Proverbs 8
1 Doth not wisdom cry aloud, and prudence put forth her voice?
Doth not wisdom cry aloud, And understanding put forth her voice?
2 Standing in the top of the highest places by the way, 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, in the very doors she speaketh, saying:
By the side of the gates, In the entrance of the city, In the approaches to the doors, she crieth aloud.
4 O ye men, to you I call, 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 subtilty, and ye unwise, take notice.
O ye simple ones! learn wisdom, And ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart!
6 Hear, for I will speak of great things: and my lips shall be opened to preach right things.
Hear, for I speak excellent things, And my lips utter that which is right.
7 My mouth shall meditate truth, and my lips shall hate wickedness.
For my mouth speaketh truth, And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All my words are just, there is nothing wicked nor perverse in them.
All the words of my mouth are in uprightness; There is nothing crooked or deceitful in them;
9 They are right to them that understand, and just to them that find knowledge.
They are all plain to the man of understanding, And right to those who find knowledge.
10 Receive my instruction, and not money: choose knowledge rather than gold.
Receive my instruction, and not silver. And knowledge rather than choice 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 pearls, And no precious things are to be compared with her.
12 I wisdom dwell in counsel, and am present in learned thoughts.
“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And find out the knowledge of sagacious 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 fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride, and arrogance, and the evil way, And the deceitful mouth, do I hate.
14 Counsel and equity is mine, prudence is mine, strength is mine.
Counsel is mine, and sound reason; I am understanding; I have strength.
15 By me kings reign, and lawgivers decree just things,
By me kings reign, And princes decree justice.
16 By me princes rule, and the mighty decree justice.
By me princes rule, And nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
17 I love them that love me: and they that in the morning early watch for me, shall find me.
I love them that love me, And they who seek me early shall find me.
18 With me are riches and glory, glorious riches and justice.
Riches and honor are with me; Yea, durable riches and prosperity.
19 For my fruit is better than gold and the precious stone, and my blossoms 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 That I may enrich them that love me, and may fill 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 any thing from the beginning.
“The LORD created me, the firstling of his course, Before his works, of old;
23 I was set up from eternity, and of old before the earth was made.
I was anointed from everlasting, From the beginning, even before the earth was made.
24 The depths were not as yet, and I was already conceived. neither had the fountains of waters as yet sprung out:
When as yet there were no deeps, I was brought forth. When there were no springs, 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 mountains were settled, Yea, before the hills, I was brought forth;
26 He had not yet made the earth, nor the rivers, nor the poles of the world.
Ere yet he had made the land and the wastes, And the first of the clods of the earth.
27 When he prepared the heavens, I was present: when with a certain law and compass he enclosed the depths:
When he framed the heavens, I was there; When he drew a circle upon the face of the deep;
28 When he established the sky above, and poised the fountains of waters:
When he made firm the sky above, And the fountains of the deep rushed forth;
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 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 forming all things: and was delighted every day, playing before him 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 the world: and my delights were to be with the children of men.
Exulting in the habitable part of 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.
“Now, therefore, ye children, hearken to me! For happy are they who keep my ways!
33 Hear instruction and be wise, and refuse it not.
Hear instruction, and be wise! Yea, reject 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.
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 that shall find me, shall find life, and shall have salvation from the Lord:
For he that findeth me findeth life, And obtaineth favor from the LORD;
36 But he that shall sin against me, shall hurt his own soul. All that hate me love death.
But he who misseth me doeth violence to himself; All they who hate me love death.”
