A   Doth not wysdome crye? doeth not vnderst&abar;ding put forth her voyce? Standeth she not in the hye places in the stretes ∧ ways doth she not crie before þe; whole citie, and in the gates where m&ebar; go out ∧ in? It is you, O ye men (saieth she) whom I cal? Vnto you (O ye chyldren of men) lyft I vp my voyce. Take hede vnto knowlege O ye ignoraunt, be wyse in hert O ye foles. B   Geue eare, for I will speake of great matters, and open my lyppes to tell thinges that be right. For my throte shalbe talking of the trueth, ∧ my lyppes abhorre vngodlinesse. All þe; wordes of my mouth are righteous, there is no frowardenesse nor falsede therin. They are all playne to suche as will vnderstande, and ryght to them that fynde knowlege. Receiue my doctrine therfore, ∧ not siluer: ∧ my knowledge, more then fyne golde. For wysdome is more worth then precious stones, yea, all the thinges that thou canst desire, are not to be compared vnto it.

C   I wysdome haue my dwelling &wt; knowledge, ∧ prudent counsaill is myne owne.
With me is the feare of the Lorde, and the eschuyng of euell. As for pryde, dysdayne, ∧ euell waye, ∧ a mouth that speaketh wicked thinges, I vtterly abhorre them. I can geue counsayl, ∧ be a gyde: I haue vnderstanding I haue strength. Thorow me, kinges reygn: thorow me, prynces make iust lawes. Thorow me, lordes beare rule, and all iudges of the earth execute iudgement. I am louynge vnto those that loue me, ∧ they that seke me early, shall fynde me. Riches and honoure are with me, yea, excellent goodes ∧ righteousnes. My frute is better then golde ∧ precious stone, ∧ myne encrease more worth th&ebar; fyne siluer. I walke in the waye of righteousnes, and in the strete of iudgement.

That I may sende prosperitie to those that loue me, ∧ to encrease their treasure. ^noteThe Lord hym self had me in possession in the begynning of hys wayes, or euer he beganne hys workes afore tyme. I haue bene ordeyned from euerlasting, ∧ fr&obar; the beginning or euer the earthe was made. When I was borne, there were nether depthes nor springs of water. Before the foundacions of the mo&ubar;taynes were layed, yea, before al hylles was I borne. D   The earth ∧ all that is vp&obar; the earth was not yet made, no not the grounde it selfe. For when he made the heauens, I was present: when he sette vp the depthes in ordre: wh&ebar; he h&abar;ged the cloudes aboue: wh&ebar; he fastened the sprynges of the depe: When he shut the sea within certayn boundes, that the waters should not go ouer their markes. When he layed the foundaci&obar;s of the earth I was with hym, ordering all thinges, delytynge dayly, and reioysinge all waye before hym.

As for the rounde compase of his worlde, I make it ioyfull: for my delyte is to be among the chyldren of men. Therfore herken vnto me, O ye chyldr&ebar;, for blessed are they þt; kepe my wayes. O geue eare vnto nurtour, be wyse, and refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watchynge dayly at my gates, ∧ geuynge attendaunce at the postes of my dores. For who so findeth me, findeth life and shall obtayne fauour of the Lorde. But who so offendeth agaynste me, hurteth hys owne soule. All they that hate me, are the louers of death.

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