| 8 | Proverbs | ||
| 1 | Does not wisdom call, does not understanding raise her voice? | In praise of Wisdom. Pr.8.1-36 | |
| 2 | On the heights beside the way, in the paths she takes her stand; | ||
| 3 | beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud: | ||
| 4 | "To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the sons of men. | ||
| 5 | O simple ones, learn prudence; O foolish men, pay attention. | ||
| 6 | Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right; | ||
| 7 | for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips. | ||
| 8 | All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them. | ||
| 9 | They are all straight to him who understands and right to those who find knowledge. | ||
| 10 | Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold; | ||
| 11 | for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her. | ||
| 12 | I, wisdom, dwell in prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion. | ||
| 13 | The fear of Yahweh is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. | ||
| 14 | I have counsel and sound wisdom, I have insight, I have strength. | ||
| 15 | By me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just; | ||
| 16 | by me princes rule, and nobles govern the earth. | ||
| 17 | I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me. | ||
| 18 | Riches and honour are with me, enduring wealth and prosperity. | ||
| 19 | My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and my yield than choice silver. | ||
| 20 | I walk in the way of righteousness, in the paths of justice, | ||
| 21 | endowing with wealth those who love me, and filling their treasuries. | ||
| 22 | Yahweh created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old. | ||
| 23 | Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. | ||
| 24 | When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. | ||
| 25 | Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth; | ||
| 26 | before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world. | ||
| 27 | When he established the heavens, I was there, when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, | ||
| 28 | when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, | ||
| 29 | when 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, | ||
| 30 | then I was beside him, like a master workman; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, | ||
| 31 | rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the sons of men. | ||
| 32 | And now, my sons, listen to me: happy are those who keep my ways. | ||
| 33 | Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it. | ||
| 34 | Happy is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. | ||
| 35 | For he who finds me finds life and obtains favour from Yahweh; | ||
| 36 | but he who misses me injures himself; all who hate me love death." | ||
| << | Prov:8 | | |||
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