Proverbs 8

1 Doth not, wisdom, cry aloud? and, understanding, send forth her voice?

2 At the top of the high places above the way, at the place where paths meet, she taketh her stand:

3 Beside the gates, at the entrance of the city, —at the going in of the openings, she shouteth: —

4 Unto you, O men, I call, and, my voice, is unto the sons of men;

5 Understand, ye simple ones, shrewdness, and, ye dullards understand sense;

6 Hear, for, princely things, will I speak, and the opening of my lips shall be of equity;

7 For, faithfulness, shall my mouth softly utter, but, the abomination of my lips, shall be lawlessness;

8 In righteousness, shall be all the sayings of my mouth, nothing therein, shall be crafty or perverse;

9 All of them, shall be plain, to them who would understand, and just, to such as would gain knowledge.

10 Receive my correction, and not silver, and knowledge, rather than choicest gold.

11 For better is wisdom, than ornaments of coral, and, no delightful things, can equal her.

12 I, wisdom, inhabit shrewdness, —and, the knowledge of sagacious things, I gain.

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.

14 Mine, are counsel, and effective working, I, am understanding, mine, is valour:

15 By me, kings reign, and dignitaries decree righteousness;

16 By me, rulers govern, and nobles—all the righteous judges:

17 I love, them who love me, and, they who diligently seek me, find me:

18 Riches and honour, are with me, lordly wealth, and righteousness;

19 Better is my fruit, than gold—yea fine gold, and mine increase, than choice silver;

20 In the way of righteousness, I march along, in the middle of the paths of justice:

21 That I may cause them who love me to inherit substance, and, their treasuries, I may fill.

22 Yahweh, had constituted me the beginning of his way, before his works, at the commencement of that time;

23 At the outset of the ages, had I been established, in advance of the antiquities of the earth;

24 When there was no resounding deep, I had been 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;

26 Or ever he had made the land and the wastes, or the top of the dry parts of the world:

27 When he prepared the heavens, there, was I! When he decreed a vault upon the face of the resounding deep;

28 When he made firm the skies above, when the fountains of the resounding deep, waxed 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: —

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;

31 Exulting in the fruitful land of his earth, Yea, my fulness of 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!

33 Hear ye correction, and be wise, and do not neglect.

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;

35 For, he that findeth me, findeth life, and hath obtained favour from Yahweh;

36 But, he that misseth me, wrongeth his own soul, all who hate me, love death.