Proverbs 8
1 Does not wisdom call out, and understanding raise her voice?
Doth not wisdom call? And understanding give forth her voice?
2 On the heights overlooking the road, at the crossroads she takes her stand.
At the head of high places by the way, Between the paths she hath stood,
3 Beside the gates to the city, at the entrances she cries out:
At the side of the gates, at the mouth of the city, The entrance of the openings, she crieth aloud,
4 “To you, O men, I call out, and my cry is to the sons of men.
'Unto you, O men, I call, And my voice [is] unto the sons of men.
5 O simple ones, learn to be shrewd; O fools, gain understanding.
Understand, ye simple ones, prudence, And ye fools, understand the heart,
6 Listen, for I speak of noble things, and the opening of my lips will reveal right.
Hearken, for noble things I speak, And the opening of my lips [is] uprightness.
7 For my mouth will speak the truth, and wickedness is detestable to my lips.
For truth doth my mouth utter, And an abomination to my lips [is] wickedness.
8 All the words of my mouth are righteous; none are crooked or perverse.
In righteousness [are] all the sayings of my mouth, Nothing in them is froward and perverse.
9 They are all plain to the discerning, and upright to those who find knowledge.
All of them [are] plain to the intelligent, And upright to those finding knowledge.
10 Receive my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold.
Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold.
11 For wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire compares with her.
For better [is] wisdom than rubies, Yea, all delights are not comparable with it.
12 I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion.
I, wisdom, have dwelt with prudence, And a knowledge of devices I find out.
13 To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.
The fear of Jehovah [is] to hate evil; Pride, and arrogance, and an evil way, And a froward mouth, I have hated.
14 Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have insight and strength.
Mine [is] counsel and substance, I [am] understanding, I have might.
15 By me kings reign, and rulers enact just laws;
By me kings reign, and princes decree righteousness,
16 By me princes rule, and all nobles who govern justly.
By me do chiefs rule, and nobles, All judges of the earth.
17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me early shall find me.
I love those loving me, And those seeking me earnestly do find me.
18 With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and righteousness.
Wealth and honour [are] with me, Lasting substance and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than gold, pure gold, and my harvest surpasses choice silver.
Better [is] my fruit than gold, even fine gold, And mine increase than choice silver.
20 I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice,
In a path of righteousness I cause to walk, In midst of paths of judgment,
21 bestowing wealth on those who love me and making their treasuries full.
To cause my lovers to inherit substance, Yea, their treasures I fill.
22 The LORD created me as His first course, before His works of old.
Jehovah possessed me — the beginning of His way, Before His works since then.
23 From everlasting I was established, from the beginning, before the earth began.
From the age I was anointed, from the first, From former states of the earth.
24 When there were no watery depths, I was brought forth, when no springs were overflowing with water.
In there being no depths, I was brought forth, In there being no fountains heavy [with] waters,
25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was brought forth,
Before mountains were sunk, Before heights, I was brought forth.
26 before He made the land or fields, or any of the dust of the earth.
While He had not made the earth, and out-places, And the top of the dusts of the world.
27 I was there when He established the heavens, when He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,
In His preparing the heavens I [am] there, In His decreeing a circle on the face of the deep,
28 when He established the clouds above, when the fountains of the deep gushed forth,
In His strengthening clouds above, In His making strong fountains of the deep,
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.
In His setting for the sea its limit, And the waters transgress not His command, In His decreeing the foundations of earth,
30 Then I was a skilled craftsman at His side, and His delight day by day, rejoicing always in His presence.
Then I am near Him, a workman, And I am a delight — day by day. Rejoicing before Him at all times,
31 I was rejoicing in His whole world, delighting together in the sons of men.
Rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth, And my delights [are] with the sons of men.
32 Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, for blessed are those who keep my ways.
And now, ye sons, hearken to me, Yea, happy are they who keep my ways.
33 Listen to instruction and be wise; do not ignore it.
Hear instruction, and be wise, and slight not.
34 Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at the posts of my doorway.
O the happiness of the man hearkening to me, To watch at my doors day by day, To watch at the door-posts of my entrance.
35 For whoever finds me finds life and obtains the favor of the LORD.
For whoso is finding me, hath found life, And bringeth out good-will from Jehovah.
36 But he who fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death.”
And whoso is missing me, is wronging his soul, All hating me have loved death!
