智慧的呼唤

智慧不是在呼唤吗?
    悟性不是在呐喊吗?
她在路边高处站立,
    她在十字街头停留,
在城门旁,在入口处大喊:
“世人啊,我呼唤你们,
    我向全人类大声呼吁。
愚昧人啊,要学会谨慎!
    愚顽人啊,要慎思明辨!
你们听啊,我要说美好的话,
    开口谈论正直的事。
我的口传扬真理,
    我的嘴憎恨邪恶。
我口中的言语公正,
    没有一句错谬的话。
我的话,智者明白,哲士认同。
10 要接受我的教诲,而非白银;
    要选择知识,而非黄金。
11 因为智慧比宝石更珍贵,
    一切美物都不能与之相比。

12 “我智慧与谨慎同住,
    我拥有知识和明辨力。
13 敬畏耶和华就当憎恨邪恶,
    我憎恨骄傲、狂妄、恶道和谎言。
14 我有谋略和真知,
    又有悟性和能力。
15 君王靠我安邦定国,
    首领借我秉公行义,
16 王公大臣靠我治理天下,
    官宦贵胄凭我公正断案。
17 爱我的,我也爱他;
    恳切寻求我的,必能寻见。
18 富贵和尊荣在我,
    恒久的产业和公义也在我。
19 我的果实胜过纯金,
    我的出产胜过纯银。
20 我在公义的道上奔走,
    在公平的路上前行。
21 我要赐财富给爱我的人,
    使他们的库房充盈。

22 “在耶和华造物的起头,
    在太初万物被造以前,
    就已经有我。
23 从亘古,从太初,
    大地还没有形成以前,
    我已经被立。
24 没有深渊,
    没有涌流的水泉以前,
    我已经诞生。
25 大山未曾奠定,
    小丘未曾形成,
    我已经出生。
26 那时耶和华还没有造大地和原野,
    还没有造一粒尘土。
27 祂铺设诸天的时候,我已在场。
    祂在深渊上画出地平线,
28 上使穹苍坚固,
    下使深渊的泉源安稳,
29 设定沧海的界限,
    使海水不得越过祂定的范围,
    为大地奠定根基的时候,
30 我就在祂身旁,
    做祂的工程师,
    天天成为祂的喜乐,
    终日在祂面前欢悦,
31 因祂所造的人世而欢悦,
    因祂所造的世人而喜乐。

32 “孩子们啊,你们要听从我,
    持守我道路的人有福了。
33 要听从教诲,不可轻忽,
    要做智者。
34 人若听从我、天天在我门口仰望、
    时时在我门边等候,就有福了。
35 因为找到我的,便找到了生命,
    他必蒙耶和华的恩惠。
36 没找到我就是害自己;
    憎恨我就是喜爱死亡。”

Wisdom’s Call

Does not wisdom call out?(A)
    Does not understanding raise her voice?
At the highest point along the way,
    where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
beside the gate leading into the city,
    at the entrance, she cries aloud:(B)
“To you, O people, I call out;(C)
    I raise my voice to all mankind.
You who are simple,(D) gain prudence;(E)
    you who are foolish, set your hearts on it.[a]
Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say;
    I open my lips to speak what is right.
My mouth speaks what is true,(F)
    for my lips detest wickedness.
All the words of my mouth are just;
    none of them is crooked or perverse.
To the discerning all of them are right;
    they are upright to those who have found knowledge.
10 Choose my instruction instead of silver,
    knowledge rather than choice gold,(G)
11 for wisdom is more precious(H) than rubies,
    and nothing you desire can compare with her.(I)

12 “I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;
    I possess knowledge and discretion.(J)
13 To fear the Lord(K) is to hate evil;(L)
    I hate(M) pride and arrogance,
    evil behavior and perverse speech.
14 Counsel and sound judgment are mine;
    I have insight, I have power.(N)
15 By me kings reign
    and rulers(O) issue decrees that are just;
16 by me princes govern,(P)
    and nobles—all who rule on earth.[b]
17 I love those who love me,(Q)
    and those who seek me find me.(R)
18 With me are riches and honor,(S)
    enduring wealth and prosperity.(T)
19 My fruit is better than fine gold;(U)
    what I yield surpasses choice silver.(V)
20 I walk in the way of righteousness,(W)
    along the paths of justice,
21 bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me
    and making their treasuries full.(X)

22 “The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,[c][d]
    before his deeds of old;
23 I was formed long ages ago,
    at the very beginning, when the world came to be.
24 When there were no watery depths, I was given birth,
    when there were no springs overflowing with water;(Y)
25 before the mountains were settled in place,(Z)
    before the hills, I was given birth,(AA)
26 before he made the world or its fields
    or any of the dust of the earth.(AB)
27 I was there when he set the heavens in place,(AC)
    when he marked out the horizon(AD) on the face of the deep,
28 when he established the clouds above(AE)
    and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,(AF)
29 when he gave the sea its boundary(AG)
    so the waters would not overstep his command,(AH)
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.(AI)
30     Then I was constantly[e] at his side.(AJ)
I was filled with delight day after day,
    rejoicing always in his presence,
31 rejoicing in his whole world
    and delighting in mankind.(AK)

32 “Now then, my children, listen(AL) to me;
    blessed are(AM) those who keep my ways.(AN)
33 Listen to my instruction and be wise;
    do not disregard it.
34 Blessed are those who listen(AO) to me,
    watching daily at my doors,
    waiting at my doorway.
35 For those who find me(AP) find life(AQ)
    and receive favor from the Lord.(AR)
36 But those who fail to find me harm themselves;(AS)
    all who hate me love death.”(AT)

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 8:5 Septuagint; Hebrew foolish, instruct your minds
  2. Proverbs 8:16 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; other Hebrew manuscripts all righteous rulers
  3. Proverbs 8:22 Or way; or dominion
  4. Proverbs 8:22 Or The Lord possessed me at the beginning of his work; or The Lord brought me forth at the beginning of his work
  5. Proverbs 8:30 Or was the artisan; or was a little child