Proverbs 8
1 Doesn’t wisdom cry out? Doesn’t understanding raise her voice?
Doth not wisdom call? And understanding give forth her voice?
2 On the top of high places by the way, where the paths meet, she stands.
At the head of high places by the way, Between the paths she hath stood,
3 Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, at the entry doors, she cries aloud:
At the side of the gates, at the mouth of the city, The entrance of the openings, she crieth aloud,
4 “I call to you men! I send my voice to the sons of mankind.
'Unto you, O men, I call, And my voice [is] unto the sons of men.
5 You simple, understand prudence! You fools, be of an understanding heart!
Understand, ye simple ones, prudence, And ye fools, understand the heart,
6 Hear, for I will speak excellent things. The opening of my lips is for right things.
Hearken, for noble things I speak, And the opening of my lips [is] uprightness.
7 For my mouth speaks truth. Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
For truth doth my mouth utter, And an abomination to my lips [is] wickedness.
8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness. There is nothing crooked or perverse in them.
In righteousness [are] all the sayings of my mouth, Nothing in them is froward and perverse.
9 They are all plain to him who understands, right to those who find knowledge.
All of them [are] plain to the intelligent, And upright to those finding knowledge.
10 Receive my instruction rather than silver, knowledge rather than choice gold.
Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold.
11 For wisdom is better than rubies. All the things that may be desired can’t be compared to it.
For better [is] wisdom than rubies, Yea, all delights are not comparable with it.
12 “I, wisdom, have made prudence my dwelling. Find out knowledge and discretion.
I, wisdom, have dwelt with prudence, And a knowledge of devices I find out.
13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil. I hate pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverse mouth.
The fear of Jehovah [is] to hate evil; Pride, and arrogance, and an evil way, And a froward mouth, I have hated.
14 Counsel and sound knowledge are mine. I have understanding and power.
Mine [is] counsel and substance, I [am] understanding, I have might.
15 By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.
By me kings reign, and princes decree righteousness,
16 By me princes rule, nobles, and all the righteous rulers of the earth.
By me do chiefs rule, and nobles, All judges of the earth.
17 I love those who love me. Those who seek me diligently will find me.
I love those loving me, And those seeking me earnestly do find me.
18 With me are riches, honor, enduring wealth, and prosperity.
Wealth and honour [are] with me, Lasting substance and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold, my yield than choice silver.
Better [is] my fruit than gold, even fine gold, And mine increase than choice silver.
20 I walk in the way of righteousness, in the middle of the paths of justice,
In a path of righteousness I cause to walk, In midst of paths of judgment,
21 that I may give wealth to those who love me. I fill their treasuries.
To cause my lovers to inherit substance, Yea, their treasures I fill.
22 “The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his work, before his deeds of old.
Jehovah possessed me — the beginning of His way, Before His works since then.
23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, before the earth existed.
From the age I was anointed, from the first, From former states of the earth.
24 When there were no depths, I was born, when there were no springs abounding with water.
In there being no depths, I was brought forth, In there being no fountains heavy [with] waters,
25 Before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was born;
Before mountains were sunk, Before heights, I was brought forth.
26 while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the beginning of the dust of the world.
While He had not made the earth, and out-places, And the top of the dusts of the world.
27 When he established the heavens, I was there. When he set a circle on the surface of the deep,
In His preparing the heavens I [am] there, In His decreeing a circle on the face of the deep,
28 when he established the clouds above, when the springs of the deep became strong,
In His strengthening clouds above, In His making strong fountains of the deep,
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,
In His setting for the sea its limit, And the waters transgress not His command, In His decreeing the foundations of earth,
30 then I was the craftsman by his side. I was a delight day by day, always rejoicing before him,
Then I am near Him, a workman, And I am a delight — day by day. Rejoicing before Him at all times,
31 rejoicing in his whole world. My delight was with the sons of men.
Rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth, And my delights [are] with the sons of men.
32 “Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, for blessed are those who keep my ways.
And now, ye sons, hearken to me, Yea, happy are they who keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction, and be wise. Don’t refuse it.
Hear instruction, and be wise, and slight not.
34 Blessed is the man who hears me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at my door posts.
O the happiness of the man hearkening to me, To watch at my doors day by day, To watch at the door-posts of my entrance.
35 For whoever finds me finds life, and will obtain favor from the LORD.
For whoso is finding me, hath found life, And bringeth out good-will from Jehovah.
36 But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul. All those who hate me love death.”
And whoso is missing me, is wronging his soul, All hating me have loved death!
