22 “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of his work,

the first of his acts of old.

23 Ages ago I was set up,

at the first, before the beginning of the earth.

24 When there were no depths I was brought forth,

when there were no springs abounding with water.

25 Before the mountains had been shaped,

before the hills, I was brought forth,

26 before he had made the earth with its fields,

or the first of the dust of the world.

27 When he established the heavens, I was there;

when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,

28 when he made firm the skies above,

when he established the fountains of the deep,

29 when he assigned to the sea its limit,

so that the waters might not transgress his command,

when he marked out the foundations of the earth,

22 The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way,

Before his works of old.

23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning,

Or ever the earth was.

24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth;

When there were no fountains abounding with water.

25 Before the mountains were settled,

Before the hills was I brought forth:

26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields,

Nor the highest part of the dust of the world.

27 When he prepared the heavens, I was there:

When he set a compass upon the face of the depth:

28 When he established the clouds above:

When he strengthened the fountains of the deep:

29 When he gave to the sea his decree,

That the waters should not pass his commandment:

When he appointed the foundations of the earth:

22 “The Lord formed me from the beginning,

before he created anything else.

23 I was appointed in ages past,

at the very first, before the earth began.

24 I was born before the oceans were created,

before the springs bubbled forth their waters.

25 Before the mountains were formed,

before the hills, I was born—

26 before he had made the earth and fields

and the first handfuls of soil.

27 I was there when he established the heavens,

when he drew the horizon on the oceans.

28 I was there when he set the clouds above,

when he established springs deep in the earth.

29 I was there when he set the limits of the seas,

so they would not spread beyond their boundaries.

And when he marked off the earth’s foundations,

22 “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way,

Before His works of old.

23 I have been established from everlasting,

From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.

24 When there were no depths I was brought forth,

When there were no fountains abounding with water.

25 Before the mountains were settled,

Before the hills, I was brought forth;

26 While as yet He had not made the earth or the fields,

Or the primal dust of the world.

27 When He prepared the heavens, I was there,

When He drew a circle on the face of the deep,

28 When He established the clouds above,

When He strengthened the fountains of the deep,

29 When He assigned to the sea its limit,

So that the waters would not transgress His command,

When He marked out the foundations of the earth,

22 “I, wisdom, was with the Lord when he began his work,

long before he made anything else.

23 I was created in the very beginning,

even before the world began.

24 I was born before there were oceans,

or springs overflowing with water,

25 before the hills were there,

before the mountains were put in place.

26 God had not made the earth or fields,

not even the first dust of the earth.

27 I was there when God put the skies in place,

when he stretched the horizon over the oceans,

28 when he made the clouds above

and put the deep underground springs in place.

29 I was there when he ordered the sea

not to go beyond the borders he had set.

I was there when he laid the earth’s foundation.

22 Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way,

Before his works of old.

23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning,

Before the earth was.

24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth,

When there were no fountains abounding with water.

25 Before the mountains were settled,

Before the hills was I brought forth;

26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields,

Nor the beginning of the dust of the world.

27 When he established the heavens, I was there:

When he set a circle upon the face of the deep,

28 When he made firm the skies above,

When the fountains of the deep became strong,

29 When he gave to the sea its bound,

That the waters should not transgress his commandment,

When he marked out the foundations of the earth;

22 Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. 23 I was set up from eternity, from the beginning, before the earth was. 24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth, when there were no fountains abounding with water. 25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth; 26 while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the beginning of the dust of the world. 27 When he prepared the heavens I was there; when he ordained the circle upon the face of the deep; 28 when he established the skies above, when the fountains of the deep became strong; 29 when he imposed on the sea his decree that the waters should not pass his commandment, when he appointed the foundations of the earth:

22 “The Lord already possessed me long ago, 

when his way began, 

before any of his works. 

23 I was appointed from everlasting 

from the first, 

before the earth began. 

24 I was born 

before there were oceans, 

before there were springs filled with water. 

25 I was born 

before the mountains were settled in their places 

and before the hills, 

26 when he had not yet made land or fields 

or the first dust of the world. 

27 “When he set up the heavens, I was there. 

When he traced the horizon on the surface of the ocean, 

28 when he established the skies above, 

when he determined the currents in the ocean, 

29 when he set a limit for the sea 

so the waters would not overstep his command, 

when he traced the foundations of the earth, 

22 “The Lord made me

at the beginning of His creation,

before His works of long ago.

23 I was formed before ancient times,

from the beginning, before the earth began.

24 I was born

when there were no watery depths

and no springs filled with water.

25 I was delivered

before the mountains and hills were established,

26 before He made the land, the fields,

or the first soil on earth.

27 I was there when He established the heavens,

when He laid out the horizon on the surface of the ocean,

28 when He placed the skies above,

when the fountains of the ocean gushed out,

29 when He set a limit for the sea

so that the waters would not violate His command,

when He laid out the foundations of the earth.

22 The Lord created me at the beginning of his work,

the first of his acts of long ago.

23 Ages ago I was set up,

at the first, before the beginning of the earth.

24 When there were no depths I was brought forth,

when there were no springs abounding with water.

25 Before the mountains had been shaped,

before the hills, I was brought forth—

26 when he had not yet made earth and fields,

or the world’s first bits of soil.

27 When he established the heavens, I was there,

when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,

28 when he made firm the skies above,

when he established the fountains of the deep,

29 when he assigned to the sea its limit,

so that the waters might not transgress his command,

when he marked out the foundations of the earth,

22 “Yahweh created me, the first of his ways,

before his acts of old.

23 From eternity, I was set up from the first,

from the beginning of the earth.

24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth,

when there were no springs of abounding water.

25 Before mountains had been shaped,

before hills, I was brought forth.

26 When he had not yet made earth and fields,

or the first dust of the world,

27 when he established the heavens, there I was,

when he drew a circle upon the face of the deep,

28 when he made skies from above,

when he founded fountains of the deep,

29 when he assigned his limits to the sea,

that waters shall not transgress his command,

when he marked the foundations of the earth,

22 “The Lord created me as the first of his works,

before his acts of long ago.

23 I was formed at the very beginning.

I was formed before the world began.

24 Before there were any oceans, I was born.

There weren’t any springs of water at that time.

25 Before the mountains were settled in place, I was born.

Before there were any hills, I was born.

26 It happened before the Lord made the earth and its fields.

It was before he made the dust of the world.

27 I was there when he set the heavens in place.

When he marked out the place where the sky meets the sea, I was there.

28 That was when he put the clouds above.

It was when he fixed the ocean springs in place.

29 It was when he set limits for the sea

so that the waters had to obey his command.

When he marked out the foundations of the earth, I was there.

22 “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way,

Before His works of old.

23 “From everlasting I was established,

From the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth.

24 “When there were no depths I was brought forth,

When there were no springs abounding with water.

25 “Before the mountains were settled,

Before the hills I was brought forth;

26 While He had not yet made the earth and the fields,

Nor the first dust of the world.

27 “When He established the heavens, I was there,

When He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,

28 When He made firm the skies above,

When the springs of the deep became fixed,

29 When He set for the sea its boundary

So that the water would not transgress His command,

When He marked out the foundations of the earth;