Proverbs
8
The
Excellence of Wisdom
1
Does not wisdom cry out,
And understanding lift up her
voice?
2 She takes her
stand on the top of the high hill,
Beside the way, where the paths
meet.
3 She cries out
by the gates, at the entry of the city,
At the entrance of the doors:
4 “ To you, O men,
I call,
And my voice is to the
sons of men.
5 O you simple ones,
understand prudence,
And you fools, be of an understanding
heart.
6 Listen, for I
will speak of excellent things,
And from the opening of my lips
will come right things;
7 For my mouth will
speak truth;
Wickedness is an abomination
to my lips.
8 All the words
of my mouth are with righteousness;
Nothing crooked or perverse is
in them.
9 They are
all plain to him who understands,
And right to those who find knowledge.
10 Receive my instruction,
and not silver,
And knowledge rather than choice
gold;
11 For wisdom is
better than rubies,
And all the things one may desire
cannot be compared with her.
12 “ I, wisdom,
dwell with prudence,
And find out knowledge and
discretion.
13 The fear of the
LORD is to hate evil;
Pride and arrogance and the evil
way
And the perverse mouth I hate.
14 Counsel is
mine, and sound wisdom;
I am understanding, I have
strength.
15 By me kings reign,
And rulers decree justice.
16 By me princes
rule, and nobles,
All the judges of the earth.[a]
17 I love those
who love me,
And those who seek me diligently
will find me.
18 Riches and honor
are with me,
Enduring riches and righteousness.
19 My fruit is
better than gold, yes, than fine gold,
And my revenue than choice silver.
20 I traverse the
way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice,
21 That I may cause
those who love me to inherit wealth,
That I may fill their treasuries.
22 “ The LORD possessed
me at the beginning of His way,
Before His works of old.
23 I have been established
from everlasting,
From the beginning, before there
was ever an earth.
24 When there
were no depths I was brought forth,
When there were no fountains
abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains
were settled,
Before the hills, I was brought
forth;
26 While as yet
He had not made the earth or the fields,
Or the primal dust of the world.
27 When He prepared
the heavens, I was there,
When He drew a circle on the face
of the deep,
28 When He established
the clouds above,
When He strengthened the fountains
of the deep,
29 When He assigned
to the sea its limit,
So that the waters would not transgress
His command,
When He marked out the foundations
of the earth,
30 Then I was beside
Him as a master craftsman;[b]
And I was daily His delight,
Rejoicing always before Him,
31 Rejoicing in
His inhabited world,
And my delight was with
the sons of men.
32 “ Now therefore,
listen to me, my children,
For blessed are those
who keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction
and be wise,
And do not disdain it.
34 Blessed is the
man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 For whoever finds
me finds life,
And obtains favor from the LORD;
36 But he who sins
against me wrongs his own soul;
All those who hate me love death.”
Footnotes:
-
Proverbs 8:16 Masoretic Text, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate
read righteousness; Septuagint, Bomberg, and some manuscripts
and editions read earth.
-
Proverbs 8:30 A Jewish tradition reads one brought up.
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