Proverbs 8
1 Doth not wisdom call? And understanding give forth her voice?
Doth not wisdom call, and understanding put forth her voice?
2 At the head of high places by the way, Between the paths she hath stood,
In the top of high places by the way, where the paths meet, she standeth;
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, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of men.
5 Understand, ye simple ones, prudence, And ye fools, understand the heart,
O ye thoughtless, understand prudence, and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.
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 mouth shall utter 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 perverse or crooked 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 things desirable are not to be compared unto her.
12 I, wisdom, have dwelt with prudence, And a knowledge of devices I find out.
I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of devices.
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 the LORD 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 understanding, power is mine.
15 By me kings reign, and princes decree righteousness,
By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.
16 By me do chiefs rule, and nobles, All judges of the earth.
By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
17 I love those loving me, And those seeking me earnestly do find me.
I love them that love me, and those that seek me earnestly shall find me.
18 Wealth and honour [are] with me, Lasting substance and righteousness.
Riches and honour are with me; yea, enduring riches and righteousness.
19 Better [is] my fruit than gold, even fine gold, And mine increase than choice silver.
My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my produce than choice silver.
20 In a path of righteousness I cause to walk, In midst of paths of judgment,
I walk in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of justice;
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 that I may fill their treasuries.
22 Jehovah possessed me — the beginning of His way, Before His works since then.
The LORD made me as the beginning of His way, the first of 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 everlasting, from the beginning, or ever 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 established the heavens, I was there; when He set a circle upon the face of the deep,
28 In His strengthening clouds above, In His making strong fountains of the deep,
When He made firm the skies above, when the fountains of the deep showed their might,
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 gave to the sea His decree, that the waters should not transgress 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, as a nursling; and I was daily all delight, playing always before Him,
31 Rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth, And my delights [are] with the sons of men.
Playing in His habitable earth, and my delights are with the sons of men.
32 And now, ye sons, hearken to me, Yea, happy are they who keep my ways.
Now therefore, ye children, hearken unto me; for happy 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.
Happy is the man that hearkeneth to 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 the LORD.
36 And whoso is missing me, is wronging his soul, All hating me have loved death!
But he that misseth me wrongeth his own soul; all they that hate me love death.'
