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¹ Does not ^(a)wisdom call?
    Does not ^(b)understanding raise her voice?
² On ^(c)the heights beside the way,
    at the crossroads she takes her stand;
³ beside ^(d)the gates in front of ^(e)the town,
    at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:
⁴ "To you, O ^(f)men, I call,
    and my cry is to ^(g)the children of man.
⁵ O ^(h)simple ones, learn ⁽ⁱ⁾prudence;
    O ^(j)fools, learn sense.
⁶ Hear, for I will speak ^(k)noble things,
    and from my lips will come ^(l)what is right,
⁷ for my ^(m)mouth will utter truth;
    wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
⁸ All the words of my mouth are righteous;
    there is nothing ⁽ⁿ⁾twisted or crooked in them.
⁹ They are all ^(o)straight to him who understands,
    and right to those who find knowledge.
^10 (p)Take my instruction instead of silver,
    and knowledge rather than choice gold,
^11 (q)for wisdom is better than jewels,
    and ^(r)all that you may desire cannot compare with her.

¹² "I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
    and I find knowledge and ^(s)discretion.
^13 (t)The fear of the Lord is ^(u)hatred of evil.
^(v)Pride and arrogance and the way of evil
    and ^(w)perverted speech I hate.
¹⁴ I have ^(x)counsel and ^(y)sound wisdom;
    I have insight; ^(z)I have strength.
¹⁵ By me ^(aa)kings reign,
    and rulers decree what is just;
¹⁶ by me princes rule,
    and nobles, all who govern justly.^[a]
17 (ab)I love those who love me,
    and ^(ac)those who seek me diligently find me.
^18 (ad)Riches and honor are with me,
    ^(ae)enduring wealth and ^(af)righteousness.
¹⁹ My fruit is ^(ag)better than ^(ah)gold, even fine gold,
    and my yield than ^(ai)choice silver.
²⁰ I walk in the way of righteousness,
    in the paths of justice,
²¹ granting an inheritance to those who love me,
    and filling their treasuries.

^22 (aj)"The Lord ^(ak)possessed^[b] me at the beginning of his work,^[c]
    the first of his acts ^(al)of old.
²³ Ages ago I was ^(am)set up,
    at the first, ^(an)before the beginning of the earth.
²⁴ When there were no ^(ao)depths I was ^(ap)brought forth,
    when there were no springs abounding with water.
²⁵ Before the mountains ^(aq)had been shaped,
    ^(ar)before the hills, I was brought forth,
²⁶ before he had made the earth with its fields,
    or the first of the dust of the world.
²⁷ When he ^(as)established the heavens, I was there;
    when he drew ^(at)a circle on the face of the deep,
²⁸ when he ^(au)made firm the skies above,
    when he established^[d] the fountains of the deep,
²⁹ when he ^(av)assigned to the sea its ^(aw)limit,
    so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out ^(ax)the foundations of the earth,
³⁰     then ^(ay)I was beside him, like a master workman,
and I was daily his^{[e] (az)}delight,
    rejoicing before him always,
^31 (ba)rejoicing in his ^(bb)inhabited world
    and delighting in the children of man.

³² "And now, ^(bc)O sons, listen to me:
    ^(bd)blessed are those who keep my ways.
^33 (be)Hear instruction and be wise,
    and do not neglect it.
^34 (bf)Blessed is the one who listens to me,
    watching daily at my gates,
    waiting beside my doors.
³⁵ For ^(bg)whoever finds me ^(bh)finds life
    and ^(bi)obtains favor from the Lord,
³⁶ but he who fails to find me ^(bj)injures himself;
    all who ^(bk)hate me ^(bl)love death."