Proverbs 8:1-29 ▼

1 Does not wisdom cry out, and understanding give forth her voice?

2 At the head of the heights, beside the road, at the house of the paths, she takes her stand.

3 At the hand of the gates, at the mouth of the city, at the entrance of the doors, she cries out:

4 “To you?, O men, do I call, and my voice is to the sons of man!

5 Discern prudence, O simple ones; and you foolish ones, understand the heart.

6 Listen, for noble things do I speak, and the opening of my lips is uprightness.

7 For my mouth utters truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

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

9 All of them are plain to the intelligent, and upright to those finding knowledge.

10 Receive my instruction and not silver, and knowledge above choicest gold.

11 For better is wisdom than rubies, and all delights cannot be compared with her.

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

13 The fear of YHWH is to hate evil; I hate pride, and arrogance, and the way of evil, and the mouth of perversity.

14 Counsel and sound wisdom are unto me; I am understanding; unto me is strength.

15 By me kings reign, and rulers decree justice.

16 By me princes rule, and nobles—all those judging with righteousness.

17 I love those who love me, and those seeking me earnestly will find me.

18 Riches and honor are with me, surpassing wealth and righteousness.

19 Better is my fruit than gold, even pure gold, and my produce than choice silver.

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

21 to cause those loving me to inherit substance, and their treasuries I will fill.

22 YHWH acquired me at the beginning of His way, before His works at that time.

23 From everlasting I was poured out, from the head, from before the earth.

24 In being no depths, I was brought forth, in being no springs heavy with waters.

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

26 while He had not made the land, or the outside places, or the first dusts of the world.

27 In His establishing the heavens, I was there; in His inscribing a circle on the face of the deep,

28 in His strengthening the clouds above, in His making strong the fountains of the deep,

29 in His setting for the sea its limit, so that the waters would not cross over His command, in His marking out the foundations of the earth,