8:1 Doth not wisdom call? And understanding give forth her voice? |
8:2 At the head of high places by the way, Between the paths she hath stood, |
8:3 At the side of the gates, at the mouth of the city, The entrance of the openings, she crieth aloud, |
8:4 `Unto you, O men, I call, And my voice `is' unto the sons of men. |
8:5 Understand, ye simple ones, prudence, And ye fools, understand the heart, |
8:6 Hearken, for noble things I speak, And the opening of my lips `is' uprightness. |
8:7 For truth doth my mouth utter, And an abomination to my lips `is' wickedness. |
8:8 In righteousness `are' all the sayings of my mouth, Nothing in them is froward and perverse. |
8:9 All of them `are' plain to the intelligent, And upright to those finding knowledge. |
8:10 Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold. |
8:11 For better `is' wisdom than rubies, Yea, all delights are not comparable with it. |
8:12 I, wisdom, have dwelt with prudence, And a knowledge of devices I find out. |
8:13 The fear of Jehovah `is' to hate evil; Pride, and arrogance, and an evil way, And a froward mouth, I have hated. |
8:14 Mine `is' counsel and substance, I `am' understanding, I have might. |
8:15 By me kings reign, and princes decree righteousness, |
8:16 By me do chiefs rule, and nobles, All judges of the earth. |
8:17 I love those loving me, And those seeking me earnestly do find me. |
8:18 Wealth and honour `are' with me, Lasting substance and righteousness. |
8:19 Better `is' my fruit than gold, even fine gold, And mine increase than choice silver. |
8:20 In a path of righteousness I cause to walk, In midst of paths of judgment, |
8:21 To cause my lovers to inherit substance, Yea, their treasures I fill. |
8:22 Jehovah possessed me -- the beginning of His way, Before His works since then. |
8:23 From the age I was anointed, from the first, From former states of the earth. |
8:24 In there being no depths, I was brought forth, In there being no fountains heavy `with' waters, |
8:25 Before mountains were sunk, Before heights, I was brought forth. |
8:26 While He had not made the earth, and out-places, And the top of the dusts of the world. |
8:27 In His preparing the heavens I `am' there, In His decreeing a circle on the face of the deep, |
8:28 In His strengthening clouds above, In His making strong fountains of the deep, |
8:29 In His setting for the sea its limit, And the waters transgress not His command, In His decreeing the foundations of earth, |
8:30 Then I am near Him, a workman, And I am a delight -- day by day. Rejoicing before Him at all times, |
8:31 Rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth, And my delights `are' with the sons of men. |
8:32 And now, ye sons, hearken to me, Yea, happy are they who keep my ways. |
8:33 Hear instruction, and be wise, and slight not. |
8:34 O the happiness of the man hearkening to me, To watch at my doors day by day, To watch at the door-posts of my entrance. |
8:35 For whoso is finding me, hath found life, And bringeth out good-will from Jehovah. |
8:36 And whoso is missing me, is wronging his soul, All hating me have loved death! |