Ere God had built the mountains,
Or raised the fruitful hills;
Before He filled the fountains
That feed the running rills;
In me from everlasting,
The wonderful I Am,
Found pleasures never wasting,
And Wisdom is my name.

When, like a tent to dwell in,
He spread the skies abroad,
And swathed about the swelling
Of Ocean’s mighty flood;
He wrought by weight and measure,
And I was with Him then:
Myself the Father’s pleasure,
And mine, the sons of men.

Thus Wisdom’s words discover
Thy glory and Thy grace,
Thou everlasting Lover
Of our unworthy race!
Thy gracious eye surveyed us
Ere stars were seen above;
In wisdom Thou hast made us,
And died for us in love.

And couldst Thou be delighted
With creatures such as we,
Who, when we saw Thee, slighted,
And nailed Thee to a tree?
Unfathomable wonder,
And mystery divine!
The voice that speaks in thunder,
Says, “Sinner, I am thine!”

Shall Wisdom cry aloud,
And not her speech be heard?
The voice of God’s eternal Word,
Deserves it no regard?

“I was His chief delight,
His everlasting Son,
Before the first of all His works,
Creation, was begun.

“Before the flying clouds,
Before the solid land,
Before the fields, before the floods,
I dwelt at His right hand.

“When He adorned the skies,
And built them, I was there,
To order where the sun should rise,
And marshal every star.

“When He poured out the sea,
And spread the flowing deep,
I gave the flood a firm decree
In its own bounds to keep.

“Upon the empty air
The earth was balanced well:
With joy I saw the mansion where
The sons of men should dwell.

“My busy thoughts at first
On their salvation ran,
Ere sin was born, or Adam’s dust
Was fashioned to a man.

“Then come, receive My grace,
Ye children, and be wise;
Happy the man that keeps My ways;
The man that shuns them dies.”