Proverbs 8
1 Does not wisdom call out, and understanding raise her voice?
Doth not wisedome crie? and vnderstanding vtter her voyce?
2 On the heights overlooking the road, at the crossroads she takes her stand.
She standeth in the top of the high places by the way in the place of the paths.
3 Beside the gates to the city, at the entrances she cries out:
She cryeth besides the gates before the citie at the entrie of the doores,
4 “To you, O men, I call out, and my cry is to the sons of men.
O men, I call vnto you, and vtter my voyce to the children of men.
5 O simple ones, learn to be shrewd; O fools, gain understanding.
O ye foolish men, vnderstand wisedome, and ye, O fooles, be wise in heart.
6 Listen, for I speak of noble things, and the opening of my lips will reveal right.
Giue eare, for I will speake of excellent things, and the opening of my lippes, shall teache things that be right.
7 For my mouth will speak the truth, and wickedness is detestable to my lips.
For my mouth shall speake the trueth, and my lippes abhorre wickednesse.
8 All the words of my mouth are righteous; none are crooked or perverse.
All the wordes of my mouth are righteous: there is no lewdenes, nor frowardnesse in them.
9 They are all plain to the discerning, and upright to those who find knowledge.
They are all plaine to him that will vnderstande, and streight to them that woulde finde knowledge.
10 Receive my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold.
Receiue mine instruction, and not siluer, and knowledge rather then fine golde.
11 For wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire compares with her.
For wisdome is better then precious stones: and all pleasures are not to be compared vnto her.
12 I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion.
I wisdome dwell with prudence, and I find foorth knowledge and counsels.
13 To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.
The feare of the Lord is to hate euill as pride, and arrogancie, and the euill way: and a mouth that speaketh lewde things, I doe hate.
14 Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have insight and strength.
I haue counsell and wisedome: I am vnderstanding, and I haue strength.
15 By me kings reign, and rulers enact just laws;
By me, Kings reigne, and princes decree iustice.
16 By me princes rule, and all nobles who govern justly.
By me princes rule and the nobles, and all the iudges of the earth.
17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me early shall find me.
I loue them that loue me: and they that seeke me earely, shall finde me.
18 With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and righteousness.
Riches and honour are with me: euen durable riches and righteousnesse.
19 My fruit is better than gold, pure gold, and my harvest surpasses choice silver.
My fruite is better then golde, euen then fine golde, and my reuenues better then fine siluer.
20 I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice,
I cause to walke in the way of righteousnes, and in the middes of the paths of iudgement,
21 bestowing wealth on those who love me and making their treasuries full.
That I may cause them that loue me, to inherite substance, and I will fill their treasures.
22 The LORD created me as His first course, before His works of old.
The Lord hath possessed me in the beginning of his way: I was before his workes of olde.
23 From everlasting I was established, from the beginning, before the earth began.
I was set vp from euerlasting, from the beginning and before the earth.
24 When there were no watery depths, I was brought forth, when no springs were overflowing with water.
When there were no depths, was I begotten, when there were no fountaines abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was brought forth,
Before the mountaines were setled: and before the hilles, was I begotten.
26 before He made the land or fields, or any of the dust of the earth.
He had not yet made the earth, nor the open places, nor the height of the dust in the worlde.
27 I was there when He established the heavens, when He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,
When hee prepared the heauens, I was there, when he set the compasse vpon the deepe.
28 when He established the clouds above, when the fountains of the deep gushed forth,
When he established the cloudes aboue, when he confirmed the fountaines of the deepe,
29 when He set a boundary for the sea, so that the waters would not surpass His command, when He marked out the foundations of the earth.
When he gaue his decree to the Sea, that the waters shoulde not passe his commandement: when he appointed the foundations of the earth,
30 Then I was a skilled craftsman at His side, and His delight day by day, rejoicing always in His presence.
Then was I with him as a nourisher, and I was dayly his delight reioycing alway before him,
31 I was rejoicing in His whole world, delighting together in the sons of men.
And tooke my solace in the compasse of his earth: and my delite is with the children of men.
32 Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, for blessed are those who keep my ways.
Therefore nowe hearken, O children, vnto me: for blessed are they that keepe my wayes.
33 Listen to instruction and be wise; do not ignore it.
Heare instruction, and be ye wise, and refuse it not:
34 Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at the posts of my doorway.
blessed is the man that heareth mee, watching dayly at my gates, and giuing attendance at the postes of my doores.
35 For whoever finds me finds life and obtains the favor of the LORD.
For he that findeth me, findeth life, and shall obteine fauour of the Lord.
36 But he who fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death.”
But he that sinneth against me, hurteth his owne soule: and all that hate me, loue death.
