Proverbs 8
1 Does wisdom not call? And understanding give forth her voice?
Does not Wisdom call out? Does not Understanding raise her voice?
2 At the head of high places by the way, She has stood between the paths,
On the hilltops beside the road, at the crossroads, Wisdom has taken her stand.
3 At the side of the gates, at the mouth of the city, The entrance of the openings, she cries aloud,
Before the gates at the entrance into the city, at the entrances into the city, she calls out.
4 “To you, O men, I call, And my voice [is] to the sons of men.
“It is to you, people, that I call; my voice is for the sons of mankind.
5 Understand, you simple ones, prudence, And you fools, understand the heart,
You who are naive, learn wisdom; and you who are foolish, you must get an understanding mind.
6 Listen, for I speak noble things, And the opening of my lips [is] uprightness.
Listen, because I will speak of noble things, and when my lips open I will say upright things.
7 For my mouth utters truth, And wickedness [is] an abomination to my lips.
For my mouth speaks what is trustworthy, and wickedness is disgusting to my lips.
8 All the sayings of my mouth [are] in righteousness, Nothing in them is contrary and perverse.
All the words of my mouth are just; in them is nothing twisted or misleading.
9 All of them [are] plain to the intelligent, And upright to those finding knowledge.
All of them are straight for the person who understands; my words are upright for those who find knowledge.
10 Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold.
Acquire my instruction rather than silver; acquire knowledge rather than pure gold.
11 For wisdom [is] better than rubies, Indeed, all delights are not comparable with it.
For Wisdom is better than jewels; no treasure is equal to her.
12 I, wisdom, have dwelt with prudence, And I find out a knowledge of purposes.
I, Wisdom, live with Prudence, and I possess knowledge and discretion.
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 Yahweh is to hate evil. I hate pride and arrogance, the evil way, and perverted speech. I hate them.
14 Counsel and substance [are] mine, I [am] understanding, I have might.
I have good advice and sound wisdom; I am insight; strength belongs to me.
15 By me kings reign, and princes decree righteousness,
By me kings reign, and rulers make laws that are just.
16 By me chiefs rule, and nobles, All judges of earth.
By me princes rule, nobles, and all who govern with justice.
17 I love those loving me, And those seeking me earnestly find me.
I love those who love me, and those who diligently seek me, find me.
18 Wealth and honor [are] with me, Lasting substance and righteousness.
With me are riches and honor, lasting 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, even fine gold; my produce is better than pure silver.
20 I cause to walk in a path of righteousness, In midst of paths of judgment,
I walk in the path of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of justice.
21 To cause my lovers to inherit substance, Indeed, I fill their treasures.
As a result, I make those who love me inherit wealth; I fill up their treasuries.
22 YHWH possessed me—the beginning of His way, Before His works since then.
Yahweh created me at the beginning, the first of his deeds then.
23 I was anointed from the age, from the first, From former states of the earth.
In ages long ago I was made—from the first, from the beginnings of the earth.
24 In there being no depths, I was brought forth, In there being no fountains heavy [with] waters,
Before there were oceans, I was given birth— before there were springs abounding with water.
25 Before mountains were sunk, Before heights, I was brought forth.
Before the mountains were settled and before the hills, I was born.
26 While He had not made the earth, and out-places, And the top of the dusts of the world.
I was born before Yahweh had made the earth or the fields, or even the first dust in the world.
27 In His preparing the heavens I [am] there, In His decreeing a circle on the face of the deep,
I was there when he established the heavens, when he drew a circle on the surface of the deep.
28 In His strengthening clouds above, In His making strong fountains of the deep,
I was there when he established the clouds above and when the springs in the deep became fixed.
29 In His setting for the sea its limit, And the waters do not transgress His command, In His decreeing the foundations of earth,
I was there when he made his limit for the sea, so the waters should not spread beyond his command, and when there was set the limit for the foundations of the dry land.
30 Then I am near Him, a workman, And I am a delight—day by day. Rejoicing before Him at all times,
I was beside him, as a skilled craftsman; I was his delight day after day, always rejoicing before him.
31 Rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth, And my delights [are] with the sons of men.
I was rejoicing in his whole world, and my delight was in the sons of mankind.
32 And now, you sons, listen to me, Indeed, blessed are they who keep my ways.
Now, my sons, listen to me, for those who keep my ways will be blessed.
33 Hear instruction, and be wise, and do not slight.
Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not neglect it.
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.
The one who listens to me will be blessed. He will be watching every day at my doors, waiting beside the posts of my doors.
35 For whoever is finding me, has found life, And brings out goodwill from YHWH.
For whoever finds me, finds life, and he will find the favor of Yahweh.
36 And whoever is missing me, is wronging his soul, All hating me have loved death!”
But he who fails, harms his own life; all who hate me love death.”
