Proverbs 8

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¹Doth not wisdom cry, And understanding put forth her voice?

²On the top of high places by the way, Where the paths meet, she standeth;

³Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, At the coming in at the doors, she crieth aloud:

⁴Unto you, O men, I call; And my voice is to the sons of men.

⁵O ye simple, understand prudence; And, ye fools, be of an understanding heart.

⁶Hear, for I will speak excellent things; And the opening of my lips shall be right things.

⁷For my mouth shall utter truth; And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

⁸All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; There is nothing crooked or perverse in them.

⁹They are all plain to him that understandeth, And right to them that find knowledge.

¹⁰Receive my instruction, and not silver; And knowledge rather than choice gold.

¹¹For wisdom is better than rubies; And all the things that may be desired are not to be compared unto it.

¹²I wisdom have made prudence my dwelling, And find out knowledgeanddiscretion.

¹³The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil: Pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, And the perverse mouth, do I hate.

¹⁴Counsel is mine, and sound knowledge: I am understanding; I have might.

¹⁵By me kings reign, And princes decree justice.

¹⁶By me princes rule, And nobles, evenall the judges of the earth.

¹⁷I love them that love me; And those that seek me diligently shall find me.

¹⁸Riches and honor are with me; Yea, durable wealth and righteousness.

¹⁹My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; And my revenue than choice silver.

²⁰I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice;

²¹That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance, And that I may fill their treasuries.

²²Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, Before his works of old.

²³I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, Before the earth was.

²⁴When there were no depths, I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water.

²⁵Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills was I brought forth;

²⁶While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, Nor the beginning of the dust of the world.

²⁷When he established the heavens, I was there: When he set a circle upon the face of the deep,

²⁸When he made firm the skies above, When the fountains of the deep became strong,

²⁹When he gave to the sea its bound, That the waters should not transgress his commandment, When he marked out the foundations of the earth;

³⁰Then I was by him, asa master workman; And I was dailyhisdelight, Rejoicing always before him,

³¹Rejoicing in his habitable earth; And my delight was with the sons of men.

³²Now therefore, mysons, hearken unto me; For blessed are they that keep my ways.

³³Hear instruction, and be wise, And refuse it not.

³⁴Blessed is the man that heareth me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors.

³⁵For whoso findeth me findeth life, And shall obtain favor of Jehovah.

³⁶But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: All they that hate me love death.

Proverbs 8

¹Does not wisdom call out, and understanding raise her voice?

²On the heights overlooking the road, at the crossroads she takes her stand.

³Beside the gates to the city, at the entrances she cries out:

⁴“To you, O men, I call out, and my cry is to the sons of men.

⁵O simple ones, learn to be shrewd; O fools, gain understanding.

⁶Listen, for I speak of noble things, and the opening of my lips will reveal right.

⁷For my mouth will speak the truth, and wickedness is detestable to my lips.

⁸All the words of my mouth are righteous; none are crooked or perverse.

⁹They are all plain to the discerning, and upright to those who find knowledge.

¹⁰Receive my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold.

¹¹For wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire compares with her.

¹²I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion.

¹³To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.

¹⁴Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have insight and strength.

¹⁵By me kings reign, and rulers enact just laws;

¹⁶By me princes rule, and all nobles who govern justly.

¹⁷I love those who love me, and those who seek me early shall find me.

¹⁸With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and righteousness.

¹⁹My fruit is better than gold, pure gold, and my harvest surpasses choice silver.

²⁰I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice,

²¹bestowing wealth on those who love me and making their treasuries full.

²²The LORD created me as His first course, before His works of old.

²³From everlasting I was established, from the beginning, before the earth began.

²⁴When there were no watery depths, I was brought forth, when no springs were overflowing with water.

²⁵Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was brought forth,

²⁶before He made the land or fields, or any of the dust of the earth.

²⁷I was there when He established the heavens, when He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,

²⁸when He established the clouds above, when the fountains of the deep gushed forth,

²⁹when He set a boundary for the sea, so that the waters would not surpass His command, when He marked out the foundations of the earth.

³⁰Then I was a skilled craftsman at His side, and His delight day by day, rejoicing always in His presence.

³¹I was rejoicing in His whole world, delighting together in the sons of men.

³²Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, for blessed are those who keep my ways.

³³Listen to instruction and be wise; do not ignore it.

³⁴Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at the posts of my doorway.

³⁵For whoever finds me finds life and obtains the favor of the LORD.

³⁶But he who fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death.”