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[1]Whether wisdom crieth not ofte; and prudence yyueth his vois?
[2]In souereyneste and hiy coppis, aboue the weie, in the myddis of pathis,
[3]and it stondith bisidis the yate of the citee, in thilke closyngis, and spekith, and seith, A!
[4]ye men, Y crie ofte to you; and my vois is to the sones of men.
[5]Litle children, vndirstonde ye wisdom; and ye vnwise men, `perseyue wisdom.
[6]Here ye, for Y schal speke of grete thingis; and my lippis schulen be openyd, to preche riytful thingis.
[7]My throte schal bithenke treuthe; and my lippis schulen curse a wickid man.
[8]My wordis ben iust; no schrewid thing, nether weiward is in tho.
[9]`My wordis ben riytful to hem that vndurstonden; and ben euene to hem that fynden kunnyng.
[10]Take ye my chastisyng, and not money; chese ye teching more than tresour.
[11]For wisdom is betere than alle richessis moost preciouse; and al desirable thing mai not be comparisound therto.
[12]Y, wisdom, dwelle in counsel; and Y am among lernyd thouytis.
[13]The drede of the Lord hatith yuel; Y curse boost, and pride, and a schrewid weie, and a double tungid mouth.
[14]Counseil is myn, and equyte `is myn; prudence is myn, and strengthe `is myn.
[15]Kyngis regnen bi me; and the makeris of lawis demen iust thingis bi me.
[16]Princis comaunden bi me; and myyti men demen riytfulnesse bi me.
[17]I loue hem that louen me; and thei that waken eerli to me, schulen fynde me.
[18]With me ben rychessis, and glorie; souereyn richessis, and riytfulnesse.
[19]My fruyt is betere than gold, and precyouse stoon; and my seedis ben betere than chosun siluer.
[20]Y go in the weies of riytfulnesse, in the myddis of pathis of doom;
[21]that Y make riche hem that louen me, and that Y fille her tresouris.
[22]The Lord weldide me in the bigynnyng of hise weies; bifore that he made ony thing, at the bigynnyng.
[23]Fro with out bigynnyng Y was ordeined; and fro elde tymes, bifor that the erthe was maad.
[24]Depthis of watris weren not yit; and Y was conseyued thanne. The wellis of watris hadden not brokun out yit,
[25]and hillis stoden not togidere yit bi sad heuynesse; bifor litil hillis Y was born.
[26]Yit he hadde not maad erthe; and floodis, and the herris of the world.
[27]Whanne he made redi heuenes, Y was present; whanne he cumpasside the depthis of watris bi certeyn lawe and cumpas.
[28]Whanne he made stidfast the eir aboue; and weiede the wellis of watris.
[29]Whanne he cumpasside to the see his marke; and settide lawe to watris, that tho schulden not passe her coostis. Whanne he peiside the foundementis of erthe;
[30]Y was making alle thingis with him. And Y delitide bi alle daies, and pleiede bifore hym in al tyme,
[31]and Y pleiede in the world; and my delices ben to be with the sones of men.
[32]Now therfor, sones, here ye me; blessid ben thei that kepen my weies.
[33]Here ye teching, and be ye wise men; and nile ye caste it awei.
[34]Blessid is the man that herith me, and that wakith at my yatis al dai; and kepith at the postis of my dore.
[35]He that fyndith me, schal fynde lijf; and schal drawe helthe of the Lord.
[36]But he that synneth ayens me, schal hurte his soule; alle that haten me, louen deeth.
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