- 1
- Doth not wysdome crye?
doth not vnderstanding put foorth her voyce?
- 2
- She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the place of the pathes:
- 3
- She cryeth at the gates of the citie, at the entrye of the doores:
- 4
- It is you O ye men [saith she] whom I call, vnto the chyldren of men do I lyft vp my voyce.
- 5
- Take heede vnto knowledge O ye ignoraunt, be ye wise in heart O ye fooles.
- 6
- Geue eare, for I wyll speake of great matters, and open my lippes to tell thinges that be right:
- 7
- For my mouth shall be talking of the trueth, and my lippes abhorre vngodlynesse.
- 8
- All the wordes of my mouth are righteous, there is no frowardnes nor falsehood in them.
- 9
- They are all playne to suche as wyll vnderstande, and right to them that finde knowledge.
- 10
- Receaue my doctrine and not siluer, and knowledge rather then fine golde:
- 11
- For wysdome is more worth then pretious stones, yea all thinges that thou canst desire, may not be compared vnto it.
- 12
- I wysdome dwell with counsell, and finde out knowledge and vnderstanding.
- 13
- The feare of the Lorde abhorreth wickednes, pryde, disdayne, and the euil way, and a mouth that speaketh wicked thinges I vtterly abhorre.
- 14
- Counsell is mine, and direction, I am vnderstanding, and I haue strength.
- 15
- Through me kinges raigne, and princes make iust lawes.
- 16
- By me princes beare rule, and noble men do iudge the earth.
- 17
- I am louing vnto those that loue me: and they that seeke me early, shall finde me.
- 18
- Riches and honour are with me, yea durable riches and righteousnes.
- 19
- My fruite is better then golde and pretious stones, and mine encrease more worth then fine siluer.
- 20
- I wyll guyde thee in the way of righteousnes, and in the midst of the pathes of iudgement:
- 21
- That I maye stablishe the inhetaunce of them that loue me, and encrease their treasure.
- 22
- The Lorde him selfe had me in possession in the beginning of his wayes, or euer he began his workes aforetime.
- 23
- I haue ben ordayned from euerlasting, and from the beginning or euer the earth was made.
- 24
- When I was borne there were neither depthes nor springes of water.
- 25
- Before the foundations of the mountaines were layde: yea before all hilles, was I borne:
- 26
- The earth, and all that is vpon the earth was not yet made, no not the dust it selfe.
- 27
- For when he made the heauens, I was present, when he compassed the deapthes about:
- 28
- When he hanged the cloudes aboue, when he fastened the springes of the deepe:
- 29
- When he shut the sea within certaine boundes, that the waters should not go ouer their markes that he commaunded: when he layde the foundations of the earth,
- 30
- I was with him ordring all thinges, deliting dayly and reioysyng alway before hym.
- 31
- As for the rounde compasse of this worlde I make it ioyfull: for my delite is to be among the chyldren of men.
- 32
- Therefore hearken vnto me: O ye chyldren, blessed are they that kepe my wayes.
- 33
- O geue eare vnto nurture, be wyse, and refuse it not:
- 34
- Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching dayly at my gates, and geuing attendaunce at the postes of my doores.
- 35
- For whoso findeth me, findeth life, and shall obtaine fauour of the Lorde.
- 36
- But whoso offendeth against me, hurteth his owne soule: and they that hate me, are the louers of death.
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