1 Hear therefore, O you sovereigns, and understand;
Learn, you who are judges to the ends of the earth.
2 Listen, you who rule the people,
And boast in the multitude of nations.
3 For power is given to you from 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄,
And rulership from the Most High,
Who shall try your works, and search out your purposes.
4 For being overseers of His reign, you have not ruled rightly,
Nor guarded the Law,
Nor walked after the counsel of Elohim;
5 He shall come upon you terribly and speedily;
For a sharp judgment shall be to those who are in high places.
6 For kindness shall soon pardon the harshest,
But great men shall be greatly tortured.
7 For He who is Aḏon over all shall show no partiality,
Neither shall he stand in awe of any man’s greatness;
For he has made the small and great,
And is concerned for all alike.
8 But a severe trial shall come upon the mighty.
9 I speak unto you therefore, O sovereigns,
That you may learn wisdom, and not fall away.
10 For those who guard qodeshah righteously shall be judged qodesh;
And those who have learned such matters shall find what to answer.
11 Therefore lay your heart upon my words;
Desire them, and you shall be instructed.
12 Wisdom is esteemed, and never fades away:
Also, she is easily seen by those who love her,
And found by those who seek her.
13 She prevents those who desire her,
In making herself first known to them.
14 Whoever seeks her early shall have no great hardship:
For he shall find her sitting at his doors.
15 Therefore to think upon her is perfection of wisdom;
And whoever watches for her shall quickly be without worry.
16 For she goes about seeking those who are worthy of her,
Showing herself favourably to those in the Way,
And meets them in every thought.
17 For the very true beginning of her is the desire of discipline;
And the concern of discipline is love;
18 And love is the keeping of her Laws; and guarding her Laws is the assurance of incorruption;
19 And incorruption makes us near to Elohim:
20 Therefore the desire of wisdom leads to a reign.
21 If your delight then is in thrones and sceptres,
O rulers of the people, esteem wisdom,
That you may reign for forever.
22 As for wisdom, what she is, and how she came to be,
I shall tell you, and shall not hide mysteries from you;
But shall seek her out from the beginning of her creation,
And bring the knowledge of her into light,
And shall not pass over the truth.
23 Neither shall I go with consuming envy;
For such a man shall have no fellowship with wisdom.
24 But the multitude of the wise is the welfare of the world:
And a wise sovereign is the upholding of the people.
25 Receive therefore instruction through my words,
And it shall do you good.