Proverbs 8
1 Doth not, wisdom, cry aloud? and, understanding, send forth her voice?
Behold, wisdom calleth, and understanding sendeth forth her voice,
2 At the top of the high places above the way, at the place where paths meet, she taketh her stand:
On the top of high places, by the wayside, at the house where there are [many] paths doth she place herself.
3 Beside the gates, at the entrance of the city, —at the going in of the openings, she shouteth: —
Alongside of gates, at the opening of the city, at the entrance of the town[-doors] doth she call loudly,
4 Unto you, O men, I call, and, my voice, is unto the sons of men;
Unto you, O men, I call, and my voice [goeth forth] to the sons of men,
5 Understand, ye simple ones, shrewdness, and, ye dullards understand sense;
Learn, O ye simple, to understand prudence: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.
6 Hear, for, princely things, will I speak, and the opening of my lips shall be of equity;
Hear! for of noble things will I speak; and the opening of my lips shall be of what is equitable.
7 For, faithfulness, shall my mouth softly utter, but, the abomination of my lips, shall be lawlessness;
For truth uttereth my palate ever, and the abomination of my lips is wickedness.
8 In righteousness, shall be all the sayings of my mouth, nothing therein, shall be crafty or perverse;
In righteousness are all the sayings of my mouth, there is in them nothing crooked or perverse.
9 All of them, shall be plain, to them who would understand, and just, to such as would gain knowledge.
They are all evident to the man of understanding, and correct to those that have obtained knowledge.
10 Receive my correction, and not silver, and knowledge, rather than choicest gold.
Accept my correction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold.
11 For better is wisdom, than ornaments of coral, and, no delightful things, can equal her.
For wisdom is better than pearls; and all the things that men wish for are not equal to her.
12 I, wisdom, inhabit shrewdness, —and, the knowledge of sagacious things, I gain.
I wisdom dwell with prudence, and the knowledge of discreet thoughts do I discover.
13 The reverence of Yahweh, is to hate wickedness: pride, arrogance, and the way of wickedness; And a mouth of perverse things, do I hate.
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 Mine, are counsel, and effective working, I, am understanding, mine, is valour:
Mine are counsel and sound wisdom: I am understanding; mine is might.
15 By me, kings reign, and dignitaries decree righteousness;
Through me do kings reign, and chieftains give decrees [in] righteousness.
16 By me, rulers govern, and nobles—all the righteous judges:
Through me do princes rule, and the nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
17 I love, them who love me, and, they who diligently seek me, find me:
I indeed love those that love me: and those that seek me earnestly shall find me.
18 Riches and honour, are with me, lordly wealth, and righteousness;
Riches and honor are with me, yea, enduring wealth and righteousness.
19 Better is my fruit, than gold—yea fine gold, and mine increase, than choice silver;
My fruit is better than gold, and than fine gold; and my products, than choice silver.
20 In the way of righteousness, I march along, in the middle of the paths of justice:
On the road of righteousness do I walk firmly, in the midst the paths of justice:
21 That I may cause them who love me to inherit substance, and, their treasuries, I may fill.
That I may cause those that love me to inherit a lasting possession; and their treasures will I fill
22 Yahweh, had constituted me the beginning of his way, before his works, at the commencement of that time;
The Lord created me as the beginning of his way, the first of his works from the commencement,
23 At the outset of the ages, had I been established, in advance of the antiquities of the earth;
From eternity was I appointed chief, from the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth.
24 When there was no resounding deep, I had been brought forth, when there were no fountains, abounding with water;
When there were yet no depths, was I brought forth; when there were yet no springs laden heavily with water.
25 Ere yet the mountains had been settled, before the hills, had I been brought forth;
Before the mountains were yet sunk down, before the hills was I brought forth:
26 Or ever he had made the land and the wastes, or the top of the dry parts 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 When he prepared the heavens, there, was I! When he decreed a vault upon the face of the resounding deep;
When he prepared the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle over the face of the deep;
28 When he made firm the skies above, when the fountains of the resounding deep, waxed strong;
When he fastened the skies above; when the springs of the deep became strong;
29 When he fixed for the sea its bound, that, the waters, should not go beyond his bidding, when he decreed the foundations of the 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 became I beside him, a firm and sure worker, then became I filled with delight, day by day, exulting before him on every occasion;
Then was I near him, as a nursling: and I was day by day [his] delights, playing before him at all times;
31 Exulting in the fruitful land of his earth, Yea, my fulness of delight, was with the sons of men.
Playing in the world, his earth; and having my delights with the sons of men.
32 Now, therefore, ye sons, hearken to me, for how happy are they who, to my ways, pay regard!
And now, O children [of men], hearken unto me! for happy those that observe my ways.
33 Hear ye correction, and be wise, and do not neglect.
Hear correction, and be wise, and reject it not.
34 How happy the man that doth hearken to me, —keeping guard at my doors, day by day, watching at the posts of my gates;
Happy is the man that hearkeneth unto me, watching day by day at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 For, he that findeth me, findeth life, and hath obtained favour from Yahweh;
For he who findeth me findeth life, and he obtaineth favor from the Lord.
36 But, he that misseth me, wrongeth his own soul, all who hate me, love death.
But he that sinneth against me doth violence to his own soul: all those that hate me love death.
