1. SHE reacheth therfore from end vnto end mightely, and disposeth al thinges swetely.
2. Her haue I loued, and haue sought her out from my youth, and haue sought to take her for my spouse, and I was made a louer of her beautie.
3. She glorifieth her nobilitie, hauing consociation with God: yea and the Lord of al hath loued her.
4. And if riches be desired in life, what is richer then wisdom, which worketh al thinges?
5. And if vnderstanding doe worke: who is the worker of those things that are, more then she?
6. And if a man loue iustice: her labours haue great vertues: for she teacheth sobrietie, and prudence, and iustice, and strength, then the which nothing is more profitable in life to men.
7. And if a man loue iustice: her labours haue great vertues: for she teacheth sobrietie, and prudence, and iustice, and strength, then the which nothing is more profitable in life to men.
8. And if a man desire multitude of knowledge: she knoweth thinges past, & coniectureth of thinges to come: she knoweth the subtilities of wordes, and the solution of arguments: she knoweth signes and wonders before they be done, and the euentes of times and ages.
9. I purposed therfore to bring her to me to liue together: knowing that she wil communicate vnto me of good thinges, and wil be a comfort of my cogitation & tediousnes.
10. I shal haue for her sake glorie with the multitudes, and honour with the ancient, being yong:
11. and I shal be found sharpe in iudgement, and in the sight of the mightie I shal be meruelous, and the faces of princes wil meruel at me.
12. Holding my peace they shal expect me, and whiles I speake manie wordes, they shal lay their hands on their mouth.
13. Moreouer by her I shal haue immortalitie: and I shal leaue an eternal memorie to them, that shal be after me.
14. I shal dispose peoples: and nations shal be subiect to me.
15. Horrible kings hearing shal feare me: in the multitude I shal seme good, and in battel strong.
16. Entring into my house, I shal rest with her: for her conuersation hath no bitternes, nor her companie tediousnes, but ioy and gladnesse.
17. Thinking these thinges with myselfe, and recording in my hart, that immortalitie is in the kindred of wisedom,
18. and good delectation in her frendship, and in the workes of her handes honestie without defect, and wisdom in the disputation of her talke, and glorie in the communication of her wordes: I went about seeking, that I might take her to me.
19. And I was a wittie childe, and had gotten a goode soule.
20. And wheras I was more good, I came to a bodie vndefiled.
21. And as I knew that I could not otherwise be continent, vnlesse God gaue it, this verie thing also was wisdom, to know whose this gift was: I went to our Lord, and besought him, and said from my whole hart.