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