Proverbs 8
1 Doth not wisedome crie? and vnderstanding vtter her voyce?
Does wisdom not call? And understanding give forth her voice?
2 She standeth in the top of the high places by the way in the place of the paths.
At the head of high places by the way, She has stood between the paths,
3 She cryeth besides the gates before the citie at the entrie of the doores,
At the side of the gates, at the mouth of the city, The entrance of the openings, she cries aloud,
4 O men, I call vnto you, and vtter my voyce to the children of men.
“To you, O men, I call, And my voice [is] to the sons of men.
5 O ye foolish men, vnderstand wisedome, and ye, O fooles, be wise in heart.
Understand, you simple ones, prudence, And you fools, understand the heart,
6 Giue eare, for I will speake of excellent things, and the opening of my lippes, shall teache things that be right.
Listen, for I speak noble things, And the opening of my lips [is] uprightness.
7 For my mouth shall speake the trueth, and my lippes abhorre wickednesse.
For my mouth utters truth, And wickedness [is] an abomination to my lips.
8 All the wordes of my mouth are righteous: there is no lewdenes, nor frowardnesse in them.
All the sayings of my mouth [are] in righteousness, Nothing in them is contrary and perverse.
9 They are all plaine to him that will vnderstande, and streight to them that woulde finde knowledge.
All of them [are] plain to the intelligent, And upright to those finding knowledge.
10 Receiue mine instruction, and not siluer, and knowledge rather then fine golde.
Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold.
11 For wisdome is better then precious stones: and all pleasures are not to be compared vnto her.
For wisdom [is] better than rubies, Indeed, all delights are not comparable with it.
12 I wisdome dwell with prudence, and I find foorth knowledge and counsels.
I, wisdom, have dwelt with prudence, And I find out a knowledge of purposes.
13 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.
The fear of YHWH [is] to hate evil; Pride, and arrogance, and an evil way, And a contrary mouth, I have hated.
14 I haue counsell and wisedome: I am vnderstanding, and I haue strength.
Counsel and substance [are] mine, I [am] understanding, I have might.
15 By me, Kings reigne, and princes decree iustice.
By me kings reign, and princes decree righteousness,
16 By me princes rule and the nobles, and all the iudges of the earth.
By me chiefs rule, and nobles, All judges of earth.
17 I loue them that loue me: and they that seeke me earely, shall finde me.
I love those loving me, And those seeking me earnestly find me.
18 Riches and honour are with me: euen durable riches and righteousnesse.
Wealth and honor [are] with me, Lasting substance and righteousness.
19 My fruite is better then golde, euen then fine golde, and my reuenues better then fine siluer.
My fruit [is] better than gold, even fine gold, And my increase than choice silver.
20 I cause to walke in the way of righteousnes, and in the middes of the paths of iudgement,
I cause to walk in a path of righteousness, In midst of paths of judgment,
21 That I may cause them that loue me, to inherite substance, and I will fill their treasures.
To cause my lovers to inherit substance, Indeed, I fill their treasures.
22 The Lord hath possessed me in the beginning of his way: I was before his workes of olde.
YHWH possessed me—the beginning of His way, Before His works since then.
23 I was set vp from euerlasting, from the beginning and before the earth.
I was anointed from the age, from the first, From former states of the earth.
24 When there were no depths, was I begotten, when there were no fountaines abounding with water.
In there being no depths, I was brought forth, In there being no fountains heavy [with] waters,
25 Before the mountaines were setled: and before the hilles, was I begotten.
Before mountains were sunk, Before heights, I was brought forth.
26 He had not yet made the earth, nor the open places, nor the height of the dust in the worlde.
While He had not made the earth, and out-places, And the top of the dusts of the world.
27 When hee prepared the heauens, I was there, when he set the compasse vpon the deepe.
In His preparing the heavens I [am] there, In His decreeing a circle on the face of the deep,
28 When he established the cloudes aboue, when he confirmed the fountaines of the deepe,
In His strengthening clouds above, In His making strong fountains of the deep,
29 When he gaue his decree to the Sea, that the waters shoulde not passe his commandement: when he appointed the foundations of the earth,
In His setting for the sea its limit, And the waters do not transgress His command, In His decreeing the foundations of earth,
30 Then was I with him as a nourisher, and I was dayly his delight reioycing alway before him,
Then I am near Him, a workman, And I am a delight—day by day. Rejoicing before Him at all times,
31 And tooke my solace in the compasse of his earth: and my delite is with the children of men.
Rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth, And my delights [are] with the sons of men.
32 Therefore nowe hearken, O children, vnto me: for blessed are they that keepe my wayes.
And now, you sons, listen to me, Indeed, blessed are they who keep my ways.
33 Heare instruction, and be ye wise, and refuse it not:
Hear instruction, and be wise, and do not slight.
34 blessed is the man that heareth mee, watching dayly at my gates, and giuing attendance at the postes of my doores.
O the blessedness of the man listening to me, To watch at my doors day by day, To watch at the doorposts of my entrance.
35 For he that findeth me, findeth life, and shall obteine fauour of the Lord.
For whoever is finding me, has found life, And brings out goodwill from YHWH.
36 But he that sinneth against me, hurteth his owne soule: and all that hate me, loue death.
And whoever is missing me, is wronging his soul, All hating me have loved death!”
