Proverbs 8
1 Doth not wisdom cry aloud, and prudence put forth her voice?
Is not wisdom crying out, and the voice of knowledge sounding?
2 Standing in the top of the highest places by the way, 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, in the very doors she speaketh, saying:
Where the roads go into the town her cry goes out, at the doorways her voice is loud:
4 O ye men, to you I call, 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 subtilty, and ye unwise, take notice.
Become expert in reason, O you simple ones; you foolish ones, take training to heart.
6 Hear, for I will speak of great things: and my lips shall be opened to preach right things.
Give ear, for my words are true, and my lips are open to give out what is upright.
7 My mouth shall meditate truth, and my lips shall hate wickedness.
For good faith goes out of my mouth, and false lips are disgusting to me.
8 All my words are just, there is nothing wicked nor perverse in them.
All the words of my mouth are righteousness; there is nothing false or twisted in them.
9 They are right to them that understand, and just to them that find knowledge.
They are all true to him whose mind is awake, and straightforward to those who get knowledge.
10 Receive my instruction, and not money: choose knowledge rather than gold.
Take my teaching, and not silver; get knowledge in place of the best gold.
11 For wisdom is better than all the most precious things: and whatsoever may be desired cannot be compared to it.
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 am present in 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 hateth evil: I hate 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 and equity is mine, prudence is mine, strength is mine.
Wise design and good sense are mine; reason and strength are mine.
15 By me kings reign, and lawgivers decree just things,
Through me kings have their power, and rulers give right decisions.
16 By me princes rule, and the mighty decree justice.
Through me chiefs have authority, and the noble ones are judging in righteousness.
17 I love them that love me: and they that in the morning early watch for me, shall find 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 riches and glory, glorious 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 the precious stone, and my blossoms 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 That I may enrich them that love me, and may fill 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 any thing from the beginning.
The Lord made me as the start of his way, the first of his works in the past.
23 I was set up from eternity, and of old before the earth was made.
From eternal days I was given my place, from the birth of time, before the earth was.
24 The depths were not as yet, and I was already conceived. neither had the fountains of waters as yet sprung out:
When there was no deep I was given birth, when there were no fountains flowing with water.
25 The mountains with their huge bulk had not as 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 He had not yet made the earth, nor the rivers, nor the poles of the world.
When he had not made the earth or the fields or the dust of the world.
27 When he prepared the heavens, I was present: when with a certain law and compass he enclosed the depths:
When he made ready the heavens I was there: when he put an arch over the face of the deep:
28 When he established the sky above, and poised the fountains of waters:
When he made strong the skies overhead: when the fountains of the deep were fixed:
29 When he compassed the sea with its bounds, and set a law to the waters that they should not pass their limits: when be balanced 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 forming all things: and was delighted every day, playing before him 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 the world: and my delights were to be with the children of men.
Playing in his earth; and my delight was with the sons of men.
32 Now therefore, ye children, hear me: Blessed are they that keep my ways.
Give ear to me then, my sons: for happy are those who keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction and be wise, and refuse it not.
Take my teaching and be wise; do not let it go.
34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, and that watcheth daily at my gates, and waiteth 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 that shall find me, shall find life, and shall have salvation from the Lord:
For whoever gets me gets life, and grace from the Lord will come to him.
36 But he that shall sin against me, shall hurt his own soul. All that hate me love death.
But he who does evil to me, does wrong to his soul: all my haters are in love with death.
