Proverbs 8
1 Doth not wisdom call? And understanding give forth her voice?
Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding give forth her voice?
2 At the head of high places by the way, Between the paths she hath stood,
On the top of high places by the way, at the cross-paths she taketh her stand.
3 At the side of the gates, at the mouth of the city, The entrance of the openings, she crieth aloud,
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, men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of man:
5 Understand, ye simple ones, prudence, And ye fools, understand the heart,
O ye simple, understand prudence; and ye foolish, understand sense.
6 Hearken, for noble things I speak, And the opening of my lips [is] uprightness.
Hear, for I will speak excellent things, and the opening of my lips shall be right things.
7 For truth doth my mouth utter, And an abomination to my lips [is] wickedness.
For my palate shall meditate truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 In righteousness [are] all the sayings of my mouth, Nothing in them is froward and perverse.
All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing tortuous or perverse in them.
9 All of them [are] plain to the intelligent, And upright to those finding knowledge.
They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.
10 Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold.
Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold:
11 For better [is] wisdom than rubies, Yea, all delights are not comparable with it.
for wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things that may be desired are not equal to it.
12 I, wisdom, have dwelt with prudence, And a knowledge of devices I find out.
I wisdom dwell [with] prudence, and find the knowledge [which cometh] of reflection.
13 The fear of Jehovah [is] to hate evil; Pride, and arrogance, and an evil way, And a froward mouth, I have hated.
The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil; pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth do I hate.
14 Mine [is] counsel and substance, I [am] understanding, I have might.
Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am intelligence; I have strength.
15 By me kings reign, and princes decree righteousness,
By me kings reign, and rulers make just decrees;
16 By me do chiefs rule, and nobles, All judges of the earth.
by me princes rule, and nobles, all the judges of the earth.
17 I love those loving me, And those seeking me earnestly do find me.
I love those that love me; and they that seek me early shall find me.
18 Wealth and honour [are] with me, Lasting substance and righteousness.
Riches and honour are with me; durable wealth and righteousness.
19 Better [is] my fruit than gold, even fine gold, And mine increase than choice silver.
My fruit is better than fine gold, yea, than pure gold; and my revenue than choice silver.
20 In a path of righteousness I cause to walk, In midst of paths of judgment,
I walk in the path of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment:
21 To cause my lovers to inherit substance, Yea, their treasures I fill.
that I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasuries.
22 Jehovah possessed me — the beginning of His way, Before His works since then.
Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.
23 From the age I was anointed, from the first, From former states of the earth.
I was set up from eternity, from the beginning, before the earth was.
24 In there being no depths, I was brought forth, In there being no fountains heavy [with] waters,
When there were no depths, I was brought forth, when there were no fountains abounding with water.
25 Before mountains were sunk, Before heights, I was brought forth.
Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth;
26 While He had not made the earth, and out-places, And the top of the dusts 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 In His preparing the heavens I [am] there, In His decreeing a circle on the face of the deep,
When he prepared the heavens I was there; when he ordained the circle upon the face of the deep;
28 In His strengthening clouds above, In His making strong fountains of the deep,
when he established the skies above, when the fountains of the deep became strong;
29 In His setting for the sea its limit, And the waters transgress not His command, In His decreeing the foundations of earth,
when he imposed on the sea his decree that the waters should not pass his commandment, when he appointed the foundations of the earth:
30 Then I am near Him, a workman, And I am a delight — day by day. Rejoicing before Him at all times,
then I was by him [his] nursling, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;
31 Rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth, And my delights [are] with the sons of men.
rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth, and my delights [were] with the sons of men.
32 And now, ye sons, hearken to me, Yea, happy are they who keep my ways.
And now, sons, hearken unto me, and blessed are they that keep my ways:
33 Hear instruction, and be wise, and slight not.
hear instruction and be wise, and refuse it not.
34 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.
Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 For whoso is finding me, hath found life, And bringeth out good-will from Jehovah.
For whoso findeth me findeth life, and obtaineth favour of Jehovah;
36 And whoso is missing me, is wronging his soul, All hating me have loved death!
but he that sinneth against me doeth violence to his own soul: all they that hate me love death.
