Proverbs 8
1 Does not wisdom call out, and prudence bestow her voice?
Is not wisdom crying out, and the voice of knowledge sounding?
2 At the summits and the tops of exalted places, standing above the ways, in the midst of the paths,
At the top of the highways, at the meeting of the roads, she takes her place;
3 beside the gates of the city, at the very doors, she speaks, saying:
Where the roads go into the town her cry goes out, at the doorways her voice is loud:
4 “O men, to you I call out, and my voice is to the sons of men.
I am crying out to you, O men; my voice comes to the sons of men.
5 O little ones, understand discernment. And you who are unwise, turn your souls.
Become expert in reason, O you simple ones; you foolish ones, take training to heart.
6 Listen, for I will speak about great things, and my lips will be opened, so as to foretell what is right.
Give ear, for my words are true, and my lips are open to give out what is upright.
7 My throat shall practice truth, and my lips shall detest the impious.
For good faith goes out of my mouth, and false lips are disgusting to me.
8 All my words are just. There is no depravity in them, and no perversity.
All the words of my mouth are righteousness; there is nothing false or twisted in them.
9 They are upright to those who understand, and equitable to those who discover knowledge.
They are all true to him whose mind is awake, and straightforward to those who get knowledge.
10 Accept my discipline, and not money. Choose the doctrine that is greater than gold.
Take my teaching, and not silver; get knowledge in place of the best gold.
11 For wisdom is better than all that is most precious, and everything that is desirable cannot compare to her.
For wisdom is better than jewels, and all things which may be desired are nothing in comparison with her.
12 I, wisdom, dwell in counsel, and I am inside learned thoughts.
I, wisdom, have made wise behaviour my near relation; I am seen to be the special friend of wise purposes.
13 The fear of the Lord hates evil. I detest arrogance, and pride, and every wicked way, and a mouth with a double tongue.
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.
14 Counsel is mine, and equity. Prudence is mine. Strength is mine.
Wise design and good sense are mine; reason and strength are mine.
15 Through me, kings reign and legislators decree just conditions.
Through me kings have their power, and rulers give right decisions.
16 Through me, princes rule and the powerful decree justice.
Through me chiefs have authority, and the noble ones are judging in righteousness.
17 I love those who love me. And those who stand watch for me until morning shall discover me.
Those who have given me their love are loved by me, and those who make search for me with care will get me.
18 With me, are wealth and glory, superb riches and justice.
Wealth and honour are in my hands, even wealth without equal and righteousness.
19 For my fruit is better than gold and precious stones, and my progeny better than choice silver.
My fruit is better than gold, even than the best gold; and my increase is more to be desired than silver.
20 I walk in the way of justice, in the midst of the paths of judgment,
I go in the road of righteousness, in the way of right judging:
21 so that I may enrich those who love me, and thus complete their treasures.
So that I may give my lovers wealth for their heritage, making their store-houses full.
22 The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his ways, before he made anything, from the beginning.
The Lord made me as the start of his way, the first of his works in the past.
23 I was ordained from eternity, and out of antiquity, before the earth was formed.
From eternal days I was given my place, from the birth of time, before the earth was.
24 The abyss did not yet exist, and I was already conceived; neither had the fountains of waters yet erupted.
When there was no deep I was given birth, when there were no fountains flowing with water.
25 The mountains, with their great mass, had not yet been established. Before the hills, I was brought forth.
Before the mountains were put in their places, before the hills was my birth:
26 Still he had not made the earth, and the rivers, and the poles of the globe of the earth.
When he had not made the earth or the fields or the dust of the world.
27 I was already present: when he prepared the heavens; when, with a certain law and a circuit, he fortified the abyss;
When he made ready the heavens I was there: when he put an arch over the face of the deep:
28 when he made firm the sky above, and set free the fountains of waters;
When he made strong the skies overhead: when the fountains of the deep were fixed:
29 when he encompassed the sea within its limits, and laid down a law for the waters, lest they transgress their limits; when he weighed the foundations of the earth.
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:
30 I was with him in composing all things. And I was delighted, throughout every day, by playing in his sight at all times,
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;
31 playing in globe of the earth. And my delight was to be with the sons of men.
Playing in his earth; and my delight was with the sons of men.
32 Therefore, sons, hear me now. Blessed are those who preserve my ways.
Give ear to me then, my sons: for happy are those who keep my ways.
33 Listen to discipline, and become wise, and do not be willing to cast it aside.
Take my teaching and be wise; do not let it go.
34 Blessed is the man who listens to me, and who stands watch at my gates every day, and who observes at the posts of my doors.
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.
35 He who finds me, finds life, and he will draw salvation from the Lord.
For whoever gets me gets life, and grace from the Lord will come to him.
36 But he who sins against me will wound his own soul. All who hate me love death.”
But he who does evil to me, does wrong to his soul: all my haters are in love with death.
