| King James Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice? | 1Doesn't Wisdom call out? Doesn't Understanding make her voice heard? |
| 2She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths. | 2At the heights overlooking the road, at the crossroads, she takes her stand. |
| 3She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors. | 3Beside the gates at the entry to the city, at the main entrance, she cries out:" |
| 4Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man. | 4People, I call out to you; my cry is to mankind. |
| 5O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart. | 5Learn to be shrewd, you who are inexperienced; develop common sense, you who are foolish. |
| 6Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things. | 6Listen, for I speak of noble things, and what my lips say is right. |
| 7For my mouth shall speak truth; and 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 in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them. | 8All the words of my mouth are righteous; none of them are deceptive or perverse. |
| 9They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that 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 that may be desired are not to be compared to it. | 11For wisdom is better than jewels, and nothing desirable can compare with it. |
| 12I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions. | 12I, Wisdom, share a home with shrewdness and have knowledge and discretion. |
| 13The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do 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 competence; I have understanding and strength. |
| 15By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. | 15It is by me that kings reign and rulers enact just law; |
| 16By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth. | 16by me, princes lead, as do nobles and all righteous judges. |
| 17I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. | 17I love those who love me, and those who search for me find me. |
| 18Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness. | 18With me are riches and honor, lasting wealth and righteousness. |
| 19My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver. | 19My fruit is better than solid gold, and my harvest than pure silver. |
| 20I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: | 20I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice, |
| 21That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures. | 21giving wealth as an inheritance to those who love me, and filling their treasuries." |
| 22The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. | 22The LORD made me at the beginning of His creation, before His works of long ago. |
| 23I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. | 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 was I brought forth: | 25I was delivered before the mountains and hills were established, |
| 26While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the 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 set a compass upon the face of the depth: | 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 gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed 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 by him, as one brought up with him: 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 the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men. | 31I was rejoicing in His inhabited world, delighting in the human race." |
| 32Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. | 32And now, my sons, listen to me; those who keep my ways are happy. |
| 33Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. | 33Listen to instruction and be wise; don't ignore it. |
| 34Blessed is the man that heareth 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 whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD. | 35For the one who finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD, |
| 36But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death. | 36but the one who misses me harms himself; all who hate me love death." |
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