Proverbs 8:1-11

English Standard Version

The Blessings of Wisdom

8 Does not ^(A)wisdom call?
    Does not ^(B)understanding raise her voice?
²On ^(C)the heights beside the way,
    at the crossroads she takes her stand;
³beside ^(D)the gates in front of ^(E)the town,
    at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:
⁴“To you, O ^(F)men, I call,
    and my cry is to ^(G)the children of man.
⁵O ^(H)simple ones, learn ^(I)prudence;
    O ^(J)fools, learn sense.
⁶Hear, for I will speak ^(K)noble things,
    and from my lips will come ^(L)what is right,
⁷for my ^(M)mouth will utter truth;
    wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
⁸All the words of my mouth are righteous;
    there is nothing ^(N)twisted or crooked in them.
⁹They are all ^(O)straight to him who understands,
    and right to those who find knowledge.
¹⁰^(P)Take my instruction instead of silver,
    and knowledge rather than choice gold,
¹¹^(Q)for wisdom is better than jewels,
    and ^(R)all that you may desire cannot compare with her.

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1 Corinthians 1:18-25

English Standard Version

Christ the Wisdom and Power of God

¹⁸For the word of the cross is ^(A)folly to ^(B)those who are perishing, but to us ^(C)who are being saved it is ^(D)the power of God. ¹⁹For it is written,

^(E)“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

²⁰^(F)Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? ^(G)Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ²¹For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach^[a] to save those who believe. ²²For ^(H)Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, ²³but we preach Christ ^(I)crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, ²⁴but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ ^(J)the power of God and ^(K)the wisdom of God. ²⁵For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.