Proverbs 8
1 Is not wisdom crying out, and the voice of knowledge sounding?
Doth not wisedome crie? and vnderstanding vtter her voyce?
2 At the top of the highways, at the meeting of the roads, she takes her place;
She standeth in the top of the high places by the way in the place of the paths.
3 Where the roads go into the town her cry goes out, at the doorways her voice is loud:
She cryeth besides the gates before the citie at the entrie of the doores,
4 I am crying out to you, O men; my voice comes to the sons of men.
O men, I call vnto you, and vtter my voyce to the children of men.
5 Become expert in reason, O you simple ones; you foolish ones, take training to heart.
O ye foolish men, vnderstand wisedome, and ye, O fooles, be wise in heart.
6 Give ear, for my words are true, and my lips are open to give out what is upright.
Giue eare, for I will speake of excellent things, and the opening of my lippes, shall teache things that be right.
7 For good faith goes out of my mouth, and false lips are disgusting to me.
For my mouth shall speake the trueth, and my lippes abhorre wickednesse.
8 All the words of my mouth are righteousness; there is nothing false or twisted in them.
All the wordes of my mouth are righteous: there is no lewdenes, nor frowardnesse in them.
9 They are all true to him whose mind is awake, and straightforward to those who get knowledge.
They are all plaine to him that will vnderstande, and streight to them that woulde finde knowledge.
10 Take my teaching, and not silver; get knowledge in place of the best gold.
Receiue mine instruction, and not siluer, and knowledge rather then fine golde.
11 For wisdom is better than jewels, and all things which may be desired are nothing in comparison with her.
For wisdome is better then precious stones: and all pleasures are not to be compared vnto her.
12 I, wisdom, have made wise behaviour my near relation; I am seen to be the special friend of wise purposes.
I wisdome dwell with prudence, and I find foorth knowledge and counsels.
13 The fear of the Lord is seen in hating evil: pride, a high opinion of oneself, the evil way, and the false tongue, are unpleasing to me.
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 Wise design and good sense are mine; reason and strength are mine.
I haue counsell and wisedome: I am vnderstanding, and I haue strength.
15 Through me kings have their power, and rulers give right decisions.
By me, Kings reigne, and princes decree iustice.
16 Through me chiefs have authority, and the noble ones are judging in righteousness.
By me princes rule and the nobles, and all the iudges of the earth.
17 Those who have given me their love are loved by me, and those who make search for me with care will get me.
I loue them that loue me: and they that seeke me earely, shall finde me.
18 Wealth and honour are in my hands, even wealth without equal and righteousness.
Riches and honour are with me: euen durable riches and righteousnesse.
19 My fruit is better than gold, even than the best gold; and my increase is more to be desired than silver.
My fruite is better then golde, euen then fine golde, and my reuenues better then fine siluer.
20 I go in the road of righteousness, in the way of right judging:
I cause to walke in the way of righteousnes, and in the middes of the paths of iudgement,
21 So that I may give my lovers wealth for their heritage, making their store-houses full.
That I may cause them that loue me, to inherite substance, and I will fill their treasures.
22 The Lord made me as the start of his way, the first of his works in the past.
The Lord hath possessed me in the beginning of his way: I was before his workes of olde.
23 From eternal days I was given my place, from the birth of time, before the earth was.
I was set vp from euerlasting, from the beginning and before the earth.
24 When there was no deep I was given birth, when there were no fountains flowing with water.
When there were no depths, was I begotten, when there were no fountaines abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains were put in their places, before the hills was my birth:
Before the mountaines were setled: and before the hilles, was I begotten.
26 When he had not made the earth or the fields or the dust of the world.
He had not yet made the earth, nor the open places, nor the height of the dust in the worlde.
27 When he made ready the heavens I was there: when he put an arch over the face of the deep:
When hee prepared the heauens, I was there, when he set the compasse vpon the deepe.
28 When he made strong the skies overhead: when the fountains of the deep were fixed:
When he established the cloudes aboue, when he confirmed the fountaines of the deepe,
29 When he put a limit to the sea, so that the waters might not go against his word: when he put in position the bases 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 by his side, as a master workman: and I was his delight from day to day, playing before him at all times;
Then was I with him as a nourisher, and I was dayly his delight reioycing alway before him,
31 Playing in his earth; and my delight was with the sons of men.
And tooke my solace in the compasse of his earth: and my delite is with the children of men.
32 Give ear to me then, my sons: for happy are those who keep my ways.
Therefore nowe hearken, O children, vnto me: for blessed are they that keepe my wayes.
33 Take my teaching and be wise; do not let it go.
Heare instruction, and be ye wise, and refuse it not:
34 Happy is the man who gives ear to me, watching at my doors day by day, keeping his place by the pillars of my house.
blessed is the man that heareth mee, watching dayly at my gates, and giuing attendance at the postes of my doores.
35 For whoever gets me gets life, and grace from the Lord will come to him.
For he that findeth me, findeth life, and shall obteine fauour of the Lord.
36 But he who does evil to me, does wrong to his soul: all my haters are in love with death.
But he that sinneth against me, hurteth his owne soule: and all that hate me, loue death.
