¹⁹ The Lord founded the earth by wisdom^(A)
and established the heavens by understanding.
²⁰ By His knowledge the watery depths broke open,^(B)
and the clouds dripped with dew.^(C)

²² “The Lord made^[a] me
at the beginning of His creation,^[b]
before His works of long ago.^(A)
23 I was formed before ancient times,
from the beginning, before the earth began.^(B)
24 I was born
when there were no watery depths^(C)
and no springs filled with water.
²⁵ I was delivered
before the mountains and hills were established,^(D)
26 before He made the land, the fields,
or the first soil on earth.
²⁷ I was there when He established the heavens,^(E)
when He laid out the horizon on the surface of the ocean,^(F)
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,^(G)
when He laid out the foundations of the earth.^(H)