A final note on tuning the strings

Yesterday I gave ChatGPT a copy of the spreadsheet for all the psalms. And this large language model attempted to analyze books two, three, and four all at once. It thought for a long time and then I got a message that I had used my daily processing limit.

I really should not have allowed it to start that possibly insoluble problem. But I have to admit I had not thought about analyzing major and minor intervals. That assumes the mode before you have it. Multiple recitation pitches means that we will have intervals besides those that are created by the ornaments. We would have to decide whether these intervals are the 'right' mode depending on the nature of the text.

The reciting notes themselves have their own characteristics. I have noted these before:

• The tonic (e) for the sense of home,
• the subdominant (A) for the sense of rest,
• the supertonic (f#) for a briefer rest, (in the 3 books only) and always prior to the subdominant if both are in the verse,
• the dominant (B) for proclamation,
• the submediant (C) for emotional appeal.
• It is rare to have much recitation below the tonic (low c, 21 books only, or d, all books).
• Recitation above the submediant is non-existent.

I now add to the supertonic (f# in the 3 books) based on psalm 1, that recitation on this pitch has a sense of warning. And the frequent use of g in the three books for recitation will perhaps determine the use of g# in the psalms that do not have this pitch heavily used.

But the mode itself is the sharpening or not of the third (g#), the fourth (A#) or the sixth (C#) or the subtonic (d#). Nothing that I have yet found explicitly dictates one or more of these tuning adjustments. Therefor determining it seems to be subjective.

For example, I took a look at psalms 44 and 45 (Using the Hebrew numbering). 44 is a national lament, but 45 is a royal wedding song. There is a sudden change from misery to hope. Yet Haïk-Vantoura in her original handwritten score uses her major-minor mode for both. I chose the mode with the sharpened fourth (A#) for psalm 44 - a mode that befits a Jeremiah and essentially destroys the sense of rest on the mid verse cadence. This mode has consecutive semitones A# to B and B to C. It's the weird mode - and I think it should be avoided when the ambitus reaches to the C.

Today I asked Chat GPT this question and it just reflected my conclusion. This leaves me with the feeling that modes -- the way that Haïk-Vantoura defines them -- are indeed chosen by subjective means -- the musical idea of the arranging musician.

Even within the constraints of her deciphering key, we have scope for real musical interpretation. The words do not determine the mode. The music lets us escape from our reasoning about the words alone.

Selections from a table of frequencies

 I am stepping through the possibilities that one or more clues to the mode of a psalm may lie in the 'tenor' of the psalm or information in the first verse. I come to the conclusion that there is nothing doing here.

Common words like psalm, or 'for the leader' (as suggested in Werner's book) or specific titles like Gittite, or young women, or flutes or strings are speculative but too rare to be useful. I am listing these tables for your interest - if you are interested. They are selections from the table I posted the other day.

There are several subsets -- overlapping at times: Korah, Asaph, Do not destroy, insight (Maskil), songs of the ascents, lilies,  and Miktam (of gold? etc), and five psalms where the recitation on e, f#, A, and B are all in the 20% range plus or minus 2. Four tenors in one psalm! That's three tenors too many. The terms of Gregorian chant simply do not apply to this music. 

PSALM	Syllables	d	e	f#	g	A	B	C	English text - of Korah
42	312	3.53	29.49	27.56	8.01	10.26	9.62	11.54	For the leader. An insight of the children of Korah.
44	495	1.21	20.81	18.18	18.38	19.19	18.38	3.84	For the leader. Of the children of Korah, an insight.
45	393	.51	24.17	16.54	20.10	13.74	19.59	5.34	For the leader upon lilies, of the children of Korah. An insight. A song of two beloved.
46	233	.86	25.32	22.32	18.03	14.59	18.88	.00	For the leader of the children of Korah. For young women. A song.
47	173	1.73	19.65	19.08	20.23	12.72	17.34	9.25	For the leader. Of the children of Korah. A psalm.
48	270	1.11	14.07	18.89	17.41	19.63	15.56	13.33	A song. A psalm of the children of Korah.
49	358	.00	19.83	12.29	22.35	16.48	20.39	8.66	For the leader. Of the children of Korah. A psalm.
84	271	5.17	17.34	22.88	15.50	20.66	13.28	5.17	For the leader, at the Gittite settlement. Of the children of Korah. A psalm.
85	241	.83	22.82	12.45	15.77	24.48	19.50	4.15	For the leader. Of the children of Korah. A psalm.
87	116	.00	24.14	13.79	25.00	18.97	15.52	2.59	Of the children of Korah. A psalm. A song. His foundation is on the holy hills.
88	377	.00	17.77	14.59	13.26	25.46	25.20	3.71	A song. A psalm of the children of Korah. For the leader in illness to jam. An insight of Heyman the Ezrahite.
PSALM	Syllables	d	e	f#	g	A	B	C	English text - of Asaph
50	436	.00	19.95	13.53	17.43	21.79	19.95	7.34	A psalm of Asaph. The God of Gods, Yahweh, spoke and he called earth from the rising of the sun to its going down.
73	472	.00	17.80	20.97	14.41	26.48	16.31	4.03	A psalm of Asaph. Surely God is good to Israel, to the pure in heart.
74	463	.00	18.57	25.49	20.09	14.25	17.28	4.32	An insight of Asaph. Why O God? will you reject us in perpetuity? Will your anger fume against the sheep of your pasture?
75	210	1.43	19.52	16.19	16.67	25.71	15.71	4.76	For the leader. Do not destroy. A psalm of Asaph. A song.
76	222	.45	19.82	16.67	18.47	17.57	26.58	.45	For the leader. On strings. A psalm of Asaph. A song.
77	391	.51	20.46	18.41	12.02	19.44	23.27	5.88	For the leader. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph, a psalm.
78	1354	.37	19.72	17.06	15.95	24.37	17.73	4.80	An insight of Asaph. Listen my people to my instruction. Bend your ears to the sayings of my mouth.
79	341	2.93	23.17	22.87	10.85	11.14	15.84	13.20	A psalm of Asaph. O God the nations have come into your inheritance. They have defiled even your holy temple. They have set up Jerusalem in shambles.
80	379	.00	18.21	19.00	9.76	24.80	21.90	6.33	For the leader. On lilies. A testimony of Asaph, a psalm.
81	310	.00	21.29	11.61	20.97	22.58	20.00	3.55	For the leader on musing, of Asaph.
82	144	.00	22.92	27.78	18.75	15.28	12.50	2.78	A psalm of Asaph. God takes a stand in the divine assembly, in the close combat of gods he judges.
83	314	.00	22.29	18.79	19.75	21.02	16.88	1.27	A song. A psalm of Asaph.
PSALM	Syllables	d	e	f#	g	A	B	C	English text - Do not destroy
37	726	.55	16.94	12.12	22.59	24.24	17.08	6.47	Of David. About evildoers do not burn. Do not be jealous over doers of injustice.
57	260	3.08	14.62	20.00	11.92	14.62	23.85	11.92	For the leader. Do not destroy. Of David, a miktam, when he ran away from the face of Saul in the cave.
58	235	1.28	21.28	34.47	11.06	11.06	19.57	1.28	For the leader. Do not destroy. Of David, a miktam.
59	409	2.93	20.29	22.00	17.11	13.94	18.34	5.38	For the leader. Do not destroy. Of David, a miktam, when Saul sent and they watched the house to have him executed.
75	210	1.43	19.52	16.19	16.67	25.71	15.71	4.76	For the leader. Do not destroy. A psalm of Asaph. A song.
PSALM	Syllables	d	e	f#	g	A	B	C	English text - An insight
32	258	3.88	27.91	19.38	11.24	15.50	15.50	6.59	Of David, an insight. Happy transgression borne away, sin covered.
42	312	3.53	29.49	27.56	8.01	10.26	9.62	11.54	For the leader. An insight of the children of Korah.
44	495	1.21	20.81	18.18	18.38	19.19	18.38	3.84	For the leader. Of the children of Korah, an insight.
45	393	.51	24.17	16.54	20.10	13.74	19.59	5.34	For the leader upon lilies, of the children of Korah. An insight. A song of two beloved.
52	221	2.26	23.08	25.34	12.67	13.57	18.55	4.52	For the leader. An insight of David.
53	168	5.36	31.55	22.62	8.93	13.69	13.69	4.17	For the leader. In illness. An insight of David.
54	157	.00	12.10	17.20	22.93	24.20	14.01	9.55	For the leader. On strings. An insight of David.
55	470	.85	17.66	18.72	18.09	14.04	18.30	12.34	For the leader. On strings. An insight of David.
74	463	.00	18.57	25.49	20.09	14.25	17.28	4.32	An insight of Asaph. Why O God? will you reject us in perpetuity? Will your anger fume against the sheep of your pasture?
78	1354	.37	19.72	17.06	15.95	24.37	17.73	4.80	An insight of Asaph. Listen my people to my instruction. Bend your ears to the sayings of my mouth.
88	377	.00	17.77	14.59	13.26	25.46	25.20	3.71	A song. A psalm of the children of Korah. For the leader in illness to jam. An insight of Heyman the Ezrahite.
89	949	.00	18.44	21.07	19.70	20.55	18.12	2.11	An insight. Of Ethan the Ezrahite.
142	173	7.51	21.97	17.92	11.56	13.87	17.34	9.83	An insight Of David, when he was in the cave. A prayer.
PSALM	Syllables	d	e	f#	g	A	B	C	English text - lilies
45	393	.51	24.17	16.54	20.10	13.74	19.59	5.34	For the leader upon lilies, of the children of Korah. An insight. A song of two beloved.
69	734	.68	19.62	18.12	13.90	21.25	20.30	6.13	For the leader. Upon lilies. Of David.
80	379	.00	18.21	19.00	9.76	24.80	21.90	6.33	For the leader. On lilies. A testimony of Asaph, a psalm.
PSALM	Syllables	d	e	f#	g	A	B	C	English text - Songs of the ascents
120	111	.00	27.03	16.22	18.02	23.42	15.32	.00	A song of the ascents. To Yahweh when I am trouble bound, I call and he answers me.
121	124	.00	33.06	21.77	8.87	28.23	8.06	.00	A song to the ascents. I will lift up my eyes to the hills. From where comes my help?
122	150	4.00	13.33	10.67	18.67	30.67	20.00	2.67	A song of the ascents, Of David. I was glad when they said to me, Up to the house of Yahweh we will walk.
123	97	10.31	28.87	15.46	9.28	17.53	17.53	1.03	A song of the ascents. To you I lift up my eyes, the one sitting in the heavens.
124	141	1.42	18.44	29.79	16.31	18.44	15.60	.00	A song of the ascents, of David. Unless Yahweh had been for us, May Israel say,
125	125	7.20	23.20	17.60	19.20	13.60	6.40	12.80	A song of the ascents. Those trusting in Yahweh, are like mount Zion. It will not be moved. Forever it will persist.
126	120	9.17	19.17	28.33	12.50	15.83	6.67	8.33	A song of the ascents. When Yahweh turned the captivity of Zion, we became like dreamers.
127	121	3.31	22.31	18.18	4.96	10.74	17.36	23.14	A song of the ascents, of Solomon. If Yahweh does not build a house, in vain its builders toil in it. If Yahweh does not keep a city, in vain the vigilant keeps watch.
128	114	1.75	19.30	21.93	14.91	23.68	16.67	1.75	A song of the ascents. Happy all who fear Yahweh, who walk in his ways.
129	126	.00	18.25	18.25	19.05	19.84	17.46	7.14	A song of the ascents. Exceedingly they troubled me from my youth, may Israel say.
130	133	2.26	18.80	24.81	12.03	28.57	13.53	.00	A song of the ascents. From the valleys I call to you Yahweh.
131	76	.00	15.79	13.16	26.32	15.79	13.16	15.79	A song of the ascents, Of David. Yahweh not haughty is my heart nor exalted my eyes, nor do I walk in great things or in wonders beyond me.
132	322	1.55	23.91	22.67	9.94	30.43	10.87	.62	A song of the ascents. Yahweh, remember David, with all his afflictions.
133	78	2.56	25.64	19.23	15.38	15.38	6.41	15.38	A song of the ascents, of David. Here! How fine and how pleasant it is, for kin to sit as one.
134	59	.00	25.42	22.03	13.56	25.42	8.47	5.08	A song of the ascents. Here! bless Yahweh, all servants of Yahweh, those standing in the house of Yahweh in the nights.
PSALM	Syllables	d	e	f#	g	A	B	C	English text - miktam
16	216	.93	24.07	21.76	12.96	21.76	14.35	4.17	From gold, concerning atonement, through inscription, of David. Keep me O God for I take refuge in you.
56	278	4.68	20.14	10.79	17.99	20.86	18.35	7.19	For the leader. On the dove dumbed by distances. Of David. A miktam, when the Philistines in Gath grasped him.
57	260	3.08	14.62	20.00	11.92	14.62	23.85	11.92	For the leader. Do not destroy. Of David, a miktam, when he ran away from the face of Saul in the cave.
58	235	1.28	21.28	34.47	11.06	11.06	19.57	1.28	For the leader. Do not destroy. Of David, a miktam.
59	409	2.93	20.29	22.00	17.11	13.94	18.34	5.38	For the leader. Do not destroy. Of David, a miktam, when Saul sent and they watched the house to have him executed.
60	279	.72	15.41	11.47	16.85	17.20	29.75	8.60	For the leader on a lily. A witness. A miktam of David, for teaching.
PSALM	Syllables	d	e	f#	g	A	B	C	English text - evenly matched psalms
22	616	1.62	20.13	20.62	14.77	19.81	20.29	2.76	For the leader on the hart of the dawn. A psalm of David.
44	495	1.21	20.81	18.18	18.38	19.19	18.38	3.84	For the leader. Of the children of Korah, an insight.
66	376	.00	19.95	18.09	18.35	19.15	18.88	5.59	For the leader. A song. A Psalm. Raise a shout to God all the earth.
69	734	.68	19.62	18.12	13.90	21.25	20.30	6.13	For the leader. Upon lilies. Of David.
89	949	.00	18.44	21.07	19.70	20.55	18.12	2.11	An insight. Of Ethan the Ezrahite.

Tenor and ambitus for each psalm

There are some parts of what ChatGPT indicated about modes that can be immediately applied to the Psalms, chapter by chapter.

First - the tenor - a slightly off label usage of the word for me. The tenor is the main reciting pitch of a plainsong section. And second the ambitus or range. The range is dependent on the reciting pitches that are used and the ornaments on it. But it's mostly the reciting note.

I have already remarked the use of f# (mercha) for Psalm 1. There are 40 other psalms for which the tenor is f#. In psalm 98 the f# is tied with A.

If I sort for the mercha, Psalm 29 stands out at the top of the list with 73 syllables (36%) on f#. This is a psalm where Haïk-Vantoura used the sharpened fourth in her mode. Should this also be used in Psalm 1 and others? Essentially creating a psalm lacking in an inner-verse rest point? 

But - the usual but, the Letteris edition which Suzanne used has a host of metegs masquerading as silluqs so her version, lovely though it is sung by Chanticleer, is not what the music is in the Leningrad codex. The f#'s have disappeared and been replaced by e's. My response is no. This psalm needs the inner rest points and works just fine in the default mode. The mode with the sharpened fourth does not sing well if the higher pitches are used since there are two consecutive semitones in it. That is my subjective opinion of course. And it is not suitable for zarqas even if those singers can sing them accurately and beautifully. There are no zarqas in any case in the WLC, but there are several in the Letteris.

I have replaced the table in the previous post with the one below, a wide pdf. The tenor is highlighted. (-(now automated to save eyes and prepare for additional data columns). The range is always similar but sometimes a 0 appears in the column for the lowest note d or the highest C and so the range is limited in some psalms.

There are several psalms where the percentage use of the main reciting tones are very similar. A listener or singer would not be able to distinguish percentage points. I think this shows the implications for understanding the accents of Haïk-Vantoura's deciphering of the distinction between the signs above and below the text. It does not help us decide what the 'mode' should be -- i.e. what the shape of the scale is in terms of tones, semitones, and augmented seconds.  Still, if I can add the clues from the first verse of a psalm and sort or filter on them, maybe some groupings and differences will appear -- maybe not.

Analysis of recitation in the psalms

Some time in the past, around about 2012, I wrote a program that converts the Unicode of the Scripture available from tanach.us through its web service, into its musical score according to the deciphering key of Suzanne Haïk-Vantoura. 

I have examined this program and surprised myself as to how much data was present in the trace I used to debug the program. The program puts out a trace of every recitation, syllable by syllable. So I have created a table of recitation by book, chapter and verse, measure, transcription, pitch, ornament, syllable type, and count for each syllable and reciting notes.

It allow us to see but not divide the psalms by frequency of use of recitation notes to see if there are any patterns that might point to hints of the mode used. 

The overall result is that the most frequently used reciting pitch is -- strangely -- the mercha. f# is used for the recitation of 9,308 syllables in the psalms. The next most common is the munach, B, the fifth note of the scale, 8,496 syllables are sung on B. Then the third note of the scale, g, tifha, 7,377 syllables, and then atnah, A, 6,837 syllables, then the tonic e, silluq, 6,695 syllables, and then the sixth note of the scale, C, 2,714 syllables, and then last and least the subtonic, d, 617 syllables.

This doesn't tell us too much. I need to sort the psalms by frequency of use of the reciting notes. Is it possible that Korah, Asaph, and David could be distinguished by such a method? I don't yet know. 

Here are the 150 lines of the table in psalm sequence of the usage of each reciting pitch in its diatonic sequence. What patterns do you see?  This is of course lacking other clues, like attribution or other snippet of data in the inscription. I also have had to adjust the absolute counts to a percentage of the total syllables in the psalm. Here are the percentages of the use of each reciting note for each psalm. Are there significant correlations? That's a question I can't answer at the moment.

Chasing information and guesses about ancient modes

Suzanne Haïk-Vantoura makes the comment that it takes a musician to decide what the musical mode should be for a chapter of the Bible. Her section on modes begins on page 216 of her English book.

A mode is a sequence of notes for a scale -- some may be sharpened or flattened. The mode for the psalm hidden in Isaiah 12 is chromatic dorian. It is the default mode that Haïk-Vantoura uses for most of the prose books. She suggests the hypodorian for Esther, (the book is available here). She also has what she calls a 'strange' mode. La Bénédiction sacerdotale consacrée ne peut être convenablement exprimée que dans ce mode étrange, merveilleusement approprié. She applies this mode to the priestly benediction. I don't see that it differs from the Lydian below with minor sixth - a mode she uses in the psalms only.  All she needs to do is add the darga - low c to the psalm tone.

While I tend to agree that these choices work musically for the purposes she applies them to, I think the decisions and her arguments are somewhat subjective.

Numbers 6:24-25

Some of the modes used by Suzanne Haïk-Vantoura for the music of the Hebrew Bible

The prose books are too much to examine for non-subjective indications of suitable modes but I wonder if the psalms might have some clues. 

Eric Werner in his 1959 book (available here) cites authorities who identify 8 modes in use in the psalms. I am intrigued by the focus on a common word, (1 לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ below), that occurs in the first verse of many psalms.

The first word is very common in the psalms. It is often translated as 'for the leader' or some equivalent phrase. The Greek translation renders it as Εἰς τὸ τέλος, using an alternative sense for the Hebrew word nxk נצח. In perpetuity is how I have rendered it when the temporal sense seems right from the context. 

Psalms 5:1 - uses two of the above words

I had a conversation with ChatGPT about modes in the plainsong psalter. It makes me think at first that I know next to nothing. Here it is at this link. As usual with the LLM I persist with refining my questions and it is really helpful in organizing what I am getting at - even when my prompt blathers on somewhat. So with that nudge, I should do some more data analysis...

Common sequences on reciting notes e, A, B, C and the poetry of Proverbs chapter 8

Two more tables? One for the prose books. This is longer post and goes well beyond the zarqa table concept. You might find these words a shrewd comment and warning from wisdom on today's politics.

e: Nehemiah 12:3, B: Ezekiel 46:2, C: 1 Samuel 10:2, A: 2 Samuel 1:4

And one for the poetry books? The ornaments are fewer in the poetry. The musical lines are on average half the length of the lines in the prose books. There are some scattered parts that could be useful but I think the poetry requires an approach that teaches the accents under the text and a few of the ornaments will show up. So I chose Proverbs 8 as example.

And useful as the 'zarqa' tables are for learning the shapes of the accents and the names, I want to leave the do-re-mi or la-la-la (a not very good practice we used to do for learning our parts without the words when we were beginners) approach behind. (Constructing these tables is a trial for my eyesight and memory. I need to extend my program to do it -- big job.)  The repetition and variations on the move to the subdominant and the return to the tonic are quite obvious. Also standing out in the ornaments are the revia-mugrash and the ole-veyored, accent pairs used in the three books only, where they occur or not. So here is the whole of the chapter to ponder.

Note how short the lines are for the most part - see the syllable counts in the center column.

Note verse 13, where the ole-veyored defines a pause on the second degree of the scale, the supertonic.

Proverbs 8, the first use of the cadence on the supertonic. (corrected)

Unfortunately, you can't see this structure clearly in the text without the accents. A bi-colon, a verse with only one pause, looks the same in translation whether the pause is on the atnah or on the supertonic. The above verse has only the cadence on the supertonic - and a long second part, but it's still a two-stich verse, aka bi-colon. 

There are two tri-cola. Can you see them? They are clear in the text below and the music. In the text below, cadences on the second and the fourth notes of the scale are marked by a 'carriage return' (now that's an anachronistic term!). The accents give us structure and the music can be partially seen even in textual form with a little clue here and there. There is a possibility, and I have marked it manually in the generated music, to count other accents as having some pausal value and to therefore break up the longer lines. The pausal value of any accent, apart from the known cadences, ole-veyored, atnah, and silluq, is variable depending on the text, its context, and the sense the music want to convey.

In the text, I also include a note (♪) so you can be warned when the first syllable of a verse begins on a note other than the default e. This tells you connections between the verses. Notice also the verses that have no internal cadence. There is only one syllable count for the verse and no internal line-feeds. 

(I have set selected verses from this music. You can hear the video - mechanical reproduction -- here. As far as I know, there are no other arrangements or performances from Proverbs available from the work of Suzanne Haïk-Vantoura.)

1 Does not wisdom call, and understanding give her voice?
א הלֽא־חכמ֥ה תקר֑א ו֝תבונ֗ה תת֥ן קולֽה	6 7		a hloa-kcmh tqra utbunh titn qolh
2 At the head, from the high ground, by a way, the house of pathways, she stands firm.
ב בראש־מרומ֥ים עלי־ד֑רך ב֖ית נתיב֣ות נצֽבה	8 7		b braw-mromim yli-drç bit ntibot nixbh
3 From the hand at the gates, to the edge of the town, at the entrance of the doors, she shouts.
ג ליד־שער֥ים לפי־ק֑רת מב֖וא פתח֣ים תרֽנה	8 8		g lid-wyrim lpi-qrt mboa ptkim tronh
4 To each and every one of you I call, and my voice is to the children of humanity.
ד אליכ֣ם איש֣ים אקר֑א ו֝קול֗י אל־בנ֥י אדֽם	7 8		d alicm aiwim aqra vqoli al-bni adm
5 Let simpletons be made to understand craftiness, and let dullards be made to understand heart.
ה הב֣ינו פתאי֣ם ערמ֑ה ו֝כסיל֗ים הב֥ינו לֽב	8 7		h hbinu ptiim yormh ucsilim hbinu lb
6 ♪g Hear, because evidence I will speak, and the opening of my lips, uprightness.
ו ש֭מעו כֽי־נגיד֣ים אדב֑ר ומפת֥ח ש֝פת֗י מישרֽים	9 9		v wmyu ci-ngidim adbr umptk wptii miwrim
7 Because my palate meditates truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
ז כֽי־א֭מת יהג֣ה חכ֑י ותועב֖ת שפת֣י רֽשע	6 9		z ci-amt ihgh kici vtoybt wptii rwy
8 All the promises of my mouth are in righteousness. There is no guile or deviousness in them.
ח בצ֥דק כל־אמרי־פ֑י א֥ין ב֝ה֗ם נפת֥ל ועקֽש	7 8		k bxdq cl-amri-pi ain bhm nptl vyiqw
9 all of them straightforward, understandable, and upright as a source of knowledge.
ט כל֣ם נ֭כחים למב֑ין וֽ֝ישר֗ים למ֣צאי דֽעת	8 8		T culm ncokim lmbin viwrim lmoxai dyt
10 Receive my mentoring and not silver, so knowledge over bullion, choose.
י קחֽו־מוסר֥י ואל־כ֑סף ו֝ד֗עת מחר֥וץ נבחֽר	8 8		i qku-musri val-csf vdyt mkrux nbkr
11 Because good is wisdom over rubies, and all delights are not to be considered equal in her.
יא כֽי־טוב֣ה ח֭כמה מפנינ֑ים וכל־ח֝פצ֗ים ל֣א יֽשוו־בֽה	7 9		ia ci-Tobh kcmh mpninim vcl-kpxim la iwvu-bh
12 I, wisdom, I dwell with craftiness, and I find out knowledge of schemes.
יב א‍ֽני־ח֭כמה שכ֣נתי ערמ֑ה וד֖עת מזמ֣ות אמצֽא	8 8		ib ani-kcmh wcnti yormh vdyt mzimot amxa
13 The fear of Yahweh is to hate evil Pride, and pomp, and the way of evil and a changeable mouth I have hated.
יג יֽרא֣ת יהוה֮ שֽנ֫את ר֥ע ג֘א֤ה וגא֨ון וד֣רך ר֭ע ופ֨י תהפכ֬ות שנֽאתי	7 17		ig irat ihvh wnaot ry gah vgaon vdrç ry upi thpucot wnati
14 Counsel is mine and enterprise. I am understanding. Valour is mine.
יד לֽי־ע֭צה ותושי֑ה אנ֥י ב֝ינ֗ה ל֣י גבורֽה	6 8		id li-yxh vtuwiih ani binh li gburh
15 ♪g In me sovereigns reign, and rule-makers decree righteousness.
טו ב֭י מלכ֣ים ימל֑כו ו֝רוזנ֗ים יח֣קקו צֽדק	7 8		Tv bi mlcim imlocu vroznim ikoqqu xdq
16 ♪g In me nobility influence, and princes, all you who judge righteousness.
טז ב֭י שר֣ים יש֑רו ו֝נדיב֗ים כל־ש֥פטי צֽדק	6 8		Tz bi wrim iworu undibim cl-wopTi xdq
17 ♪g I myself love those who love me, and those who seek me early will find me.
יז א֭ני אהב֣י אה֑ב ו֝משחר֗י ימצאֽנני	7 8		iz ani aohbii ahb umwkrii imxaunni
18 Riches and glory are with me, durable value and righteousness.
יח עֽשר־וכב֥וד את֑י ה֥ון ע֝ת֗ק וצדקֽה	7 6		ik yowr-vcbod aiti hon ytq uxdqh
19 ♪B My fruit is better than bullion and than pure gold, and my income than choice silver.
יט ט֣וב פ֭ריי מחר֣וץ ומפ֑ז ו֝תבואת֗י מכ֥סף נבחֽר	9 9		iT Tob prii mkrux umpz utbuati mcsf nbkr
20 I walk in a path of righteousness, in the midst of pathways of judgment,
כ באֽרח־צדק֥ה אהל֑ך‬ ב֝ת֗וך נתיב֥ות משפֽט	9 7		c baork-xdqh ahlç btoç ntibot mwpT
21 to make those loving me inherit what is, so I fill their treasuries.
כא להנח֖יל אהב֥י י֑ש ואצר֖תיה֣ם אמלֽא פ	7 9		ca lhnkil aohbii iw vaoxrotihm amla p
22 Yahweh bought me, the beginning of his way, preceding his work from then.
כב יֽהו֗ה ק֭נני ראש֣ית דרכ֑ו ק֖דם מפעל֣יו מאֽז	9 7		cb ihvh qnni rawit drco qdm mpyliv maz
23 ♪g From everlasting I have offered libation from the beginning, out of the precedents of earth.
כג מ֭עולם נס֥כתי מר֗אש מקדמי־אֽרץ	12		cg myolm niscti mraw mqdmi-arx
24 When there were no abysses, I was birthed, when there were no springs, heavy with water.
כד באין־תהמ֥ות חול֑לתי בא֥ין מ֝עינ֗ות נכבדי־מֽים	8 9		cd bain-thomot kollti bain myiinot ncbdi-mim
25 From ere hills were ringed, before the presence of hillocks, I was birthed.
כה בט֣רם הר֣ים הטב֑עו לפנ֖י גבע֣ות חולֽלתי	8 8		ch bTrm hrim huTbyu lpni gbyot kollti
26 While he had not made earth or outsides, or the preeminent fauna of the world.
כו עד־ל֣א ע֭שה א֣רץ וחוצ֑ות ו֝ר֗אש עפר֥ות‬ תבֽל	9 6		cv yd-la ywh arx vkuxot vraw yprot tbl
27 In the establishing of the heavens, there am I, when he engraved the ambit on the face of the abyss.
כז בהכינ֣ו ש֭מים ש֣ם א֑ני בח֥וקו ח֝֗וג על־פנ֥י תהֽום	9 9		cz bhcino wmiim wm ani bkuqo kug yl-pni thom
28 When he assured the skies from above, in the strength of the springs of the abyss.
כח באמצ֣ו שחק֣ים ממ֑על ב֝עז֗וז עינ֥ות תהֽום	9 7		ck bamxo wkqim mmyl byzoz yinot thom
29 In his defining to the sea his decree, and the waters not to bypass his mandate, when he engraved the foundations of earth,
כט בש֘ומ֤ו לי֨ם חק֗ו ו֭מים ל֣א יֽעברו־פ֑יו ב֝חוק֗ו מ֣וסדי אֽרץ	14 7		cT bwumo lim kuqo umim la iybru-piv bkuqo mosdi arx
30 And I was next to him as confidante, and I was reveling day by day, gamboling in his presence all the time,
ל וֽאהי֥ה אצל֗ו א֫מ֥ון וֽאהי֣ה ש֭עשעים י֤ום י֑ום משח֖קת לפנ֣יו בכל־עֽת	7 9 10		l vahih axlo amon vahih wywuyim iom iom mwkqt lpniv bcl-yt
31 ♪g gamboling in the world of his earth, reveling with the children of humanity.
לא מ֭שחקת בתב֣ל ארצ֑ו ו֝שעשע֗י את־בנ֥י אדֽם פ	9 11		la mwkqt btbl arxo vwywuyii at-bni adm p
32 So now, children, hear of what is mine. Happy are those keeping my ways.
לב ועת֣ה ב֭נים שמעו־ל֑י ו֝אשר֗י דרכ֥י ישמֽרו	8 9		lb vyth bnim wmyu-li vawri drcii iwmoru
33 Hear chastening and be wise, and do not be negligent.
לג שמע֖ו מוס֥ר וחכ֗מו ואל־תפרֽעו	13		lg wmyu musr vkcmu val-tpryu
34 ♪f Happy a human that has heard of what is mine, to be alert at my gateways day by day, to watch from the posts of my doors.
לד א֥שֽרי אדם֮ שמ֪עֽ֫ ל֥י לשק֣ד על־ד֭לתתי י֤ום י֑ום ל֝שמ֗ר מזוז֥ת פתחֽי	8 8 8		ld awri adm womy li lwqod yl-dltotii iom iom lwmor mzuzot ptkii
35 ♪B For who finds me finds life, and will draw forth acceptance from Yahweh.
לה כ֣י מ֭צאי מצ֣א‬ חי֑ים וי֥פק ר֝צ֗ון מיהוֽה	7 8		lh ci moxai mxa kiim vipq rxon mihvh
36 ♪g But who sins against me does itself violence. All who hate me love death.
לו וֽ֭חטאי חמ֣ס נפש֑ו כל־מ֝שנא֗י א֣הבו מֽות פ	7 10		lv vkoTai koms npwo cl-mwnaii ahbu mvvt p