Study Desk

Does not ^(a)wisdom call, And understanding ^[a]lift up her voice?

On top of ^(b)the heights beside the way, Where the paths meet, she takes her stand;

Beside the ^(c)gates, at the opening to the city, At the entrance of the doors, she cries out:

"To you, O men, I call, And my voice is to the sons of men.

"O ^[b](d)naive ones, understand prudence; And, O ^(e)fools, understand ^[c]wisdom.

"Listen, for I will speak ^(f)noble things; And the opening of my lips will reveal ^(g)right things.

"For my ^(h)mouth will utter truth; And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

"All the utterances of my mouth are in righteousness; There is nothing ⁽ⁱ⁾crooked or perverted in them.

"They are all ^(j)straightforward to him who understands, And right to those who ^(k)find knowledge.

"Take my ^(l)instruction and not silver, And knowledge rather than choicest gold.

"For wisdom is ^(m)better than ^[d]jewels; And ⁽ⁿ⁾all desirable things cannot compare with her.

"I, wisdom, ^(o)dwell with prudence, And I find ^(p)knowledge and discretion.

"The ^(q)fear of the Lord is to hate evil; ^(r)Pride and arrogance and ^(s)the evil way And the ^(t)perverted mouth, I hate.

"^(u)Counsel is mine and ^(v)sound wisdom; I am understanding, ^(w)power is mine.

"By me ^(x)kings reign, And rulers decree justice.

"By me princes rule, and nobles, All who judge rightly.

"I ^(y)love those who love me; And ^(z)those who diligently seek me will find me.

"^(aa)Riches and honor are with me, Enduring ^(ab)wealth and righteousness.

"My fruit is ^(ac)better than gold, even pure gold, And my yield better than ^(ad)choicest silver.

"I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice,

To endow those who love me with wealth, That I may ^(ae)fill their treasuries.

"The Lord possessed me ^(af)at the beginning of His way, Before His works ^[e]of old.

"From everlasting I was ^[f](ag)established, From the beginning, ^(ah)from the earliest times of the earth.

"When there were no ^(ai)depths I was ^[g]brought forth, When there were no springs abounding with water.

"^(aj)Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills I was ^[h]brought forth;

While He had not yet made the earth and the ^[i]fields, Nor the first dust of the world.

"When He ^(ak)established the heavens, I was there, When ^(al)He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,

When He made firm the skies above, When the springs of the deep became ^[j]fixed,

When ^(am)He set for the sea its boundary So that the water would not transgress His ^[k]command, When He marked out ^(an)the foundations of the earth;

Then ^(ao)I was beside Him, as a master workman; And I was daily His delight, ^[l]Rejoicing always before Him,

^[m]Rejoicing in the world, His earth, And having ^(ap)my delight in the sons of men.

"Now therefore, O sons, ^(aq)listen to me, For ^(ar)blessed are they who keep my ways.

"^(as)Heed instruction and be wise, And do not neglect it.

"^(at)Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at my doorposts.

"For ^(au)he who finds me finds life And ^(av)obtains favor from the Lord .

"But he who ^[n]sins against me ^(aw)injures himself; All those who ^(ax)hate me ^(ay)love death."

Wisdom has ^(a)built her house, She has hewn out her seven pillars;

She has ^[a](b)prepared her food, she has ^(c)mixed her wine; She has also ^(d)set her table;

She has ^(e)sent out her maidens, she ^(f)calls From the ^(g)tops of the heights of the city:

"^(h)Whoever is ^[b]naive, let him turn in here!" To him who ⁽ⁱ⁾lacks ^[c]understanding she says,

"Come, ^(j)eat of my food And drink of the wine I have mixed.

"^[d]Forsake your folly and ^(k)live, And ^(l)proceed in the way of understanding."

He who ^(m)corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself, And he who reproves a wicked man gets ^[e]insults for himself.

⁽ⁿ⁾Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you, ^(o)Reprove a wise man and he will love you.

Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser, Teach a righteous man and he will ^(p)increase his learning.

The ^(q)fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

For ^(r)by me your days will be multiplied, And years of life will be added to you.

If you are wise, you are wise ^(s)for yourself, And if you ^(t)scoff, you alone will bear it.

The ^[f]woman of folly is ^(u)boisterous, She is ^[g]naive and ^(v)knows nothing.

She sits at the doorway of her house, On a seat by ^(w)the high places of the city,

Calling to those who pass by, Who are making their paths straight:

"^(x)Whoever is ^[h]naive, let him turn in here," And to him who lacks ^[i]understanding she says,

"Stolen water is sweet; And ^(y)bread eaten in secret is pleasant."

But he does not know that the ^[j]dead are there, That her guests are in the ^(z)depths of Sheol.