Proverbs 8
1 Is not wisdom crying out, and the voice of knowledge sounding?
Does wisdom not call? And understanding give forth her voice?
2 At the top of the highways, at the meeting of the roads, she takes her place;
At the head of high places by the way, She has stood between the paths,
3 Where the roads go into the town her cry goes out, at the doorways her voice is loud:
At the side of the gates, at the mouth of the city, The entrance of the openings, she cries aloud,
4 I am crying out to you, O men; my voice comes to the sons of men.
“To you, O men, I call, And my voice [is] to the sons of men.
5 Become expert in reason, O you simple ones; you foolish ones, take training to heart.
Understand, you simple ones, prudence, And you fools, understand the heart,
6 Give ear, for my words are true, and my lips are open to give out what is upright.
Listen, for I speak noble things, And the opening of my lips [is] uprightness.
7 For good faith goes out of my mouth, and false lips are disgusting to me.
For my mouth utters truth, And wickedness [is] an abomination to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are righteousness; there is nothing false or twisted in them.
All the sayings of my mouth [are] in righteousness, Nothing in them is contrary and perverse.
9 They are all true to him whose mind is awake, and straightforward to those who get knowledge.
All of them [are] plain to the intelligent, And upright to those finding knowledge.
10 Take my teaching, and not silver; get knowledge in place of the best gold.
Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold.
11 For wisdom is better than jewels, and all things which may be desired are nothing in comparison with her.
For wisdom [is] better than rubies, Indeed, all delights are not comparable with it.
12 I, wisdom, have made wise behaviour my near relation; I am seen to be the special friend of wise purposes.
I, wisdom, have dwelt with prudence, And I find out a knowledge of purposes.
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 fear of YHWH [is] to hate evil; Pride, and arrogance, and an evil way, And a contrary mouth, I have hated.
14 Wise design and good sense are mine; reason and strength are mine.
Counsel and substance [are] mine, I [am] understanding, I have might.
15 Through me kings have their power, and rulers give right decisions.
By me kings reign, and princes decree righteousness,
16 Through me chiefs have authority, and the noble ones are judging in righteousness.
By me chiefs rule, and nobles, All judges of 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 love those loving me, And those seeking me earnestly find me.
18 Wealth and honour are in my hands, even wealth without equal and righteousness.
Wealth and honor [are] with me, Lasting substance and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than gold, even than the best gold; and my increase is more to be desired than silver.
My fruit [is] better than gold, even fine gold, And my increase than choice silver.
20 I go in the road of righteousness, in the way of right judging:
I cause to walk in a path of righteousness, In midst of paths of judgment,
21 So that I may give my lovers wealth for their heritage, making their store-houses full.
To cause my lovers to inherit substance, Indeed, I fill their treasures.
22 The Lord made me as the start of his way, the first of his works in the past.
YHWH possessed me—the beginning of His way, Before His works since then.
23 From eternal days I was given my place, from the birth of time, before the earth was.
I was anointed from the age, from the first, From former states of the earth.
24 When there was no deep I was given birth, when there were no fountains flowing with water.
In there being no depths, I was brought forth, In there being no fountains heavy [with] waters,
25 Before the mountains were put in their places, before the hills was my birth:
Before mountains were sunk, Before heights, I was brought forth.
26 When he had not made the earth or the fields or the dust of the world.
While He had not made the earth, and out-places, And the top of the dusts of the world.
27 When he made ready the heavens I was there: when he put an arch over 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 made strong the skies overhead: when the fountains of the deep were fixed:
In His strengthening clouds above, In His making strong fountains of the deep,
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:
In His setting for the sea its limit, And the waters do not transgress His command, In His decreeing the foundations of 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 I am near Him, a workman, And I am a delight—day by day. Rejoicing before Him at all times,
31 Playing in his earth; and my delight was with the sons of men.
Rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth, And my delights [are] with the sons of men.
32 Give ear to me then, my sons: for happy are those who keep my ways.
And now, you sons, listen to me, Indeed, blessed are they who keep my ways.
33 Take my teaching and be wise; do not let it go.
Hear instruction, and be wise, and do not slight.
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.
O the blessedness of the man listening to me, To watch at my doors day by day, To watch at the doorposts of my entrance.
35 For whoever gets me gets life, and grace from the Lord will come to him.
For whoever is finding me, has found life, And brings out goodwill from YHWH.
36 But he who does evil to me, does wrong to his soul: all my haters are in love with death.
And whoever is missing me, is wronging his soul, All hating me have loved death!”
