1Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice?2At the highest point along the way, where the paths meet, she takes her stand;3beside the gate leading into the city, at the entrance, she cries aloud:4‘To you, O people, I call out; I raise my voice to all humanity.5You who are simple, gain prudence; you who are foolish, set your hearts on it.[1]6Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right.7My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest wickedness.8All the words of my mouth are just; none of them is crooked or perverse.9To the discerning all of them are right; they are upright to those who have found knowledge.10Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold,11for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.12‘I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion.13To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behaviour and perverse speech.14Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have insight, I have power.15By me kings reign and rulers issue decrees that are just;16by me princes govern, and nobles – all who rule on earth.[2]17I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.18With me are riches and honour, enduring wealth and prosperity.19My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver.20I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice,21bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me and making their treasuries full.22‘The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,[3] before his deeds of old;23I was formed long ages ago, at the very beginning, when the world came to be.24When there were no watery depths, I was given birth, when there were no springs overflowing with water;25before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was given birth,26before he made the world or its fields or any of the dust of the earth.27I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,28when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,29when he gave the sea its boundary so that the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.30Then I was constantly[5] at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence,31rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in the human race.32‘Now then, my children, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways.33Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not disregard it.34Blessed are those who listen to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.35For those who find me find life and receive favour from the Lord.36But those who fail to find me harm themselves; all who hate me love death.’
Proverbs 8
English Standard Version
The Blessings of Wisdom
1Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice? (Job 28:12; Pr 1:20)2On the heights beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; (Pr 9:3; Pr 9:14)3beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud: (Job 29:7; Pr 1:21)4“To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the children of man. (Ps 49:1)5O simple ones, learn prudence; O fools, learn sense. (Pr 1:4; Pr 1:22; Pr 8:12)6Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right, (Pr 22:20; Pr 23:16)7for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips. (Ps 37:30)8All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them. (De 32:5)9They are all straight to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge. (Pr 14:6; 1Co 2:10)10Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold, (Ps 119:72; Ps 119:127; Pr 3:14; Pr 8:19)11for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her. (Job 28:12; Pr 3:15; Pr 16:16)12“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion. (Pr 1:4)13The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. (Ps 97:10; Pr 2:12; Pr 4:24; Pr 6:17; Pr 16:5; Pr 16:6)14I have counsel and sound wisdom; I have insight; I have strength. (Ps 89:19; Pr 2:7; Ec 7:19; Isa 9:6; Isa 11:2)15By me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just; (Da 2:21; Ro 13:1; Re 19:16)16by me princes rule, and nobles, all who govern justly.[1]17I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me. (1Sa 2:30; Ps 91:14; Pr 1:28; Joh 14:21; Jas 1:5)18Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and righteousness. (Ps 112:3; Pr 3:16; Mt 6:33; Lu 16:11; Eph 3:8)19My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and my yield than choice silver. (Pr 3:14; Pr 8:10; Pr 10:20)20I walk in the way of righteousness, in the paths of justice,21granting an inheritance to those who love me, and filling their treasuries.22“The Lord possessed[2] me at the beginning of his work,[3] the first of his acts of old. (Ge 14:19; Ge 14:22; Job 28:25; Ps 93:2; Ps 104:24; Ps 136:5)23Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. (Ps 2:6; Joh 17:5)24When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. (Ge 1:2; Job 15:7; Ps 51:5; Pr 3:20; Pr 8:27)25Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth, (Job 38:6; Ps 90:2)26before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world.27When he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, (Job 26:10; Pr 3:19)28when he made firm the skies above, when he established[4] the fountains of the deep, (Ge 1:6)29when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, (Ge 1:9; Job 26:10; Ps 104:5)30then I was beside him, like a master workman, and I was daily his[5] delight, rejoicing before him always, (Ps 16:3; Zec 13:7; Mt 3:17; Joh 1:1)31rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the children of man. (Ge 1:31; Ps 104:31; Isa 45:18)32“And now, O sons, listen to me: blessed are those who keep my ways. (Ps 119:1; Ps 128:1; Pr 5:7; Pr 7:24; Lu 11:28; 1Jo 3:1)33Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it. (Pr 4:1)34Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. (Pr 3:13)35For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord, (Pr 3:18; Pr 4:22; Pr 12:2; Pr 18:22; Joh 1:4; Joh 17:3)36but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death.” (Pr 12:1; Pr 15:32; Pr 20:2; Pr 21:6; Pr 29:24)