הֲלֹא־חָכְמָה תִקְרָא וּתְבוּנָה תִּתֵּן קוֹלָהּ

Doesn’t wisdom call out, and sagacity project its voice?

בְּרֹאשׁ־מְרֹמִים עֲלֵי דָרֶךְ בֵית נְתִיבוֹת נִצָּבָה

She stands atop the heights, at the highest spots, visible to all, along the way, at the crossroads;

לְיַד־שְׁעָרִים לְפִי־קָרֶת מְבוֹא פְתָחִים תָּרֹנָּה

she shouts near the gates, at the mouth of the city, the central gathering place, at the approach to the entrances.

אֲלֵיכֶם אִישִׁים אֶקְרָא וְקוֹלִי אֶל־בְּנֵי אָדָם

This is her speech: To you, men, I call, and my voice is raised to the sons of man.

הָבִינוּ פְתָאיִם עָרְמָה וּכְסִילִים הָבִינוּ לֵב

Naïfs, who are uneducated and inexperienced, understand cleverness, and fools, who do not possess wisdom, be of an understanding heart, learn from me.

שִׁמְעוּ כִּי נְגִידִים אֲדַבֵּר וּמִפְתַּח שְׂפָתַי מֵישָׁרִים

Hear my words, for I will speak of matters of consequence. Alternatively, this may be translated to mean: I will give clear and concise instructions. And from the parting of my lips will be fairness, honest and just statements.

כִּי־אֱמֶת יֶהְגֶּה חִכִּי וְתוֹעֲבַת שְׂפָתַי רֶשַׁע

For my palate will express truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. Wisdom is judged by its truthfulness; it cannot bear distortion and unfairness.

בְּצֶדֶק כָּל־אִמְרֵי־פִי אֵין בָּהֶם נִפְתָּל וְעִקֵּשׁ

All the sayings of my mouth are stated in righteousness; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.

כֻּלָּם נְכֹחִים לַמֵּבִין וִישָׁרִים לְמֹצְאֵי דָעַת

They are all correct to the one who understands. One who reflects on them will discover that all my sayings are correct, and they are right to those who find knowledge. My statements are not always straightforward, and not all people can fully understand them without assistance, but one who analyzes them will realize their truth.

קְחוּ־מוּסָרִי וְאַל כָּסֶף וְדַעַת מֵחָרוּץ נִבְחָר

Wisdom further glorifies herself: Take my admonishment, and do not take silver. It is preferable to acquire the instruction I am offering than to accumulate money. And knowledge should be taken rather than choice gold.

כִּי־טוֹבָה חָכְמָה מִפְּנִינִים וְכָל־חֲפָצִים לֹא יִשְׁווּ־בָהּ

For wisdom is better, more advantageous, valuable, and useful than pearls, and all objects cannot equal it. No material object is worth as much as wisdom.

אֲנִי חָכְמָה שָׁכַנְתִּי עָרְמָה וְדַעַת מְזִמּוֹת אֶמְצָא

It is clear that the wisdom referred to here is not merely good instruction and advice. Evidently, this wisdom rises beyond the realm of practical activity, as the text is alluding to the Torah itself, which is the perfect wisdom of God, and to which nothing in the world can compare. Therefore, wisdom adds: I am wisdom; I dwell in cleverness, I do not deal only in abstract statements; I also have the ability to act astutely in the world, and will find, become familiar with, knowledge of plans, thoughts, stratagems, and solutions.

יִרְאַת ה'שְׂנֹאת רָע גֵּאָה וְגָאוֹן וְדֶרֶךְ רָע וּפִי תַהְפֻּכוֹת שָׂנֵאתִי

Fear of the Lord, which is identified here with wisdom, is hatred of evil; consequently, pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the duplicitous mouth, I hate.

לִי עֵצָה וְתוּשִׁיָּה אֲנִי בִינָה לִי גְבוּרָה

Counsel and resourcefulness are mine; those who are connected to me can provide good advice, and they possess sound wisdom. Wise men offer assistance, insight into various situations, and they can resolve problems. Since I am understanding, might is mine.

בִּי מְלָכִים יִמְלֹכוּ וְרֹזְנִים יְחוֹקְקוּ צֶדֶק

Therefore, through me kings reign, and princes legislate justice, just laws.

בִּי שָׂרִים יָשֹׂרוּ ונְדִיבִים כָל־שֹׁפְטֵי צֶדֶק

Through me rulers rule, and nobles reign with my assistance, all righteous judges. Wisdom prepares those who acquire her for these roles, and guides them on their path.

אֲנִי אֹהֲבַי אֵהָב וּמְשַׁחֲרַי יִמְצָאֻנְנִי

I love those who love me, and therefore I reveal my secrets to them, and those who seek me will find me. On the one hand, wisdom sells herself and declares to all: Acquire me; grab hold of me. On the other hand, since all worthwhile matters are contained within it, wisdom is extremely valuable and consequently one should actively seek it out.

עֹשֶׁר־וְכָבוֹד אִתִּי הוֹן עָתֵק וּצְדָקָה

Riches and honor are also found with me, great wealth and righteousness.

טוֹב פִּרְיִי מֵחָרוּץ וּמִפָּז וּתְבוּאָתִי מִכֶּסֶף נִבְחָר

My fruit is better than gold and fine gold, and my yield that I provide is worth more than choice silver.

בְּאֹרַח צְדָקָה אֲהַלֵּךְ בְּתוֹךְ נְתִיבוֹת מִשְׁפָּט

I walk on the path of righteousness, in the midst of the pathways of justice. My benefits cannot be obtained through deception and evil acts, but only by acting fairly and righteously.

לְהַנְחִיל אֹהֲבַי יֵשׁ וְאֹצְרֹתֵיהֶם אֲמַלֵּא

My aim is to bequeath spiritual substance [yesh], which exists eternally, to those who love me, and I will also fill their treasuries. The term yesh, meaning something that exists, is an unusual case where the Bible employs abstract terminology.

קָנָנִי רֵאשִׁית דַּרְכּוֹ קֶדֶם מִפְעָלָיו מֵאָז

Up to this point, the passage has discussed earthly wisdom, such as that of human leadership as well as how to relate to the world. Now the focus turns to heavenly wisdom. The description of Torah portrayed in the following passage, in abstract stages and in a very broad scope, is unparalleled anywhere else in the Bible. The Lord made me at the beginning of His way, the earliest of His undertakings of old. I am His first undertaking, as wisdom is the first creation, and is necessary to enable the rest of creation. The Sages state that the Torah existed for two thousand years before the creation of the world.

מֵעוֹלָם נִסַּכְתִּי מֵרֹאשׁ מִקַּדְמֵי־אָרֶץ

I was crowned from ancient times, from the beginning, from before the earth. I was anointed as a princess or queen before the world came into being. From a certain perspective, the Torah is the ruler of the world.

בְּאֵין תְּהֹמוֹת חוֹלָלְתִּי בְּאֵין מַעְיָנוֹת נִכְבַּדֵּי מָיִם

When there were no depths, I was generated; I came into being when there were no springs laden with water, as they had not yet been created.

בְּטֶרֶם הָרִים הָטְבָּעוּ לִפְנֵי גְבָעוֹת חוֹלָלְתִּי

Before the mountains were formed, before the hills were created, I was generated,

עַד־לֹא עָשָׂה אֶרֶץ וְחוּצוֹת וְרֹאשׁ עַפְרוֹת תֵּבֵל

while He had not yet made lands and their surrounding environs, or the beginning of the dust of the world;

בַּהֲכִינוֹ שָׁמַיִם שָׁם אָנִי בְּחֻקוֹ חוּג עַל־פְּנֵי תְהוֹם

when He prepared the heavens, there I was; I was with God when He set a circle, the circle of the world, on the face of the depths, when he established the boundaries of the deep underneath the land;

בְּאַמְּצוֹ שְׁחָקִים מִמָּעַל בַּעֲזוֹז עִינוֹת תְּהוֹם

when He buttressed the skies above, when the springs of the depths increased and became mighty,

בְּשׂוּמוֹ לַיָּם חֻקּוֹ וּמַיִם לֹא יַעַבְרוּ פִיו בְּחוּקוֹ מוֹסְדֵי אָרֶץ

when He set His limit to the sea, and the waters would not violate His mandate, or its edge, as no matter how stormy the sea, there is a boundary it does not cross; when He fixed the foundations of the earth, I already existed;

וָאֶהְיֶה אֶצְלוֹ אָמוֹן וָאֶהְיֶה שַׁעֲשׁוּעִים יוֹם יוֹם מְשַׂחֶקֶת לְפָנָיו בְּכָל־עֵת

I was with Him, as a protégé; God nurtured and trained me, and I was like a child, a delight day after day, before the world came into being, when only God and I, His Torah, existed; I was playing before Him at all times. However, I did not just remain in heaven to play; I also descended to the world and continued to operate after Creation as well.

מְשַׂחֶקֶת בְּתֵבֵל אַרְצוֹ וְשַׁעֲשֻׁעַי אֶת בְּנֵי אָדָם

I was playing in the world of His earth; divine wisdom charts the earth, as the world is the playing field of the wisdom of God; and my delights are with the sons of man.

וְעַתָּה בָנִים שִׁמְעוּ־לִי וְאַשְׁרֵי דְּרָכַי יִשְׁמֹרוּ

The Torah continues to speak, but here the speech moves from Torah in the lofty, abstract form to its status in the practical world: Now, sons, heed me, as happy are those who observe my ways.

שִׁמְעוּ מוּסָר וַחֲכָמוּ וְאַל־תִּפְרָעוּ

Heed admonition and become wise; do not avoid it or ignore my instructions.

אַשְׁרֵי־אָדָם שֹׁמֵעַ לִי לִשְׁקֹד עַל־דַּלְתֹתַי יוֹם יוֹם לִשְׁמֹר מְזוּזֹת פְּתָחָי

Happy is the man who heeds me, who has the tenacity to persist at my gates, faithfully, day after day, in order to protect and observe the doorposts of my entrances. One who wants to learn wisdom should come to visit me every day.

כִּי מֹצְאִי מָצָא חַיִּים וַיָּפֶק רָצוֹן מֵה'

For he who finds me finds life, and thereby derives favor from the Lord.

וְחֹטְאִי חֹמֵס נַפְשׁוֹ כָּל־מְשַׂנְאַי אָהֲבוּ מָוֶת

But he who sins against me does not harm others; rather, he wrongs his own soul; all who hate me love death, as death is the opposite of wisdom. The Torah not only enriches life, it is also the source and the fountain of life.