret is delicious!^(F)”
¹⁸ But little do they know that the dead are there,
    that her guests are deep in the realm of the dead.^(G)

¹⁰ Listen, my son,^(M) accept what I say,
    and the years of your life will be many.^(N)
11 I instruct^(O) you in the way of wisdom
    and lead you along straight paths.^(P)
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
    when you run, you will not stumble.^(Q)
13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
    guard it well, for it is your life.^(R)
14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
    or walk in the way of evildoers.^(S)
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
    turn from it and go on your way.
¹⁶ For they cannot rest until they do evil;^(T)
    they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.
¹⁷ They eat the bread of wickedness
    and drink the wine of violence.^(U)

¹⁸ The path of the righteous^(V) is like the morning sun,^(W)
    shining ever brighter till the full light of day.^(X)
19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;^(Y)
    they do not know what makes them stumble.^(Z)

²⁰ My son,^(AA) pay attention to what I say;
    turn your ear to my words.^(AB)
21 Do not let them out of your sight,^(AC)
    keep them within your heart;
²² for they are life to those who find them
    and health to one’s whole body.^(AD)
23 Above all else, guard^(AE) your heart,
    for everything you do flows from it.^(AF)
24 Keep your mouth free of perversity;
    keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
²⁵ Let your eyes^(AG) look straight ahead;
    fix your gaze directly before you.
²⁶ Give careful thought to the^[c] paths for your feet^(AH)
    and be steadfast in all your ways.
²⁷ Do not turn to the right or the left;^(AI)
    keep your foot from evil.