< Proverbs 8 >

1 Doth not, wisdom, cry aloud? and, understanding, send forth her voice?
Doth not wisdom cry, and understanding put forth her voice?
2 At the top of the high places above the way, at the place where paths meet, she taketh her stand:
In the top of high places by the way, where the paths meet, she standeth;
3 Beside the gates, at the entrance of the city, —at the going in of the openings, she shouteth: —
Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors, she crieth aloud:
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 is to the sons of men.
5 Understand, ye simple ones, shrewdness, and, ye dullards understand sense;
O ye simple, understand subtilty; 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 I will speak excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things.
7 For, faithfulness, shall my mouth softly utter, but, the abomination of my lips, shall be lawlessness;
For my mouth shall utter truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 In righteousness, shall be all the sayings of my mouth, nothing therein, shall be crafty or perverse;
All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing crooked or perverse in them.
9 All of them, shall be plain, to them who would understand, and just, to such as would gain knowledge.
They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.
10 Receive my correction, and not silver, and knowledge, rather than choicest gold.
Receive my instruction, 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 rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared unto her.
12 I, wisdom, inhabit shrewdness, —and, the knowledge of sagacious things, I gain.
I wisdom have made subtilty my dwelling, and find out knowledge [and] discretion.
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 arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.
14 Mine, are counsel, and effective working, I, am understanding, mine, is valour:
Counsel is mine, and sound knowledge: I am understanding; I have might.
15 By me, kings reign, and dignitaries decree righteousness;
By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.
16 By me, rulers govern, and nobles—all the righteous judges:
By me princes rule, and nobles, [even] all the judges of the earth.
17 I love, them who love me, and, they who diligently seek me, find me:
I love them that love me; and those that seek me diligently shall find me.
18 Riches and honour, are with me, lordly wealth, and righteousness;
Riches and honour are with me; [yea], durable riches and righteousness.
19 Better is my fruit, than gold—yea fine gold, and mine increase, than choice silver;
My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver.
20 In the way of righteousness, I march along, in the middle of the paths of justice:
I walk in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment:
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 substance, and that I may fill their treasuries.
22 Yahweh, had constituted me the beginning of his way, before his works, at the commencement of that time;
The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.
23 At the outset of the ages, had I been established, in advance of the antiquities of the earth;
I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.
24 When there was no resounding deep, I had been brought forth, when there were no fountains, abounding with water;
When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.
25 Ere yet the mountains had been settled, before the hills, had I been brought forth;
Before the mountains were settled, 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 earth, nor the fields, nor the beginning 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 established the heavens, I was there: when he set a circle upon the face of the deep:
28 When he made firm the skies above, when the fountains of the resounding deep, waxed strong;
When he made firm the sides above: when the fountains 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 gave to the sea its bound, that the waters should not transgress his commandment: when he marked out 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 I was by him, [as] a master workman: and I was daily [his] delight, rejoicing always before him;
31 Exulting in the fruitful land of his earth, Yea, my fulness of delight, was with the sons of men.
Rejoicing in his habitable earth; and my delight was with the sons of men.
32 Now, therefore, ye sons, hearken to me, for how happy are they who, to my ways, pay regard!
Now therefore, [my] sons, hearken unto me: for blessed are they that keep my ways.
33 Hear ye correction, and be wise, and do not neglect.
Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse 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;
Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily 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 whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD.
36 But, he that misseth me, wrongeth his own soul, all who hate me, love death.
But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.

< Proverbs 8 >