1   She spans the world in power from end to end, and orders all things benignly.

2   Wisdom I loved; I sought her out when I was young and longed to win her for my bride, and I fell in love with her beauty. 3   She adds lustre to her noble birth, because it is given her to live with God,

In praise of wisdom and the Lord of all things has accepted her. 4   She is initiated into the knowledge that belongs to God, and she decides for him what he shall do. 5   If riches are a prize to be desired in life, what is richer than wisdom, the active cause of all things? 6   If prudence shows itself in action, who more than wisdom is the artificer of all that is? 7   If virtue is the object of a man's affections, the fruits of wisdom's labours are the virtues; temperance and prudence, justice and fortitude, these are her teaching, and in the life of men there is nothing of more value than these. 8   If a man longs, perhaps, for great experience, she knows the past, she can infer what is to come; she understands the subtleties of argument and the solving of problems, she can read signs and portents, and can foretell the outcome of events and periods. 9   So I determined to bring her home to live with me, knowing that she would be my counsellor in prosperity and my comfort in anxiety and grief. 10   Through her, I thought, I shall win fame in the eyes of the people and honour among older men, young though I am. 11   When I sit in judgement, I shall prove myself acute, and the great men will admire me; 12   when I say nothing, they will wait for me to speak; when I speak they will attend, and though I hold forth at length, they will lay a finger to their lips and listen. 13   Through her I shall have immortality, and shall leave an undying memory to those who come after me. 14   I shall rule over many peoples, and nations will become my subjects. 15   Grim tyrants will be frightened when they hear of me; among my own people I shall show myself a good king, and on the battlefield a brave one. 16   When I come home, I shall find rest with her; for there is no bitterness in her company, no pain in life with her, only gladness and joy.

17   I thought this over in my mind, and I perceived that in kinship with wisdom lies immortality and in her friendship is pure delight; 18    that in doing her work is wealth that cannot fail, to be taught in her school gives understanding, and an honourable name is won by converse with her. So I went about in search of some way to win her for my own. 19   As a child I was born to excellence, and a noble soul fell to my lot; 20   or rather, I myself was noble, and I entered into an unblemished body; 21   but I saw that there was no way to gain possession of her except by gift of God—and it was a mark of understanding to know from whom that gift must come. So I pleaded with the Lord, and from the depths of my heart I prayed to him in these words:

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