Proverbs 8
1 Does not wisdom call out, and prudence bestow her voice?
Doth not wisdom call, and understanding put forth her voice?
2 At the summits and the tops of exalted places, standing above the ways, in the midst of the paths,
In the top of high places by the way, where the paths meet, she standeth;
3 beside the gates of the city, at the very doors, she speaks, saying:
Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors, she crieth aloud:
4 “O men, to you I call out, and my voice is to the sons of men.
'Unto you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of men.
5 O little ones, understand discernment. And you who are unwise, turn your souls.
O ye thoughtless, understand prudence, and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.
6 Listen, for I will speak about great things, and my lips will be opened, so as to foretell what is right.
Hear, for I will speak excellent things, and the opening of my lips shall be right things.
7 My throat shall practice truth, and my lips shall detest the impious.
For my mouth shall utter truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All my words are just. There is no depravity in them, and no perversity.
All the words of my mouth are in righteousness, there is nothing perverse or crooked in them.
9 They are upright to those who understand, and equitable to those who discover knowledge.
They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.
10 Accept my discipline, and not money. Choose the doctrine that is greater than gold.
Receive my instruction, and not silver, and knowledge rather than choice 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 rubies, and all things desirable are not to be compared unto her.
12 I, wisdom, dwell in counsel, and I am inside learned thoughts.
I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of devices.
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 to hate evil; pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.
14 Counsel is mine, and equity. Prudence is mine. Strength is mine.
Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, power is mine.
15 Through me, kings reign and legislators decree just conditions.
By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.
16 Through me, princes rule and the powerful decree justice.
By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
17 I love those who love me. And those who stand watch for me until morning shall discover me.
I love them that love me, and those that seek me earnestly shall find me.
18 With me, are wealth and glory, superb riches and justice.
Riches and honour are with me; yea, enduring riches 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, yea, than fine gold; and my produce than choice silver.
20 I walk in the way of justice, in the midst of the paths of judgment,
I walk in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of justice;
21 so that I may enrich those who love me, and thus complete their treasures.
That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance, and that I may fill their treasuries.
22 The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his ways, before he made anything, from the beginning.
The LORD made me as the beginning of His way, the first of His works of old.
23 I was ordained from eternity, and out of antiquity, before the earth was formed.
I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever 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 were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding 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 settled, before the hills was I brought forth;
26 Still he had not made the earth, and the rivers, and the poles of the globe of the earth.
While as yet He had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the beginning of 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 established the heavens, I was there; when He set a circle upon the face of the deep,
28 when he made firm the sky above, and set free the fountains of waters;
When He made firm the skies above, when the fountains of the deep showed their might,
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 gave to the sea His decree, that the waters should not transgress His commandment, when He appointed the foundations 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 Him, as a nursling; and I was daily all delight, playing always before Him,
31 playing in globe of the earth. And my delight was to be with the sons of men.
Playing in His habitable earth, and my delights are with the sons of men.
32 Therefore, sons, hear me now. Blessed are those who preserve my ways.
Now therefore, ye children, hearken unto me; for happy are they that keep my ways.
33 Listen to discipline, and become wise, and do not be willing to cast it aside.
Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.
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 that hearkeneth to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 He who finds me, finds life, and he will draw salvation from the Lord.
For whoso findeth me findeth life, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.
36 But he who sins against me will wound his own soul. All who hate me love death.”
But he that misseth me wrongeth his own soul; all they that hate me love death.'
