Proverbs 8
1 You shall proclaim wisdom, that understanding may be obedient to you.
Does wisdom not call? And understanding give forth her voice?
2 For she is on lofty eminences, and stands in the midst of the ways.
At the head of high places by the way, She has stood between the paths,
3 For she sits by the gates of princes, and sings in the entrances, [saying],
At the side of the gates, at the mouth of the city, The entrance of the openings, she cries aloud,
4 You, O men, I exhort; and utter my voice to the sons of men.
“To you, O men, I call, And my voice [is] to the sons of men.
5 O you simple, understand subtlety, and you that are untaught, imbibe knowledge.
Understand, you simple ones, prudence, And you fools, understand the heart,
6 Listen to me; for I will speak solemn [truths]; and will produce right [sayings] from my lips.
Listen, for I speak noble things, And the opening of my lips [is] uprightness.
7 For my throat shall meditate truth; and false lips are an abomination before me.
For my mouth utters truth, And wickedness [is] an abomination to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing in them wrong or perverse.
All the sayings of my mouth [are] in righteousness, Nothing in them is contrary and perverse.
9 They are all evident to those that understand, and right to those that find knowledge.
All of them [are] plain to the intelligent, And upright to those finding knowledge.
10 Receive instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than tried gold.
Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold.
11 For wisdom is better than precious stones; and no valuable substance is of equal worth with it.
For wisdom [is] better than rubies, Indeed, all delights are not comparable with it.
12 I wisdom have lived [with] counsel and knowledge, and I have called upon understanding.
I, wisdom, have dwelt with prudence, And I find out a knowledge of purposes.
13 The fear of the Lord hates unrighteousness, and insolence, and pride, and the ways of wicked men; and I hate the perverse ways of bad men.
The fear of YHWH [is] to hate evil; Pride, and arrogance, and an evil way, And a contrary mouth, I have hated.
14 Counsel and safety are mine; prudence is mine, and strength is mine.
Counsel and substance [are] mine, 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 nobles become great, and monarchs by me rule over the earth.
By me chiefs rule, and nobles, All judges of earth.
17 I love those that love me; and they that seek me shall find [me].
I love those loving me, And those seeking me earnestly find me.
18 Wealth and glory belong to me; yes, abundant possessions and righteousness.
Wealth and honor [are] with me, Lasting substance and righteousness.
19 [It is] better to have my fruit than [to have] gold and precious stones; and my produce is better than choice silver.
My fruit [is] better than gold, even fine gold, And my increase than choice silver.
20 I walk in ways of righteousness, and [am] conversant with the paths of judgment;
I cause to walk in a path of righteousness, In midst of paths of judgment,
21 that I may divide substance to them that love me, and may fill their treasures with good things. If I declare to you the things that daily happen, I will remember [also] to recount the things of old.
To cause my lovers to inherit substance, Indeed, I fill their treasures.
22 The Lord made me the beginning of his ways for his works.
YHWH possessed me—the beginning of His way, Before His works since then.
23 He established me before time [was] in the beginning, before he made the earth:
I was anointed from the age, from the first, From former states of the earth.
24 even before he made the depths; before the fountains of water came forth:
In there being no depths, I was brought forth, In there being no fountains heavy [with] waters,
25 before the mountains were settled, and before all hills, he begets me.
Before mountains were sunk, Before heights, I was brought forth.
26 The Lord made countries and uninhabited [tracks], and the highest inhabited parts 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 prepared the heaven, I was present with him; and when he prepared his throne upon the winds:
In His preparing the heavens I [am] there, In His decreeing a circle on the face of the deep,
28 and when he strengthened the clouds above; and when he secured the fountains of the earth:
In His strengthening clouds above, In His making strong fountains of the deep,
29 decree. and when he strengthened the foundations of the earth:
In His setting for the sea its limit, And the waters do not transgress His command, In His decreeing the foundations of earth,
30 I was by him, suiting [myself to him], I was that wherein he took delight; and daily I rejoiced in his presence continually.
Then I am near Him, a workman, And I am a delight—day by day. Rejoicing before Him at all times,
31 For he rejoiced when he had completed the world, and rejoiced among the children of men.
Rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth, And my delights [are] with the sons of men.
32 Now then, [my] son, hear me: blessed is the man who shall listen to me, and the mortal who shall keep my ways;
And now, you sons, listen to me, Indeed, blessed are they who keep my ways.
33 [Hear wisdom and be wise, and be not strangers to it. ]
Hear instruction, and be wise, and do not slight.
34 watching daily at my doors, waiting at the posts of my entrances.
O the blessedness of the man listening to me, To watch at my doors day by day, To watch at the doorposts of my entrance.
35 For my outgoings are the outgoings of life, and [in them] is prepared favor from the Lord.
For whoever is finding me, has found life, And brings out goodwill from YHWH.
36 But they that sin against me act wickedly against their own souls: and they that hate me love death.
And whoever is missing me, is wronging his soul, All hating me have loved death!”
