The Proverbs - Chapter 8

¹ Is not Wisdom calling? Is not Understanding raising her voice?

² On the heights overlooking the road, at the crossways, she takes her stand;

³ by the gates, at the entrance to the city, on the access-roads, she cries out,

⁴ 'I am calling to you, all people, my words are addressed to all humanity.

⁵ Simpletons, learn how to behave, fools, come to your senses.

⁶ Listen, I have something important to tell you, when I speak, my words are right.

⁷ My mouth proclaims the truth, for evil is abhorrent to my lips.

⁸ All the words from my mouth are upright, nothing false there, nothing crooked,

⁹ everything plain, if you can understand, straight, if you have acquired knowledge.

¹⁰ Accept my discipline rather than silver, and knowledge of me in preference to finest gold.

¹¹ For Wisdom is more precious than jewels, and nothing else is so worthy of desire.

¹² 'I, Wisdom, share house with Discretion, I am mistress of the art of thought.

¹³ (Fear of Yahweh means hatred of evil.) I hate pride and arrogance, wicked behaviour and a lying mouth.

¹⁴ To me belong good advice and prudence, I am perception: power is mine!

¹⁵ By me monarchs rule and princes decree what is right;

¹⁶ by me rulers govern, so do nobles, the lawful authorities.

¹⁷ I love those who love me; whoever searches eagerly for me finds me.

¹⁸ With me are riches and honour, lasting wealth and saving justice.

¹⁹ The fruit I give is better than gold, even the finest, the return I make is better than pure silver.

²⁰ I walk in the way of uprightness in the path of justice,

²¹ to endow my friends with my wealth and to fill their treasuries.

²² 'Yahweh created me, first-fruits of his fashioning, before the oldest of his works.

²³ From everlasting, I was firmly set, from the beginning, before the earth came into being.

²⁴ The deep was not, when I was born, nor were the springs with their abounding waters.

²⁵ Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I came to birth;

²⁶ before he had made the earth, the countryside, and the first elements of the world.

²⁷ When he fixed the heavens firm, I was there, when he drew a circle on the surface of the deep,

²⁸ when he thickened the clouds above, when the sources of the deep began to swell,

²⁹ when he assigned the sea its boundaries -- and the waters will not encroach on the shore -- when he traced the foundations of the earth,

³⁰ I was beside the master craftsman, delighting him day after day, ever at play in his presence,

³¹ at play everywhere on his earth, delighting to be with the children of men.

³² 'And now, my children, listen to me. Happy are those who keep my ways.

³³ Listen to instruction and become wise, do not reject it.

³⁴ Blessed, whoever listens to me, who day after day keeps watch at my gates to guard my portals.

³⁵ For whoever finds me finds life, and obtains the favour of Yahweh;

³⁶ but whoever misses me harms himself, all who hate me are in love with death.'

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