Proverbs 8
1 Doth not wisdom cry aloud, and prudence put forth her voice?
Doth not wisdom call? And understanding give forth her voice?
2 Standing in the top of the highest places by the way, in the midst of the paths.
At the head of high places by the way, Between the paths she hath stood,
3 Beside the gates of the city, in the very doors she speaketh, saying:
At the side of the gates, at the mouth of the city, The entrance of the openings, she crieth aloud,
4 O ye men, to you I call, and my voice is to the sons of men.
'Unto you, O men, I call, And my voice [is] unto the sons of men.
5 O little ones, understand subtilty, and ye unwise, take notice.
Understand, ye simple ones, prudence, And ye fools, understand the heart,
6 Hear, for I will speak of great things: and my lips shall be opened to preach right things.
Hearken, for noble things I speak, And the opening of my lips [is] uprightness.
7 My mouth shall meditate truth, and my lips shall hate wickedness.
For truth doth my mouth utter, And an abomination to my lips [is] wickedness.
8 All my words are just, there is nothing wicked nor perverse in them.
In righteousness [are] all the sayings of my mouth, Nothing in them is froward and perverse.
9 They are right to them that understand, and just to them that find knowledge.
All of them [are] plain to the intelligent, And upright to those finding 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 better [is] wisdom than rubies, Yea, all delights are not comparable with it.
12 I wisdom dwell in counsel, and am present in learned thoughts.
I, wisdom, have dwelt with prudence, And a knowledge of devices I find out.
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 Jehovah [is] to hate evil; Pride, and arrogance, and an evil way, And a froward mouth, I have hated.
14 Counsel and equity is mine, prudence is mine, strength is mine.
Mine [is] counsel and substance, I [am] understanding, I have might.
15 By me kings reign, and lawgivers decree just things,
By me kings reign, and princes decree righteousness,
16 By me princes rule, and the mighty decree justice.
By me do chiefs rule, and nobles, All 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 those loving me, And those seeking me earnestly do find me.
18 With me are riches and glory, glorious riches and justice.
Wealth and honour [are] with me, Lasting substance and righteousness.
19 For my fruit is better than gold and the precious stone, and my blossoms than choice silver.
Better [is] my fruit than gold, even fine gold, And mine increase than choice silver.
20 I walk in the way of justice, in the midst of the paths of judgment,
In a path of righteousness I cause to walk, In midst of paths of judgment,
21 That I may enrich them that love me, and may fill their treasures.
To cause my lovers to inherit substance, Yea, their treasures I fill.
22 The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his ways, before he made any thing from the beginning.
Jehovah possessed me — the beginning of His way, Before His works since then.
23 I was set up from eternity, and of old before the earth was made.
From the age I was anointed, from the first, From former states of the earth.
24 The depths were not as yet, and I was already conceived. neither had the fountains of waters as yet sprung out:
In there being no depths, I was brought forth, In there being no fountains heavy [with] waters,
25 The mountains with their huge bulk had not as yet been established: before the hills I was brought forth:
Before mountains were sunk, Before heights, I was brought forth.
26 He had not yet made the earth, nor the rivers, nor the poles of the world.
While He had not made the earth, and out-places, And the top of the dusts of the world.
27 When he prepared the heavens, I was present: when with a certain law and compass he enclosed the depths:
In His preparing the heavens I [am] there, In His decreeing a circle on the face of the deep,
28 When he established the sky above, and poised the fountains of waters:
In His strengthening clouds above, In His making strong fountains of the deep,
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;
In His setting for the sea its limit, And the waters transgress not His command, In His decreeing the foundations of earth,
30 I was with him forming all things: and was delighted every day, playing before him 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 the world: and my delights were to be with the children of men.
Rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth, And my delights [are] with the sons of men.
32 Now therefore, ye children, hear me: Blessed are they that keep my ways.
And now, ye sons, hearken to me, Yea, happy are they who keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction and be wise, and refuse it not.
Hear instruction, and be wise, and slight not.
34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, and that watcheth daily at my gates, and waiteth at the posts of my doors.
O the happiness of the man hearkening to me, To watch at my doors day by day, To watch at the door-posts of my entrance.
35 He that shall find me, shall find life, and shall have salvation from the Lord:
For whoso is finding me, hath found life, And bringeth out good-will from Jehovah.
36 But he that shall sin against me, shall hurt his own soul. All that hate me love death.
And whoso is missing me, is wronging his soul, All hating me have loved death!
