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8
1 Doth not wisdom cry aloud, And understanding put forth her voice? 2 Upon the top of the high places, By the wayside, In the cross-ways, She taketh her station. 3 By the side of the gates, In the entrance of the city, In the approaches to the doors, she crieth aloud. 4 “To you, O men! do I call, And my voice is to the sons of men! 5 O ye simple ones! learn wisdom, And ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart! 6 Hear, for I speak excellent things, And my lips utter that which is right. 7 For my mouth speaketh truth, And wickedness is an abomination to my lips. 8 All the words of my mouth are in uprightness; There is nothing crooked or deceitful in them; 9 They are all plain to the man of understanding, And right to those who find knowledge. 10 Receive my instruction, and not silver. And knowledge rather than choice gold! 11 For wisdom is better than pearls, And no precious things are to be compared with her. 12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And find out the knowledge of sagacious counsels. 13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride, and arrogance, and the evil way, And the deceitful mouth, do I hate. 14 Counsel is mine, and sound reason; I am understanding; I have strength. 15 By me kings reign, And princes decree justice. 16 By me princes rule, And nobles, even all the judges of the earth. 17 I love them that love me, And they who seek me early shall find me. 18 Riches and honor are with me; Yea, durable riches and prosperity. 19 My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold. And my revenue than choice silver. 20 I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of equity. 21 I cause those who love me to possess substance; Yea, I fill their treasuries. 22 “The LORD created me, the firstling of his course, Before his works, of old; 23 I was anointed from everlasting, From the beginning, even before the earth was made. 24 When as yet there were no deeps, I was brought forth. When there were no springs, abounding with water. 25 Before the mountains were settled, Yea, before the hills, I was brought forth; 26 Ere yet he had made the land and the wastes, And the first of the clods of the earth. 27 When he framed the heavens, I was there; When he drew a circle upon the face of the deep; 28 When he made firm the sky above, And the fountains of the deep rushed forth; 29 When he gave to the sea its bounds, that the waters should not pass their border; When he marked out the foundations of the earth,— 30 Then was I by him as a master-builder; I was his delight day by day, Exulting before him at all times; 31 Exulting in the habitable part of his earth, And my delight was with the sons of men. 32 “Now, therefore, ye children, hearken to me! For happy are they who keep my ways! 33 Hear instruction, and be wise! Yea, reject it not! 34 Happy the man who hearkeneth to me, Who watcheth day by day at my gates, Who waiteth at the posts of my doors; 35 For he that findeth me findeth life, And obtaineth favor from the LORD; 36 But he who misseth me doeth violence to himself; All they who hate me love death.”

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