4 A! ye men, I cry oft to you; and my voice is to the sons of men. (O ye people! I often cry to you; and my words (be) for the sons and daughters of men.)
5 Little children, that is, little of wit, understand ye wisdom; and ye unwise men, perceiveth in heart. (Ye of little intelligence, understand ye wisdom; and ye who be unwise, think in your hearts.)
6 Hear ye (or Listen), for I shall speak of great things; and my lips shall be opened, to preach rightful things.
7 My throat shall bethink truth; and my lips shall curse a wicked man. (My mouth shall speak the truth; and my lips shall curse the wicked or for my lips hate wicked words.)
8 My words be just; no shrewd thing, neither wayward is in those. (My words be right, or true; there is nothing depraved, or wicked, in them.)
9 They be rightful to them that understand; and they be even to them that find knowing. (They be right to those who understand; and they be obvious to those who find knowledge.)
10 Take ye my chastising, and not money, (or Receive, or accept, my discipline, and not money); choose ye teaching, more than treasure.
11 For wisdom is better than all riches most precious (or For wisdom is better than all of the most precious riches); and all desirable thing may not be comparisoned thereto.
12 I, wisdom, dwell in counsel (or live in good advice); and I am among learned thoughts.
13 The dread of the Lord hateth evil; I curse boast, and pride, and a shrewd way, and a double-tongued mouth. (The fear of the Lord is to hate evil or To have reverence for the Lord is to hate evil; I curse boast, and pride, and a depraved way, and speaking with a double-tongue, or with duplicity.)
14 Counsel is mine, and equity; prudence is mine, and strength. (Forethought is mine, and fairness, or equality; understanding is mine, and strength.)
15 Kings reign by me; and makers of laws deem just things by me. (Kings reign by me; and law-makers justly judge by me or and rulers make just laws by me.)
16 Princes command by me; and mighty men deem rightfulness by me. (Leaders command by me; and mighty men judge rightly, or with justice, by me.)
17 I love them that love me; and they that wake early to me, shall find me. (I love them who love me; and they who wake up early to seek me, shall find me.)
18 With me be riches, and glory; sovereign riches, and rightfulness.
19 My fruit is better than gold, and precious stone(s); and my seeds or burgeonings be better than chosen silver (or and my recompense is better than choice silver).
20 I go in the ways of rightfulness, in the midst of the paths of doom; (I go on the ways of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of justice;)
21 that I make rich them that love me (or so that I make rich those who love me), and that I fill their treasures/their treasuries.
22 The Lord wielded me in the beginning of his ways (or The Lord created me at the beginning of his ways); before that he made anything, (yea), at the (very) beginning.