Παροιμίαι 8
1 σὺ τὴν σοφίαν κηρύξεις ἵνα φρόνησίς σοι ὑπακούσῃ
It is as if wisdom, with great understanding [of many things], is calling [PRS] out [to people].
2 ἐπὶ γὰρ τῶν ὑψηλῶν ἄκρων ἐστίν ἀνὰ μέσον δὲ τῶν τρίβων ἕστηκεν
Wisdom stands on hilltops and at crossroads.
3 παρὰ γὰρ πύλαις δυναστῶν παρεδρεύει ἐν δὲ εἰσόδοις ὑμνεῖται
[Wisdom also stands] at the city gates and shouts loudly,
4 ὑμᾶς ὦ ἄνθρωποι παρακαλῶ καὶ προΐεμαι ἐμὴν φωνὴν υἱοῖς ἀνθρώπων
“I am calling to everyone! I am shouting loudly to all people!
5 νοήσατε ἄκακοι πανουργίαν οἱ δὲ ἀπαίδευτοι ἔνθεσθε καρδίαν
You people who do not know how to do things that are smart to do, get sound judgment; you foolish people, get good understanding!
6 εἰσακούσατέ μου σεμνὰ γὰρ ἐρῶ καὶ ἀνοίσω ἀπὸ χειλέων ὀρθά
Listen to me, because I have some excellent/important things to say. What I say is what is fair/right.
7 ὅτι ἀλήθειαν μελετήσει ὁ φάρυγξ μου ἐβδελυγμένα δὲ ἐναντίον ἐμοῦ χείλη ψευδῆ
I speak what is true; I detest speaking [MTY] what is false/deceptive.
8 μετὰ δικαιοσύνης πάντα τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ στόματός μου οὐδὲν ἐν αὐτοῖς σκολιὸν οὐδὲ στραγγαλῶδες
Everything that I say is honest; there is nothing that I say that deceives [people].
9 πάντα ἐνώπια τοῖς συνιοῦσιν καὶ ὀρθὰ τοῖς εὑρίσκουσι γνῶσιν
My words are clear to those who have good sense; those who are wise know that what I say is right.
10 λάβετε παιδείαν καὶ μὴ ἀργύριον καὶ γνῶσιν ὑπὲρ χρυσίον δεδοκιμασμένον ἀνθαιρεῖσθε δὲ αἴσθησιν χρυσίου καθαροῦ
[If someone offers you the kind of teaching I give] or offers you silver, choose my teaching. [If he offers to show you how to be wise] or offers you gold, choose to know how to be wise,
11 κρείσσων γὰρ σοφία λίθων πολυτελῶν πᾶν δὲ τίμιον οὐκ ἄξιον αὐτῆς ἐστιν
because wisdom is more valuable than jewels. Nothing that you desire [is as valuable] as being wise.
12 ἐγὼ ἡ σοφία κατεσκήνωσα βουλήν καὶ γνῶσιν καὶ ἔννοιαν ἐγὼ ἐπεκαλεσάμην
I, wisdom, and understanding of what is smart to do, cannot be separated. We are like two people who live in the same house. I know how to be wise and how to make smart decisions.
13 φόβος κυρίου μισεῖ ἀδικίαν ὕβριν τε καὶ ὑπερηφανίαν καὶ ὁδοὺς πονηρῶν μεμίσηκα δὲ ἐγὼ διεστραμμένας ὁδοὺς κακῶν
[All the people] who revere Yahweh hate evil. I, wisdom, hate [people who are] proud and [people] who think they are more important [than others]. I hate [people who] behave in an evil way and those who say things to deceive [others].
14 ἐμὴ βουλὴ καὶ ἀσφάλεια ἐμὴ φρόνησις ἐμὴ δὲ ἰσχύς
I give [people] good advice and I enable them to do things that are wise. I understand how things really are, and I am strong.
15 δῑ ἐμοῦ βασιλεῖς βασιλεύουσιν καὶ οἱ δυνάσται γράφουσιν δικαιοσύνην
When kings are wise, they rule [well]; and when rulers are wise, they make laws that are just/fair.
16 δῑ ἐμοῦ μεγιστᾶνες μεγαλύνονται καὶ τύραννοι δῑ ἐμοῦ κρατοῦσι γῆς
Rulers govern their people with the help of me, wisdom, and those who have authority decide things fairly/just with my help.
17 ἐγὼ τοὺς ἐμὲ φιλοῦντας ἀγαπῶ οἱ δὲ ἐμὲ ζητοῦντες εὑρήσουσιν
I, [wisdom], love [all] those who love me, and [all] those who truly seek me [will] find me.
18 πλοῦτος καὶ δόξα ἐμοὶ ὑπάρχει καὶ κτῆσις πολλῶν καὶ δικαιοσύνη
I enable [people] to become rich and to be honored; [I enable them to have] wealth that will last and to be successful.
19 βέλτιον ἐμὲ καρπίζεσθαι ὑπὲρ χρυσίον καὶ λίθον τίμιον τὰ δὲ ἐμὰ γενήματα κρείσσω ἀργυρίου ἐκλεκτοῦ
What I can give people is more valuable than fine/pure gold and the best silver.
20 ἐν ὁδοῖς δικαιοσύνης περιπατῶ καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τρίβων δικαιώματος ἀναστρέφομαι
I always do what is righteous and just/fair.
21 ἵνα μερίσω τοῖς ἐμὲ ἀγαπῶσιν ὕπαρξιν καὶ τοὺς θησαυροὺς αὐτῶν ἐμπλήσω ἀγαθῶν ἐὰν ἀναγγείλω ὑμῖν τὰ καθ’ ἡμέραν γινόμενα μνημονεύσω τὰ ἐξ αἰῶνος ἀριθμῆσαι
I give wealth to those who love me; I fill their houses with valuable things.
22 κύριος ἔκτισέν με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ εἰς ἔργα αὐτοῦ
Yahweh created me, [wisdom], when he began [to create the world]; he created me [to do my work] before he created anything else.
23 πρὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος ἐθεμελίωσέν με ἐν ἀρχῇ
He appointed me long ago, before he created the earth.
24 πρὸ τοῦ τὴν γῆν ποιῆσαι καὶ πρὸ τοῦ τὰς ἀβύσσους ποιῆσαι πρὸ τοῦ προελθεῖν τὰς πηγὰς τῶν ὑδάτων
I was born before the oceans were [created], when there were no springs from which water flowed.
25 πρὸ τοῦ ὄρη ἑδρασθῆναι πρὸ δὲ πάντων βουνῶν γεννᾷ με
I was born before the hills and mountains were formed;
26 κύριος ἐποίησεν χώρας καὶ ἀοικήτους καὶ ἄκρα οἰκούμενα τῆς ὑπ’ οὐρανόν
[I, wisdom], was born before Yahweh made the earth, before he made the fields and the soil on the earth.
27 ἡνίκα ἡτοίμαζεν τὸν οὐρανόν συμπαρήμην αὐτῷ καὶ ὅτε ἀφώριζεν τὸν ἑαυτοῦ θρόνον ἐπ’ ἀνέμων
I was there when Yahweh put the sky in place, when he marked the place [in the distance] where the sky and the oceans [seem to] come together.
28 ἡνίκα ἰσχυρὰ ἐποίει τὰ ἄνω νέφη καὶ ὡς ἀσφαλεῖς ἐτίθει πηγὰς τῆς ὑπ’ οὐρανὸν
I was there when Yahweh put the clouds above [the earth] and when he caused the water that is inside the earth to be secure.
29 καὶ ἰσχυρὰ ἐποίει τὰ θεμέλια τῆς γῆς
I was there when he fixed a boundary for the seas, so that the water in the seas would not go past those boundaries, and when he put down the foundations which support the earth.
30 ἤμην παρ’ αὐτῷ ἁρμόζουσα ἐγὼ ἤμην ᾗ προσέχαιρεν καθ’ ἡμέραν δὲ εὐφραινόμην ἐν προσώπῳ αὐτοῦ ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ
I was at the side of Yahweh, the master worker (OR, as though I was his child). I caused him to be happy every day, and I was always rejoicing when I was with him.
31 ὅτε εὐφραίνετο τὴν οἰκουμένην συντελέσας καὶ ἐνευφραίνετο ἐν υἱοῖς ἀνθρώπων
I was delighted with the world that he created; I was happy with the people whom he created, too.
32 νῦν οὖν υἱέ ἄκουέ μου
So, [you people who are like] my sons, listen to me. [I am] pleased with [all] those who obey my teachings.
Listen [carefully] to what I teach you and become wise. Do not reject my teaching!
34 μακάριος ἀνήρ ὃς εἰσακούσεταί μου καὶ ἄνθρωπος ὃς τὰς ἐμὰς ὁδοὺς φυλάξει ἀγρυπνῶν ἐπ’ ἐμαῖς θύραις καθ’ ἡμέραν τηρῶν σταθμοὺς ἐμῶν εἰσόδων
[I am] pleased with those who listen to me, those who are outside my house every day, waiting [for me to come out].
35 αἱ γὰρ ἔξοδοί μου ἔξοδοι ζωῆς καὶ ἑτοιμάζεται θέλησις παρὰ κυρίου
Those who find me will have [a long] life, and Yahweh [will] be pleased with them.
36 οἱ δὲ εἰς ἐμὲ ἁμαρτάνοντες ἀσεβοῦσιν τὰς ἑαυτῶν ψυχάς καὶ οἱ μισοῦντές με ἀγαπῶσιν θάνατον
But those who stray away from me [just] harm themselves. All those who hate me, [it is as though] [IRO] they are loving death.”
