Proverbs 8
1 Doth not wisedome crie? and vnderstanding vtter her voyce?
Doth not wisdom cry aloud, And understanding put forth her voice?
2 She standeth in the top of the high places by the way in the place of the paths.
Upon the top of the high places, By the wayside, In the cross-ways, She taketh her station.
3 She cryeth besides the gates before the citie at the entrie of the doores,
By the side of the gates, In the entrance of the city, In the approaches to the doors, she crieth aloud.
4 O men, I call vnto you, and vtter my voyce to the children of men.
“To you, O men! do 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.
O ye simple ones! learn wisdom, And ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart!
6 Giue eare, for I will speake of excellent things, and the opening of my lippes, shall teache things that be right.
Hear, for I speak excellent things, And my lips utter that which is right.
7 For my mouth shall speake the trueth, and my lippes abhorre wickednesse.
For my mouth speaketh 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 words of my mouth are in uprightness; There is nothing crooked or deceitful in them;
9 They are all plaine to him that will vnderstande, and streight to them that woulde finde knowledge.
They are all plain to the man of understanding, And right to those who find 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 pearls, And no precious things are to be compared with her.
12 I wisdome dwell with prudence, and I find foorth knowledge and counsels.
“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And find out the knowledge of sagacious counsels.
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 the LORD is to hate evil; Pride, and arrogance, and the evil way, And the deceitful mouth, do I hate.
14 I haue counsell and wisedome: I am vnderstanding, and I haue strength.
Counsel is mine, and sound reason; I am understanding; I have strength.
15 By me, Kings reigne, and princes decree iustice.
By me kings reign, And princes decree justice.
16 By me princes rule and the nobles, and all the iudges of the earth.
By me princes rule, And nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
17 I loue them that loue me: and they that seeke me earely, shall finde me.
I love them that love me, And they who seek me early shall find me.
18 Riches and honour are with me: euen durable riches and righteousnesse.
Riches and honor are with me; Yea, durable riches and prosperity.
19 My fruite is better then golde, euen then fine golde, and my reuenues better then fine siluer.
My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold. And my revenue than choice silver.
20 I cause to walke in the way of righteousnes, and in the middes of the paths of iudgement,
I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of equity.
21 That I may cause them that loue me, to inherite substance, and I will fill their treasures.
I cause those who love me to possess substance; Yea, I fill their treasuries.
22 The Lord hath possessed me in the beginning of his way: I was before his workes of olde.
“The LORD created me, the firstling of his course, Before his works, of old;
23 I was set vp from euerlasting, from the beginning and before the earth.
I was anointed from everlasting, From the beginning, even before the earth was made.
24 When there were no depths, was I begotten, when there were no fountaines abounding with water.
When as yet there were no deeps, I was brought forth. When there were no springs, abounding with water.
25 Before the mountaines were setled: and before the hilles, was I begotten.
Before the mountains were settled, Yea, before the hills, 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.
Ere yet he had made the land and the wastes, And the first of the clods of the earth.
27 When hee prepared the heauens, I was there, when he set the compasse vpon the deepe.
When he framed the heavens, I was there; When he drew a circle upon the face of the deep;
28 When he established the cloudes aboue, when he confirmed the fountaines of the deepe,
When he made firm the sky above, And the fountains of the deep rushed forth;
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,
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 Then was I with him as a nourisher, and I was dayly his delight reioycing alway before him,
Then was I by him as a master-builder; I was his delight day by day, Exulting 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.
Exulting in the habitable part of his earth, And my delight was with the sons of men.
32 Therefore nowe hearken, O children, vnto me: for blessed are they that keepe my wayes.
“Now, therefore, ye children, hearken to me! For happy are they who keep my ways!
33 Heare instruction, and be ye wise, and refuse it not:
Hear instruction, and be wise! Yea, reject it not!
34 blessed is the man that heareth mee, watching dayly at my gates, and giuing attendance at the postes of my doores.
Happy the man who hearkeneth to me, Who watcheth day by day at my gates, Who waiteth at the posts of my doors;
35 For he that findeth me, findeth life, and shall obteine fauour of the Lord.
For he that findeth me findeth life, And obtaineth favor from the LORD;
36 But he that sinneth against me, hurteth his owne soule: and all that hate me, loue death.
But he who misseth me doeth violence to himself; All they who hate me love death.”
