Proverbs 8
1 Doth not wisdom cry aloud, and prudence put forth her voice?
Doth not wisedome crie? and vnderstanding vtter her voyce?
2 Standing in the top of the highest places by the way, in the midst of the paths.
She standeth in the top of the high places by the way in the place of the paths.
3 Beside the gates of the city, in the very doors she speaketh, saying:
She cryeth besides the gates before the citie at the entrie of the doores,
4 O ye men, to you I call, and my voice is to the sons of men.
O men, I call vnto you, and vtter my voyce to the children of men.
5 O little ones, understand subtilty, and ye unwise, take notice.
O ye foolish men, vnderstand wisedome, and ye, O fooles, be wise in heart.
6 Hear, for I will speak of great things: and my lips shall be opened to preach right things.
Giue eare, for I will speake of excellent things, and the opening of my lippes, shall teache things that be right.
7 My mouth shall meditate truth, and my lips shall hate wickedness.
For my mouth shall speake the trueth, and my lippes abhorre wickednesse.
8 All my words are just, there is nothing wicked nor perverse in them.
All the wordes of my mouth are righteous: there is no lewdenes, nor frowardnesse in them.
9 They are right to them that understand, and just to them that find knowledge.
They are all plaine to him that will vnderstande, and streight to them that woulde finde knowledge.
10 Receive my instruction, and not money: choose knowledge rather than gold.
Receiue mine instruction, and not siluer, and knowledge rather then fine golde.
11 For wisdom is better than all the most precious things: and whatsoever may be desired cannot be compared to it.
For wisdome is better then precious stones: and all pleasures are not to be compared vnto her.
12 I wisdom dwell in counsel, and am present in learned thoughts.
I wisdome dwell with prudence, and I find foorth knowledge and counsels.
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 feare of the Lord is to hate euill as pride, and arrogancie, and the euill way: and a mouth that speaketh lewde things, I doe hate.
14 Counsel and equity is mine, prudence is mine, strength is mine.
I haue counsell and wisedome: I am vnderstanding, and I haue strength.
15 By me kings reign, and lawgivers decree just things,
By me, Kings reigne, and princes decree iustice.
16 By me princes rule, and the mighty decree justice.
By me princes rule and the nobles, and all the iudges of the earth.
17 I love them that love me: and they that in the morning early watch for me, shall find me.
I loue them that loue me: and they that seeke me earely, shall finde me.
18 With me are riches and glory, glorious riches and justice.
Riches and honour are with me: euen durable riches and righteousnesse.
19 For my fruit is better than gold and the precious stone, and my blossoms than choice silver.
My fruite is better then golde, euen then fine golde, and my reuenues better then fine siluer.
20 I walk in the way of justice, in the midst of the paths of judgment,
I cause to walke in the way of righteousnes, and in the middes of the paths of iudgement,
21 That I may enrich them that love me, and may fill their treasures.
That I may cause them that loue me, to inherite substance, and I will fill their treasures.
22 The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his ways, before he made any thing from the beginning.
The Lord hath possessed me in the beginning of his way: I was before his workes of olde.
23 I was set up from eternity, and of old before the earth was made.
I was set vp from euerlasting, from the beginning and before the earth.
24 The depths were not as yet, and I was already conceived. neither had the fountains of waters as yet sprung out:
When there were no depths, was I begotten, when there were no fountaines abounding with water.
25 The mountains with their huge bulk had not as yet been established: before the hills I was brought forth:
Before the mountaines were setled: and before the hilles, was I begotten.
26 He had not yet made the earth, nor the rivers, nor the poles of the world.
He had not yet made the earth, nor the open places, nor the height of the dust in the worlde.
27 When he prepared the heavens, I was present: when with a certain law and compass he enclosed the depths:
When hee prepared the heauens, I was there, when he set the compasse vpon the deepe.
28 When he established the sky above, and poised the fountains of waters:
When he established the cloudes aboue, when he confirmed the fountaines of the deepe,
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 gaue his decree to the Sea, that the waters shoulde not passe his commandement: when he appointed the foundations of the earth,
30 I was with him forming all things: and was delighted every day, playing before him at all times;
Then was I with him as a nourisher, and I was dayly his delight reioycing alway before him,
31 Playing in the world: and my delights were to be with the children of men.
And tooke my solace in the compasse of his earth: and my delite is with the children of men.
32 Now therefore, ye children, hear me: Blessed are they that keep my ways.
Therefore nowe hearken, O children, vnto me: for blessed are they that keepe my wayes.
33 Hear instruction and be wise, and refuse it not.
Heare instruction, and be ye wise, and refuse it not:
34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, and that watcheth daily at my gates, and waiteth at the posts of my doors.
blessed is the man that heareth mee, watching dayly at my gates, and giuing attendance at the postes of my doores.
35 He that shall find me, shall find life, and shall have salvation from the Lord:
For he that findeth me, findeth life, and shall obteine fauour of the Lord.
36 But he that shall sin against me, shall hurt his own soul. All that hate me love death.
But he that sinneth against me, hurteth his owne soule: and all that hate me, loue death.
