Proverbs 8
1 Does not wisdom call out, and prudence bestow her voice?
Does wisdom not call? And understanding give forth her voice?
2 At the summits and the tops of exalted places, standing above the ways, in the midst of the paths,
At the head of high places by the way, She has stood between the paths,
3 beside the gates of the city, at the very doors, she speaks, saying:
At the side of the gates, at the mouth of the city, The entrance of the openings, she cries aloud,
4 “O men, to you I call out, and my voice is to the sons of men.
“To 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.
Understand, you simple ones, prudence, And you fools, understand the heart,
6 Listen, for I will speak about great things, and my lips will be opened, so as to foretell what is right.
Listen, for I speak noble things, And the opening of my lips [is] uprightness.
7 My throat shall practice truth, and my lips shall detest the impious.
For my mouth utters 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 sayings of my mouth [are] in righteousness, Nothing in them is contrary and perverse.
9 They are upright to those who understand, and equitable to those who discover knowledge.
All of them [are] plain to the intelligent, And upright to those finding 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, Indeed, all delights are not comparable with it.
12 I, wisdom, dwell in counsel, and I am inside learned thoughts.
I, wisdom, have dwelt with prudence, And I find out a knowledge of 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 YHWH [is] to hate evil; Pride, and arrogance, and an evil way, And a contrary mouth, I have hated.
14 Counsel is mine, and equity. Prudence is mine. Strength is mine.
Counsel and substance [are] mine, I [am] understanding, I have might.
15 Through me, kings reign and legislators decree just conditions.
By me kings reign, and princes decree righteousness,
16 Through me, princes rule and the powerful decree justice.
By me chiefs rule, and nobles, All judges of earth.
17 I love those who love me. And those who stand watch for me until morning shall discover me.
I love those loving me, And those seeking me earnestly find me.
18 With me, are wealth and glory, superb riches and justice.
Wealth and honor [are] with me, Lasting substance 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 fine gold, And my increase than choice silver.
20 I walk in the way of justice, in the midst of the paths of judgment,
I cause to walk in a path of righteousness, In midst of paths of judgment,
21 so that I may enrich those who love me, and thus complete their treasures.
To cause my lovers to inherit substance, Indeed, I fill their treasures.
22 The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his ways, before he made anything, from the beginning.
YHWH possessed me—the beginning of His way, Before His works since then.
23 I was ordained from eternity, and out of antiquity, before the earth was formed.
I was anointed from the age, from the first, From former states of the earth.
24 The abyss did not yet exist, and I was already conceived; neither had the fountains of waters yet erupted.
In there being no depths, I was brought forth, In there being no fountains heavy [with] waters,
25 The mountains, with their great mass, had not yet been established. Before the hills, I was brought forth.
Before mountains were sunk, Before heights, I was brought forth.
26 Still he had not made the earth, and the rivers, and the poles of the globe of the earth.
While He had not made the earth, and out-places, And the top of the dusts 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;
In His preparing the heavens I [am] there, In His decreeing a circle on the face of the deep,
28 when he made firm the sky above, and set free the fountains of waters;
In His strengthening clouds above, In His making strong fountains of the deep,
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.
In His setting for the sea its limit, And the waters do not transgress His command, In His decreeing the foundations of 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 am near Him, a workman, And I am a delight—day by day. Rejoicing before Him at all times,
31 playing in globe of the earth. And my delight was to be with the sons of men.
Rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth, And my delights [are] with the sons of men.
32 Therefore, sons, hear me now. Blessed are those who preserve my ways.
And now, you sons, listen to me, Indeed, blessed are they who 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 do not slight.
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.
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 He who finds me, finds life, and he will draw salvation from the Lord.
For whoever is finding me, has found life, And brings out goodwill from YHWH.
36 But he who sins against me will wound his own soul. All who hate me love death.”
And whoever is missing me, is wronging his soul, All hating me have loved death!”
