| New Living Translation | NET Bible |
| 1Listen as Wisdom calls out! Hear as understanding raises her voice! | 1Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice? |
| 2On the hilltop along the road, she takes her stand at the crossroads. | 2At the top of the elevated places along the way, at the intersection of the paths she takes her stand; |
| 3By the gates at the entrance to the town, on the road leading in, she cries aloud, | 3beside the gates opening into the city, at the entrance of the doorways she cries out: |
| 4“I call to you, to all of you! I raise my voice to all people. | 4"To you, O people, I call out, and my voice calls to all mankind. |
| 5You simple people, use good judgment. You foolish people, show some understanding. | 5You who are naive, discern wisdom! And you fools, understand discernment! |
| 6Listen to me! For I have important things to tell you. Everything I say is right, | 6Listen, for I will speak excellent things, and my lips will utter what is right. |
| 7for I speak the truth and detest every kind of deception. | 7For my mouth speaks truth, and my lips hate wickedness. |
| 8My advice is wholesome. There is nothing devious or crooked in it. | 8All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing in them twisted or crooked. |
| 9My words are plain to anyone with understanding, clear to those with knowledge. | 9All of them are clear to the discerning and upright to those who find knowledge. |
| 10Choose my instruction rather than silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold. | 10Receive my instruction rather than silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold. |
| 11For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it. | 11For wisdom is better than rubies, and desirable things cannot be compared to her. |
| 12“I, Wisdom, live together with good judgment. I know where to discover knowledge and discernment. | 12"I, wisdom, live with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion. |
| 13All who fear the LORD will hate evil. Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech. | 13The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; I hate arrogant pride and the evil way and perverse utterances. |
| 14Common sense and success belong to me. Insight and strength are mine. | 14Counsel and sound wisdom belong to me; I possess understanding and might. |
| 15Because of me, kings reign, and rulers make just decrees. | 15Kings reign by means of me, and potentates decree righteousness; |
| 16Rulers lead with my help, and nobles make righteous judgments. | 16by me princes rule, as well as nobles and all righteous judges. |
| 17“I love all who love me. Those who search will surely find me. | 17I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me. |
| 18I have riches and honor, as well as enduring wealth and justice. | 18Riches and honor are with me, long-lasting wealth and righteousness. |
| 19My gifts are better than gold, even the purest gold, my wages better than sterling silver! | 19My fruit is better than the purest gold, and what I produce is better than choice silver. |
| 20I walk in righteousness, in paths of justice. | 20I walk in the path of righteousness, in the pathway of justice, |
| 21Those who love me inherit wealth. I will fill their treasuries. | 21that I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth, and that I may fill their treasuries. |
| 22“The LORD formed me from the beginning, before he created anything else. | 22The LORD created me as the beginning of his works, before his deeds of long ago. |
| 23I was appointed in ages past, at the very first, before the earth began. | 23From eternity I was appointed, from the beginning, from before the world existed. |
| 24I was born before the oceans were created, before the springs bubbled forth their waters. | 24When there were no deep oceans I was born, when there were no springs overflowing with water; |
| 25Before the mountains were formed, before the hills, I was born— | 25before the mountains were set in place--before the hills--I was born, |
| 26before he had made the earth and fields and the first handfuls of soil. | 26before he made the earth and its fields, or the beginning of the dust of the world. |
| 27I was there when he established the heavens, when he drew the horizon on the oceans. | 27When he established the heavens, I was there; when he marked out the horizon over the face of the deep, |
| 28I was there when he set the clouds above, when he established springs deep in the earth. | 28when he established the clouds above, when the fountains of the deep grew strong, |
| 29I was there when he set the limits of the seas, so they would not spread beyond their boundaries. And when he marked off the earth’s foundations, | 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, |
| 30I was the architect at his side. I was his constant delight, rejoicing always in his presence. | 30then I was beside him as a master craftsman, and I was his delight day by day, rejoicing before him at all times, |
| 31And how happy I was with the world he created; how I rejoiced with the human family! | 31rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth, and delighting in its people. |
| 32“And so, my children, listen to me, for all who follow my ways are joyful. | 32"So now, children, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways. |
| 33Listen to my instruction and be wise. Don’t ignore it. | 33Listen to my instruction so that you may be wise, and do not neglect it. |
| 34Joyful are those who listen to me, watching for me daily at my gates, waiting for me outside my home! | 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 receives favor from the LORD. | 35For the one who finds me finds life and receives favor from the LORD. |
| 36But those who miss me injure themselves. All 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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