Proverbs 8
1 Doth not wisdom call? And understanding give forth her voice?
Doesn’t wisdom cry out? Doesn’t understanding raise 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, where the paths meet, she stands.
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 entry doors, she cries aloud:
4 'Unto you, O men, I call, And my voice [is] unto the sons of men.
“I call to you men! I send my voice to the sons of mankind.
5 Understand, ye simple ones, prudence, And ye fools, understand the heart,
You simple, understand prudence! You fools, be 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. The opening of my lips is for right things.
7 For truth doth my mouth utter, And an abomination to my lips [is] wickedness.
For my mouth speaks truth. 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 crooked 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 who understands, right to those who find knowledge.
10 Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold.
Receive my instruction rather than silver, 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. All the things that may be desired can’t be compared to it.
12 I, wisdom, have dwelt with prudence, And a knowledge of devices I find out.
“I, wisdom, have made prudence my dwelling. Find out knowledge and discretion.
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. I hate pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverse mouth.
14 Mine [is] counsel and substance, I [am] understanding, I have might.
Counsel and sound knowledge are mine. I have understanding and power.
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, nobles, and all the righteous rulers of the earth.
17 I love those loving me, And those seeking me earnestly do find me.
I love those who love me. Those who seek me diligently will find me.
18 Wealth and honour [are] with me, Lasting substance and righteousness.
With me are riches, honor, enduring wealth, and prosperity.
19 Better [is] my fruit than gold, even fine gold, And mine increase than choice silver.
My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold, my yield 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 middle of the paths of justice,
21 To cause my lovers to inherit substance, Yea, their treasures I fill.
that I may give wealth to those who love me. I fill their treasuries.
22 Jehovah possessed me — the beginning of His way, Before His works since then.
“The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his work, before his deeds 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, before the earth existed.
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 born, when there were no springs abounding with water.
25 Before mountains were sunk, Before heights, I was brought forth.
Before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was born;
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 on the surface of the deep,
28 In His strengthening clouds above, In His making strong fountains of the deep,
when he established the clouds above, when the springs 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 gave to the sea its boundary, that the waters should not violate his commandment, when he marked out 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 the craftsman by his side. I was a delight day by day, always rejoicing before him,
31 Rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth, And my delights [are] with the sons of men.
rejoicing in his whole world. My delight was with the sons of men.
32 And now, ye sons, hearken to me, Yea, happy are they who keep my ways.
“Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, for blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction, and be wise, and slight not.
Hear instruction, and be wise. Don’t refuse it.
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 who hears me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at my door posts.
35 For whoso is finding me, hath found life, And bringeth out good-will from Jehovah.
For whoever finds me finds life, and will obtain favor from the LORD.
36 And whoso is missing me, is wronging his soul, All hating me have loved death!
But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul. All those who hate me love death.”
