Proverbs 8:17-30

¹⁷I love those who love me, and those who diligently seek me, find me.

¹⁸With me are riches and honor, lasting wealth and righteousness.

¹⁹My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold; my produce is better than pure silver.

²⁰I walk in the path of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of justice.

²¹As a result, I make those who love me inherit wealth; I fill up their treasuries.

²²Yahweh created me at the beginning, the first of his deeds then.

²³In ages long ago I was made—from the first, from the beginnings of the earth.

²⁴Before there were oceans, I was given birth— before there were springs abounding with water.

²⁵Before the mountains were settled and before the hills, I was born.

²⁶I was born before Yahweh had made the earth or the fields, or even the first dust in the world.

²⁷I was there when he established the heavens, when he drew a circle on the surface of the deep.

²⁸I was there when he established the clouds above and when the springs in the deep became fixed.

²⁹I was there when he made his limit for the sea, so the waters should not spread beyond his command, and when there was set the limit for the foundations of the dry land.

³⁰I was beside him, as a skilled craftsman; I was his delight day after day, always rejoicing before him.