The Rewards of Wisdom

¹Wisdom reaches from one end of the earth to the other

and governs all things well.

²I have loved her and sought her from my youth.

I have desired to take her for my bride,

for I am enamored with her beauty.

³She enhances her noble birth by living with God,

and the Lord of all loves her.

⁴For she has received the knowledge of God;

she is his helper in all he does.

⁵If you desire riches in life,

what is richer than wisdom, who is the cause of all things?

⁶If understanding is effective,

what about wisdom, who designed all things?

⁷And if a person loves righteousness,

wisdom’s labors have great virtue,

for she teaches self-control, prudence, justice, and courage—

the most valuable attributes in life.

⁸And if a person desires much knowledge,

wisdom knows the past and foresees the future.

She knows the subtleties of speech and the solutions of riddles.

She foreknows signs and wonders

and the outcome of times and ages yet to come.

⁹So I determined to take wisdom to live with me,

knowing that she would give me good instruction

and comfort me in my cares and grief.

¹⁰Because of her, the multitudes honor me,

and the elders esteem me, though I am young.

¹¹I will be found wise in judgment,

and I will be admired by the mighty.

¹²They will wait for me when I am silent,

and they will pay attention when I speak.

And if I talk at length,

they will not interrupt me.

¹³Because of wisdom I will be immortal;

I will leave an everlasting memory to those who come after me.

¹⁴I will rule the people,

and nations will be subject to me.

¹⁵Tyrants will quake when they hear my name;

my people will find that I am good and valiant in war.

¹⁶When I go into my home, I will find rest with wisdom,

for companionship with her has no bitterness.

To live with her is to live without pain in joy and gladness.

A Prayer for Wisdom

¹⁷I pondered these things and weighed them in my mind—

that associating with wisdom brings immortality,

¹⁸that her friendship is pure delight,

that her activities bring great wealth,

that her companionship brings understanding,

and that a person gains respect by sharing her words.

Then I went about seeking how I might get wisdom for myself.

¹⁹I was born a gifted child,

and I was naturally good.

²⁰Better yet, since I was good,

I was given an undefiled body.

²¹But I knew I could not possess wisdom unless God gave her to me.

It was a sign of intelligence that I knew who had given me wisdom.

So I went to the Lord and pleaded with him.

With my whole heart I said: