| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1Does not wisdom cry out, And understanding lift up her voice? | 1Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice? |
| 2She takes her stand on the top of the high hill, Beside the way, where the paths meet. | 2At the top of the elevated places along the way, at the intersection of the paths 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 opening into the city, at the entrance of the doorways she cries out: |
| 4“To you, O men, I call, And my voice is to the sons of men. | 4"To you, O people, I call out, and my voice calls to all mankind. |
| 5O you simple ones, understand prudence, And you fools, be of an understanding heart. | 5You who are naive, discern wisdom! And you fools, understand discernment! |
| 6Listen, for I will speak of excellent things, And from the opening of my lips will come right things; | 6Listen, for I will speak excellent things, and my lips will utter what is right. |
| 7For my mouth will speak truth; Wickedness is an abomination to my lips. | 7For my mouth speaks truth, and my lips hate wickedness. |
| 8All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; Nothing crooked or perverse is in them. | 8All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing in them twisted or crooked. |
| 9They are all plain to him who understands, And right to those who find knowledge. | 9All of them are clear to the discerning and upright to those who find knowledge. |
| 10Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold; | 10Receive my instruction rather than silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold. |
| 11For wisdom is better than rubies, And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her. | 11For wisdom is better than rubies, and desirable things cannot be compared to her. |
| 12“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And find out knowledge and discretion. | 12"I, wisdom, live with prudence, and I find 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. | 13The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; I hate arrogant pride and the evil way and perverse utterances. |
| 14Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength. | 14Counsel and sound wisdom belong to me; I possess understanding and might. |
| 15By me kings reign, And rulers decree justice. | 15Kings reign by means of me, and potentates decree righteousness; |
| 16By me princes rule, and nobles, All the judges of the earth. | 16by me princes rule, as well as 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 seek me find me. |
| 18Riches and honor are with me, Enduring riches and righteousness. | 18Riches and honor are with me, long-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 the purest gold, and what I produce is better than choice silver. |
| 20I traverse the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice, | 20I walk in the path of righteousness, in the pathway of justice, |
| 21That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth, That I may fill their treasuries. | 21that I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth, and that I may fill their treasuries. |
| 22“The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old. | 22The LORD created me as the beginning of his works, before his deeds of long ago. |
| 23I have been established from everlasting, From the beginning, before there was ever an earth. | 23From eternity I was appointed, from the beginning, from before the world existed. |
| 24When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water. | 24When there were no deep oceans I was born, when there were no springs overflowing with water; |
| 25Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills, I was brought forth; | 25before the mountains were set in place--before the hills--I was born, |
| 26While as yet He had not made the earth or the fields, Or the primal dust of the world. | 26before he made the earth and its fields, or the beginning of the dust of the world. |
| 27When He prepared the heavens, I was there, When He drew a circle on the face of the deep, | 27When he established the heavens, I was there; when he marked out the horizon over the face of the deep, |
| 28When He established the clouds above, When He strengthened the fountains of the deep, | 28when he established the clouds above, when the fountains of the deep grew strong, |
| 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 gave the sea his decree that the waters should not pass over his command, when he marked 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, | 30then I was beside him as a master craftsman, and I was his delight day by day, rejoicing before him at all times, |
| 31Rejoicing in His inhabited world, And my delight was with the sons of men. | 31rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth, and delighting in its people. |
| 32“Now therefore, listen to me, my children, For blessed are those who keep my ways. | 32"So now, children, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways. |
| 33Hear instruction and be wise, And do not disdain it. | 33Listen to my instruction so that you may be wise, and do not neglect it. |
| 34Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors. | 34Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching at my doors day by day, waiting beside my doorway. |
| 35For whoever finds me finds life, And obtains favor from the LORD; | 35For the one who finds me finds life and receives 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 does not find me brings harm to himself; all who hate me love death." |
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