- 1
- Doeth not wisedome crie?
and vnderstanding vtter her voyce?
- 2
- She standeth in the top of the high places by the way in the place of the paths.
- 3
- She cryeth besides the gates before the citie at the entrie of the doores,
- 4
- O men, I call vnto you, and vtter my voyce to the children of men.
- 5
- O ye foolish men, vnderstand wisedome, and ye, O fooles, be wise in heart.
- 6
- Giue eare, for I will speake of excellent things, and the opening of my lippes, shall teache things that be right.
- 7
- For my mouth shall speake the trueth, and my lippes abhorre wickednesse.
- 8
- All the wordes of my mouth are righteous: there is no lewdenes, nor frowardnesse in them.
- 9
- They are all plaine to him that will vnderstande, and streight to them that woulde finde knowledge.
- 10
- Receiue mine instruction, and not siluer, and knowledge rather then fine golde.
- 11
- For wisdome is better then precious stones: and all pleasures are not to be compared vnto her.
- 12
- I wisdome dwell with prudence, and I find foorth knowledge and counsels.
- 13
- The feare of the Lord is to hate euill as pride, and arrogancie, and the euill way: and a mouth that speaketh lewde things, I doe hate.
- 14
- I haue counsell and wisedome: I am vnderstanding, and I haue strength.
- 15
- By me, Kings reigne, and princes decree iustice.
- 16
- By me princes rule and the nobles, and all the iudges of the earth.
- 17
- I loue them that loue me: and they that seeke me earely, shall finde me.
- 18
- Riches and honour are with me: euen durable riches and righteousnesse.
- 19
- My fruite is better then golde, euen then fine golde, and my reuenues better then fine siluer.
- 20
- I cause to walke in the way of righteousnes, and in the middes of the paths of iudgement,
- 21
- That I may cause them that loue me, to inherite substance, and I will fill their treasures.
- 22
- The Lord hath possessed me in the beginning of his way: I was before his workes of olde.
- 23
- I was set vp from euerlasting, from the beginning and before the earth.
- 24
- When there were no depths, was I begotten, when there were no fountaines abounding with water.
- 25
- Before the mountaines were setled: and before the hilles, was I begotten.
- 26
- He had not yet made the earth, nor the open places, nor the height of the dust in the worlde.
- 27
- When hee prepared the heauens, I was there, when he set the compasse vpon the deepe.
- 28
- When he established the cloudes aboue, when he confirmed the fountaines of the deepe,
- 29
- When he gaue his decree to the Sea, that the waters shoulde not passe his commaundement: when he appointed the foundations of the earth,
- 30
- Then was I with him as a nourisher, and I was dayly his delight reioycing alway before him,
- 31
- And tooke my solace in the compasse of his earth: and my delite is with the children of men.
- 32
- Therefore nowe hearken, O children, vnto me: for blessed are they that keepe my wayes.
- 33
- Heare instruction, and be ye wise, and refuse it not:
- 34
- Blessed is the man that heareth mee, watching dayly at my gates, & giuing attendance at the postes of my doores.
- 35
- For he that findeth me, findeth life, and shal obteine fauour of the Lord.
- 36
- But he that sinneth against me, hurteth his owne soule: and all that hate me, loue death.
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