Proverbs, 8

¹ Is not wisdom calling out? Is not discernment raising its voice?

² On the heights along the road, It takes its position at the crossroads.

³ Next to the gates leading into the city, At the entrances of the doorways, It keeps crying out loudly:

⁴ “To you, O people, I am calling; I raise my voice to everyone.^*1

⁵ You inexperienced ones, learn shrewdness; You stupid ones, acquire an understanding heart.^*1

⁶ Listen, for what I say is important, My lips speak what is right;

⁷ For my mouth softly utters truth, And my lips detest what is wicked.

⁸ All the sayings of my mouth are righteous. None of them are twisted or crooked.

⁹ They are all straightforward to the discerning And right to those who have found knowledge.

¹⁰ Take my discipline instead of silver, And knowledge rather than the finest gold,

¹¹ For wisdom is better than corals;^*1 All other desirable things cannot compare to it.

¹² I, wisdom, dwell together with shrewdness; I have found knowledge and thinking ability.

¹³ The fear of Jehovah means the hating of bad. I hate self-exaltation and pride and the evil way and perverse speech.

¹⁴ I possess good advice and practical wisdom; Understanding and power are mine.

¹⁵ By me kings keep reigning, And high officials decree righteousness.

¹⁶ By me princes keep ruling, And nobles judge in righteousness.

¹⁷ I love those loving me, And those seeking me will find me.

¹⁸ Riches and glory are with me, Lasting wealth^*1 and righteousness.

¹⁹ My fruitage is better than gold, even refined gold, And what I produce is better than the finest silver.

²⁰ I walk in the path of righteousness, In the middle of the pathways of justice;

²¹ I give a rich inheritance to those who love me, And I fill up their storehouses.

²² Jehovah produced me as the beginning of his way, The earliest of his achievements of long ago.

²³ From ancient times^*1 I was installed, From the start, from times earlier than the earth.

²⁴ When there were no deep waters, I was brought forth,^*1 When there were no springs overflowing with water.

²⁵ Before the mountains were set in place, Before the hills, I was brought forth,

²⁶ When he had not yet made the earth and its fields Or the first clods of earth’s soil.

²⁷ When he prepared the heavens, I was there; When he marked out the horizon^*1 on the surface of the waters,

²⁸ When he established^*1 the clouds above, When he founded the fountains of the deep,

²⁹ When he set a decree for the sea That its waters should not pass beyond his order, When he established^*1 the foundations of the earth,

³⁰ Then I was beside him as a master worker. I was the one he was especially fond of day by day; I rejoiced before him all the time;

³¹ I rejoiced over his habitable earth, And I was especially fond of the sons of men.^*1

³² And now, my sons, listen to me; Yes, happy are those who keep my ways.

³³ Listen to discipline and become wise, And never neglect it.

³⁴ Happy is the man who listens to me By coming early to^*1 my doors day by day, By waiting next to my doorposts;

³⁵ For the one finding me will find life, And he receives approval from Jehovah.

³⁶ But the one who ignores me harms himself,^*1 And those who hate me love death.”