Proverbs 8
1 Does wisdom not call? And understanding give forth her voice?
Behold, wisdom calleth, and understanding sendeth forth her voice,
2 At the head of high places by the way, She has stood between the paths,
On the top of high places, by the wayside, at the house where there are [many] paths doth she place herself.
3 At the side of the gates, at the mouth of the city, The entrance of the openings, she cries aloud,
Alongside of gates, at the opening of the city, at the entrance of the town[-doors] doth she call loudly,
4 “To you, O men, I call, And my voice [is] to the sons of men.
Unto you, O men, I call, and my voice [goeth forth] to the sons of men,
5 Understand, you simple ones, prudence, And you fools, understand the heart,
Learn, O ye simple, to understand prudence: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.
6 Listen, for I speak noble things, And the opening of my lips [is] uprightness.
Hear! for of noble things will I speak; and the opening of my lips shall be of what is equitable.
7 For my mouth utters truth, And wickedness [is] an abomination to my lips.
For truth uttereth my palate ever, and the abomination of my lips is wickedness.
8 All the sayings of my mouth [are] in righteousness, Nothing in them is contrary and perverse.
In righteousness are all the sayings of my mouth, there is in them nothing crooked or perverse.
9 All of them [are] plain to the intelligent, And upright to those finding knowledge.
They are all evident to the man of understanding, and correct to those that have obtained knowledge.
10 Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold.
Accept my correction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold.
11 For wisdom [is] better than rubies, Indeed, all delights are not comparable with it.
For wisdom is better than pearls; and all the things that men wish for are not equal to her.
12 I, wisdom, have dwelt with prudence, And I find out a knowledge of purposes.
I wisdom dwell with prudence, and the knowledge of discreet thoughts do I discover.
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 is to hate evil, pride and arrogance, and the evil way: and the mouth of perverseness do I hate.
14 Counsel and substance [are] mine, I [am] understanding, I have might.
Mine are counsel and sound wisdom: I am understanding; mine is might.
15 By me kings reign, and princes decree righteousness,
Through me do kings reign, and chieftains give decrees [in] righteousness.
16 By me chiefs rule, and nobles, All judges of earth.
Through me do princes rule, and the nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
17 I love those loving me, And those seeking me earnestly find me.
I indeed love those that love me: and those that seek me earnestly shall find me.
18 Wealth and honor [are] with me, Lasting substance and righteousness.
Riches and honor are with me, yea, enduring wealth and righteousness.
19 My fruit [is] better than gold, even fine gold, And my increase than choice silver.
My fruit is better than gold, and than fine gold; and my products, than choice silver.
20 I cause to walk in a path of righteousness, In midst of paths of judgment,
On the road of righteousness do I walk firmly, in the midst the paths of justice:
21 To cause my lovers to inherit substance, Indeed, I fill their treasures.
That I may cause those that love me to inherit a lasting possession; and their treasures will I fill
22 YHWH possessed me—the beginning of His way, Before His works since then.
The Lord created me as the beginning of his way, the first of his works from the commencement,
23 I was anointed from the age, from the first, From former states of the earth.
From eternity was I appointed chief, from the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth.
24 In there being no depths, I was brought forth, In there being no fountains heavy [with] waters,
When there were yet no depths, was I brought forth; when there were yet no springs laden heavily with water.
25 Before mountains were sunk, Before heights, I was brought forth.
Before the mountains were yet sunk down, before the hills was I brought forth:
26 While He had not made the earth, and out-places, And the top of the dusts of the world.
While as yet he had not made the land and open fields, nor the chief of the dust 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 there; when he drew a circle over the face of the deep;
28 In His strengthening clouds above, In His making strong fountains of the deep,
When he fastened the skies above; when the springs of the deep became strong;
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 assigned to the sea his decree, that the waters should not transgress his order: when he established firmly 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,
Then was I near him, as a nursling: and I was day by day [his] delights, 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, his earth; and having my delights with the sons of men.
32 And now, you sons, listen to me, Indeed, blessed are they who keep my ways.
And now, O children [of men], hearken unto me! for happy those that observe my ways.
33 Hear instruction, and be wise, and do not slight.
Hear correction, and be wise, and reject 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.
Happy is the man that hearkeneth unto me, watching day by day at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 For whoever is finding me, has found life, And brings out goodwill from YHWH.
For he who findeth me findeth life, and he obtaineth favor from the Lord.
36 And whoever is missing me, is wronging his soul, All hating me have loved death!”
But he that sinneth against me doth violence to his own soul: all those that hate me love death.
