Proverbs 8
1 Doesn’t wisdom cry out? Doesn’t understanding raise her voice?
Doth not wisedome crie? and vnderstanding vtter her voyce?
2 On the top of high places by the way, where the paths meet, she stands.
She standeth in the top of the high places by the way in the place of the paths.
3 Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, at the entry doors, she cries aloud:
She cryeth besides the gates before the citie at the entrie of the doores,
4 “I call to you men! I send my voice to the sons of mankind.
O men, I call vnto you, and vtter my voyce to the children of men.
5 You simple, understand prudence! You fools, be of an understanding heart!
O ye foolish men, vnderstand wisedome, and ye, O fooles, be wise in heart.
6 Hear, for I will speak excellent things. The opening of my lips is for right things.
Giue eare, for I will speake of excellent things, and the opening of my lippes, shall teache things that be right.
7 For my mouth speaks truth. Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
For my mouth shall speake the trueth, and my lippes abhorre wickednesse.
8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness. There is nothing crooked or perverse in them.
All the wordes of my mouth are righteous: there is no lewdenes, nor frowardnesse in them.
9 They are all plain to him who understands, right to those who find knowledge.
They are all plaine to him that will vnderstande, and streight to them that woulde finde knowledge.
10 Receive my instruction rather than silver, knowledge rather than choice gold.
Receiue mine instruction, and not siluer, and knowledge rather then fine golde.
11 For wisdom is better than rubies. All the things that may be desired can’t be compared to it.
For wisdome is better then precious stones: and all pleasures are not to be compared vnto her.
12 “I, wisdom, have made prudence my dwelling. Find out knowledge and discretion.
I wisdome dwell with prudence, and I find foorth knowledge and counsels.
13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil. I hate pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverse mouth.
The feare of the Lord is to hate euill as pride, and arrogancie, and the euill way: and a mouth that speaketh lewde things, I doe hate.
14 Counsel and sound knowledge are mine. I have understanding and power.
I haue counsell and wisedome: I am vnderstanding, and I haue strength.
15 By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.
By me, Kings reigne, and princes decree iustice.
16 By me princes rule, nobles, and all the righteous rulers of the earth.
By me princes rule and the nobles, and all the iudges of the earth.
17 I love those who love me. Those who seek me diligently will find me.
I loue them that loue me: and they that seeke me earely, shall finde me.
18 With me are riches, honour, enduring wealth, and prosperity.
Riches and honour are with me: euen durable riches and righteousnesse.
19 My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold, my yield than choice silver.
My fruite is better then golde, euen then fine golde, and my reuenues better then fine siluer.
20 I walk in the way of righteousness, in the middle of the paths of justice,
I cause to walke in the way of righteousnes, and in the middes of the paths of iudgement,
21 that I may give wealth to those who love me. I fill their treasuries.
That I may cause them that loue me, to inherite substance, and I will fill their treasures.
22 “The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his work, before his deeds of old.
The Lord hath possessed me in the beginning of his way: I was before his workes of olde.
23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, before the earth existed.
I was set vp from euerlasting, from the beginning and before the earth.
24 When there were no depths, I was born, when there were no springs abounding with water.
When there were no depths, was I begotten, when there were no fountaines abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was born;
Before the mountaines were setled: and before the hilles, was I begotten.
26 while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the beginning of the dust of the world.
He had not yet made the earth, nor the open places, nor the height of the dust in the worlde.
27 When he established the heavens, I was there. When he set a circle on the surface of the deep,
When hee prepared the heauens, I was there, when he set the compasse vpon the deepe.
28 when he established the clouds above, when the springs of the deep became strong,
When he established the cloudes aboue, when he confirmed the fountaines of the deepe,
29 when he gave to the sea its boundary, that the waters should not violate his commandment, when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
When he gaue his decree to the Sea, that the waters shoulde not passe his commandement: when he appointed the foundations of the earth,
30 then I was the craftsman by his side. I was a delight day by day, always rejoicing before him,
Then was I with him as a nourisher, and I was dayly his delight reioycing alway before him,
31 rejoicing in his whole world. My delight was with the sons of men.
And tooke my solace in the compasse of his earth: and my delite is with the children of men.
32 “Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, for blessed are those who keep my ways.
Therefore nowe hearken, O children, vnto me: for blessed are they that keepe my wayes.
33 Hear instruction, and be wise. Don’t refuse it.
Heare instruction, and be ye wise, and refuse it not:
34 Blessed is the man who hears me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at my door posts.
blessed is the man that heareth mee, watching dayly at my gates, and giuing attendance at the postes of my doores.
35 For whoever finds me finds life, and will obtain favour from the LORD.
For he that findeth me, findeth life, and shall obteine fauour of the Lord.
36 But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul. All those who hate me love death.”
But he that sinneth against me, hurteth his owne soule: and all that hate me, loue death.
