Proverbs 8
1 You shall proclaim wisdom, that understanding may be obedient to you.
Doth not wisedome crie? and vnderstanding vtter her voyce?
2 For she is on lofty eminences, and stands in the midst of the ways.
She standeth in the top of the high places by the way in the place of the paths.
3 For she sits by the gates of princes, and sings in the entrances, [saying],
She cryeth besides the gates before the citie at the entrie of the doores,
4 You, O men, I exhort; and utter my voice to the sons of men.
O men, I call vnto you, and vtter my voyce to the children of men.
5 O you simple, understand subtlety, and you that are untaught, imbibe knowledge.
O ye foolish men, vnderstand wisedome, and ye, O fooles, be wise in heart.
6 Listen to me; for I will speak solemn [truths]; and will produce right [sayings] from my lips.
Giue eare, for I will speake of excellent things, and the opening of my lippes, shall teache things that be right.
7 For my throat shall meditate truth; and false lips are an abomination before me.
For my mouth shall speake the trueth, and my lippes abhorre wickednesse.
8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing in them wrong or perverse.
All the wordes of my mouth are righteous: there is no lewdenes, nor frowardnesse in them.
9 They are all evident to those that understand, and right to those that find knowledge.
They are all plaine to him that will vnderstande, and streight to them that woulde finde knowledge.
10 Receive instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than tried gold.
Receiue mine instruction, and not siluer, and knowledge rather then fine golde.
11 For wisdom is better than precious stones; and no valuable substance is of equal worth with it.
For wisdome is better then precious stones: and all pleasures are not to be compared vnto her.
12 I wisdom have lived [with] counsel and knowledge, and I have called upon understanding.
I wisdome dwell with prudence, and I find foorth knowledge and counsels.
13 The fear of the Lord hates unrighteousness, and insolence, and pride, and the ways of wicked men; and I hate the perverse ways of bad men.
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 safety are mine; prudence is mine, and strength is mine.
I haue counsell and wisedome: I am vnderstanding, and I haue strength.
15 By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.
By me, Kings reigne, and princes decree iustice.
16 By me nobles become great, and monarchs by me rule over the earth.
By me princes rule and the nobles, and all the iudges of the earth.
17 I love those that love me; and they that seek me shall find [me].
I loue them that loue me: and they that seeke me earely, shall finde me.
18 Wealth and glory belong to me; yes, abundant possessions and righteousness.
Riches and honour are with me: euen durable riches and righteousnesse.
19 [It is] better to have my fruit than [to have] gold and precious stones; and my produce is better than choice silver.
My fruite is better then golde, euen then fine golde, and my reuenues better then fine siluer.
20 I walk in ways of righteousness, and [am] conversant with the paths of judgement;
I cause to walke in the way of righteousnes, and in the middes of the paths of iudgement,
21 that I may divide substance to them that love me, and may fill their treasures with good things. If I declare to you the things that daily happen, I will remember [also] to recount the things of old.
That I may cause them that loue me, to inherite substance, and I will fill their treasures.
22 The Lord made me the beginning of his ways for his works.
The Lord hath possessed me in the beginning of his way: I was before his workes of olde.
23 He established me before time [was] in the beginning, before he made the earth:
I was set vp from euerlasting, from the beginning and before the earth.
24 even before he made the depths; before the fountains of water came forth:
When there were no depths, was I begotten, when there were no fountaines abounding with water.
25 before the mountains were settled, and before all hills, he begets me.
Before the mountaines were setled: and before the hilles, was I begotten.
26 The Lord made countries and uninhabited [tracks], and the highest inhabited parts 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 prepared the heaven, I was present with him; and when he prepared his throne upon the winds:
When hee prepared the heauens, I was there, when he set the compasse vpon the deepe.
28 and when he strengthened the clouds above; and when he secured the fountains of the earth:
When he established the cloudes aboue, when he confirmed the fountaines of the deepe,
29 decree. and when he strengthened 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 I was by him, suiting [myself to him], I was that wherein he took delight; and daily I rejoiced in his presence continually.
Then was I with him as a nourisher, and I was dayly his delight reioycing alway before him,
31 For he rejoiced when he had completed the world, and rejoiced amongst the children of men.
And tooke my solace in the compasse of his earth: and my delite is with the children of men.
32 Now then, [my] son, hear me: blessed is the man who shall listen to me, and the mortal who shall keep my ways;
Therefore nowe hearken, O children, vnto me: for blessed are they that keepe my wayes.
33 [Hear wisdom and be wise, and be not strangers to it. ]
Heare instruction, and be ye wise, and refuse it not:
34 watching daily at my doors, waiting at the posts of my entrances.
blessed is the man that heareth mee, watching dayly at my gates, and giuing attendance at the postes of my doores.
35 For my outgoings are the outgoings of life, and [in them] is prepared favour from the Lord.
For he that findeth me, findeth life, and shall obteine fauour of the Lord.
36 But they that sin against me act wickedly against their own souls: and they that hate me love death.
But he that sinneth against me, hurteth his owne soule: and all that hate me, loue death.
