22 “The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,c,d

before his deeds of old;

23 I was formed long ages ago,

at the very beginning, when the world came to be.

24 When there were no watery depths, I was given birth,

when there were no springs overflowing with water;s

25 before the mountains were settled in place,t

before the hills, I was given birth,u

26 before he made the world or its fields

or any of the dust of the earth.v

27 I was there when he set the heavens in place,w

when he marked out the horizonx on the face of the deep,

28 when he established the clouds abovey

and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,z

29 when he gave the sea its boundarya

so the waters would not overstep his command,b

and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.c

30 Then I was constantlye at his side.d

I was filled with delight day after day,

rejoicing always in his presence,

31 rejoicing in his whole world

and delighting in mankind.e