Proverbs 8
1 It is as if wisdom, with great understanding [of many things], is calling [PRS] out [to people].
σὺ τὴν σοφίαν κηρύξεις ἵνα φρόνησίς σοι ὑπακούσῃ
2 Wisdom stands on hilltops and at crossroads.
ἐπὶ γὰρ τῶν ὑψηλῶν ἄκρων ἐστίν ἀνὰ μέσον δὲ τῶν τρίβων ἕστηκεν
3 [Wisdom also stands] at the city gates and shouts loudly,
παρὰ γὰρ πύλαις δυναστῶν παρεδρεύει ἐν δὲ εἰσόδοις ὑμνεῖται
4 “I am calling to everyone! I am shouting loudly to all people!
ὑμᾶς ὦ ἄνθρωποι παρακαλῶ καὶ προΐεμαι ἐμὴν φωνὴν υἱοῖς ἀνθρώπων
5 You people who do not know how to do things that are smart to do, get sound judgment; you foolish people, get good understanding!
νοήσατε ἄκακοι πανουργίαν οἱ δὲ ἀπαίδευτοι ἔνθεσθε καρδίαν
6 Listen to me, because I have some excellent/important things to say. What I say is what is fair/right.
εἰσακούσατέ μου σεμνὰ γὰρ ἐρῶ καὶ ἀνοίσω ἀπὸ χειλέων ὀρθά
7 I speak what is true; I detest speaking [MTY] what is false/deceptive.
ὅτι ἀλήθειαν μελετήσει ὁ φάρυγξ μου ἐβδελυγμένα δὲ ἐναντίον ἐμοῦ χείλη ψευδῆ
8 Everything that I say is honest; there is nothing that I say that deceives [people].
μετὰ δικαιοσύνης πάντα τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ στόματός μου οὐδὲν ἐν αὐτοῖς σκολιὸν οὐδὲ στραγγαλῶδες
9 My words are clear to those who have good sense; those who are wise know that what I say is right.
πάντα ἐνώπια τοῖς συνιοῦσιν καὶ ὀρθὰ τοῖς εὑρίσκουσι γνῶσιν
10 [If someone offers you the kind of teaching I give] or offers you silver, choose my teaching. [If he offers to show you how to be wise] or offers you gold, choose to know how to be wise,
λάβετε παιδείαν καὶ μὴ ἀργύριον καὶ γνῶσιν ὑπὲρ χρυσίον δεδοκιμασμένον ἀνθαιρεῖσθε δὲ αἴσθησιν χρυσίου καθαροῦ
11 because wisdom is more valuable than jewels. Nothing that you desire [is as valuable] as being wise.
κρείσσων γὰρ σοφία λίθων πολυτελῶν πᾶν δὲ τίμιον οὐκ ἄξιον αὐτῆς ἐστιν
12 I, wisdom, and understanding of what is smart to do, cannot be separated. We are like two people who live in the same house. I know how to be wise and how to make smart decisions.
ἐγὼ ἡ σοφία κατεσκήνωσα βουλήν καὶ γνῶσιν καὶ ἔννοιαν ἐγὼ ἐπεκαλεσάμην
13 [All the people] who revere Yahweh hate evil. I, wisdom, hate [people who are] proud and [people] who think they are more important [than others]. I hate [people who] behave in an evil way and those who say things to deceive [others].
φόβος κυρίου μισεῖ ἀδικίαν ὕβριν τε καὶ ὑπερηφανίαν καὶ ὁδοὺς πονηρῶν μεμίσηκα δὲ ἐγὼ διεστραμμένας ὁδοὺς κακῶν
14 I give [people] good advice and I enable them to do things that are wise. I understand how things really are, and I am strong.
ἐμὴ βουλὴ καὶ ἀσφάλεια ἐμὴ φρόνησις ἐμὴ δὲ ἰσχύς
15 When kings are wise, they rule [well]; and when rulers are wise, they make laws that are just/fair.
δῑ ἐμοῦ βασιλεῖς βασιλεύουσιν καὶ οἱ δυνάσται γράφουσιν δικαιοσύνην
16 Rulers govern their people with the help of me, wisdom, and those who have authority decide things fairly/just with my help.
δῑ ἐμοῦ μεγιστᾶνες μεγαλύνονται καὶ τύραννοι δῑ ἐμοῦ κρατοῦσι γῆς
17 I, [wisdom], love [all] those who love me, and [all] those who truly seek me [will] find me.
ἐγὼ τοὺς ἐμὲ φιλοῦντας ἀγαπῶ οἱ δὲ ἐμὲ ζητοῦντες εὑρήσουσιν
18 I enable [people] to become rich and to be honored; [I enable them to have] wealth that will last and to be successful.
πλοῦτος καὶ δόξα ἐμοὶ ὑπάρχει καὶ κτῆσις πολλῶν καὶ δικαιοσύνη
19 What I can give people is more valuable than fine/pure gold and the best silver.
βέλτιον ἐμὲ καρπίζεσθαι ὑπὲρ χρυσίον καὶ λίθον τίμιον τὰ δὲ ἐμὰ γενήματα κρείσσω ἀργυρίου ἐκλεκτοῦ
20 I always do what is righteous and just/fair.
ἐν ὁδοῖς δικαιοσύνης περιπατῶ καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τρίβων δικαιώματος ἀναστρέφομαι
21 I give wealth to those who love me; I fill their houses with valuable things.
ἵνα μερίσω τοῖς ἐμὲ ἀγαπῶσιν ὕπαρξιν καὶ τοὺς θησαυροὺς αὐτῶν ἐμπλήσω ἀγαθῶν ἐὰν ἀναγγείλω ὑμῖν τὰ καθ’ ἡμέραν γινόμενα μνημονεύσω τὰ ἐξ αἰῶνος ἀριθμῆσαι
22 Yahweh created me, [wisdom], when he began [to create the world]; he created me [to do my work] before he created anything else.
κύριος ἔκτισέν με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ εἰς ἔργα αὐτοῦ
23 He appointed me long ago, before he created the earth.
πρὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος ἐθεμελίωσέν με ἐν ἀρχῇ
24 I was born before the oceans were [created], when there were no springs from which water flowed.
πρὸ τοῦ τὴν γῆν ποιῆσαι καὶ πρὸ τοῦ τὰς ἀβύσσους ποιῆσαι πρὸ τοῦ προελθεῖν τὰς πηγὰς τῶν ὑδάτων
25 I was born before the hills and mountains were formed;
πρὸ τοῦ ὄρη ἑδρασθῆναι πρὸ δὲ πάντων βουνῶν γεννᾷ με
26 [I, wisdom], was born before Yahweh made the earth, before he made the fields and the soil on the earth.
κύριος ἐποίησεν χώρας καὶ ἀοικήτους καὶ ἄκρα οἰκούμενα τῆς ὑπ’ οὐρανόν
27 I was there when Yahweh put the sky in place, when he marked the place [in the distance] where the sky and the oceans [seem to] come together.
ἡνίκα ἡτοίμαζεν τὸν οὐρανόν συμπαρήμην αὐτῷ καὶ ὅτε ἀφώριζεν τὸν ἑαυτοῦ θρόνον ἐπ’ ἀνέμων
28 I was there when Yahweh put the clouds above [the earth] and when he caused the water that is inside the earth to be secure.
ἡνίκα ἰσχυρὰ ἐποίει τὰ ἄνω νέφη καὶ ὡς ἀσφαλεῖς ἐτίθει πηγὰς τῆς ὑπ’ οὐρανὸν
29 I was there when he fixed a boundary for the seas, so that the water in the seas would not go past those boundaries, and when he put down the foundations which support the earth.
καὶ ἰσχυρὰ ἐποίει τὰ θεμέλια τῆς γῆς
30 I was at the side of Yahweh, the master worker (OR, as though I was his child). I caused him to be happy every day, and I was always rejoicing when I was with him.
ἤμην παρ’ αὐτῷ ἁρμόζουσα ἐγὼ ἤμην ᾗ προσέχαιρεν καθ’ ἡμέραν δὲ εὐφραινόμην ἐν προσώπῳ αὐτοῦ ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ
31 I was delighted with the world that he created; I was happy with the people whom he created, too.
ὅτε εὐφραίνετο τὴν οἰκουμένην συντελέσας καὶ ἐνευφραίνετο ἐν υἱοῖς ἀνθρώπων
32 So, [you people who are like] my sons, listen to me. [I am] pleased with [all] those who obey my teachings.
νῦν οὖν υἱέ ἄκουέ μου
33 Listen [carefully] to what I teach you and become wise. Do not reject my teaching!
34 [I am] pleased with those who listen to me, those who are outside my house every day, waiting [for me to come out].
μακάριος ἀνήρ ὃς εἰσακούσεταί μου καὶ ἄνθρωπος ὃς τὰς ἐμὰς ὁδοὺς φυλάξει ἀγρυπνῶν ἐπ’ ἐμαῖς θύραις καθ’ ἡμέραν τηρῶν σταθμοὺς ἐμῶν εἰσόδων
35 Those who find me will have [a long] life, and Yahweh [will] be pleased with them.
αἱ γὰρ ἔξοδοί μου ἔξοδοι ζωῆς καὶ ἑτοιμάζεται θέλησις παρὰ κυρίου
36 But those who stray away from me [just] harm themselves. All those who hate me, [it is as though] [IRO] they are loving death.”
οἱ δὲ εἰς ἐμὲ ἁμαρτάνοντες ἀσεβοῦσιν τὰς ἑαυτῶν ψυχάς καὶ οἱ μισοῦντές με ἀγαπῶσιν θάνατον
