Proverbs 8
1 Does not wisdom call out, and prudence bestow her voice?
Doth not wisdom cry aloud, 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,
Upon the top of the high places, By the wayside, In the cross-ways, She taketh her station.
3 beside the gates of the city, at the very doors, she speaks, saying:
By the side of the gates, In the entrance of the city, In the approaches to the doors, she crieth aloud.
4 “O men, to you I call out, and my voice is to the sons of men.
“To you, O men! do 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 simple ones! learn wisdom, 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 speak excellent things, And my lips utter that which is right.
7 My throat shall practice truth, and my lips shall detest the impious.
For my mouth speaketh 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 uprightness; There is nothing crooked or deceitful in them;
9 They are upright to those who understand, and equitable to those who discover knowledge.
They are all plain to the man of understanding, And right to those who 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 pearls, And no precious things are to be compared with her.
12 I, wisdom, dwell in counsel, and I am inside learned thoughts.
“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And find out the knowledge of sagacious counsels.
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 arrogance, and the evil way, And the deceitful mouth, do I hate.
14 Counsel is mine, and equity. Prudence is mine. Strength is mine.
Counsel is mine, and sound reason; I am understanding; I have strength.
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 they who seek me early shall find me.
18 With me, are wealth and glory, superb riches and justice.
Riches and honor are with me; Yea, durable riches and prosperity.
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 revenue 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 equity.
21 so that I may enrich those who love me, and thus complete their treasures.
I cause those who love me to possess substance; Yea, I fill their treasuries.
22 The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his ways, before he made anything, from the beginning.
“The LORD created me, the firstling of his course, Before his works, of old;
23 I was ordained from eternity, and out of antiquity, before the earth was formed.
I was anointed from everlasting, From the beginning, even before the earth was made.
24 The abyss did not yet exist, and I was already conceived; neither had the fountains of waters yet erupted.
When as yet there were no deeps, I was brought forth. When there were no springs, 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, Yea, before the hills, I was brought forth;
26 Still he had not made the earth, and the rivers, and the poles of the globe of the earth.
Ere yet he had made the land and the wastes, And the first of the clods of the earth.
27 I was already present: when he prepared the heavens; when, with a certain law and a circuit, he fortified the abyss;
When he framed the heavens, I was there; When he drew 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 sky above, And the fountains of the deep rushed forth;
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 its bounds, that the waters should not pass their border; When he marked out 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 was I by him as a master-builder; I was his delight day by day, Exulting before him at all times;
31 playing in globe of the earth. And my delight was to be with the sons of men.
Exulting in the habitable part of his earth, And my delight was with the sons of men.
32 Therefore, sons, hear me now. Blessed are those who preserve my ways.
“Now, therefore, ye children, hearken to me! For happy 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! Yea, reject 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 the man who hearkeneth to me, Who watcheth day by day at my gates, Who waiteth at the posts of my doors;
35 He who finds me, finds life, and he will draw salvation from the Lord.
For he that findeth me findeth life, And obtaineth favor from the LORD;
36 But he who sins against me will wound his own soul. All who hate me love death.”
But he who misseth me doeth violence to himself; All they who hate me love death.”
