智慧的呼喚

智慧不是在呼喚嗎?
    悟性不是在呐喊嗎?
她在路邊高處站立,
    她在十字街頭停留,
在城門旁,在入口處大喊:
「世人啊,我呼喚你們,
    我向全人類大聲呼籲。
愚昧人啊,要學會謹慎!
    愚頑人啊,要慎思明辨!
你們聽啊,我要說美好的話,
    開口談論正直的事。
我的口傳揚真理,
    我的嘴憎恨邪惡。
我口中的言語公正,
    沒有一句錯謬的話。
我的話,智者明白,哲士認同。
10 要接受我的教誨,而非白銀;
    要選擇知識,而非黃金。
11 因為智慧比寶石更珍貴,
    一切美物都不能與之相比。

12 「我智慧與謹慎同住,
    我擁有知識和明辨力。
13 敬畏耶和華就當憎恨邪惡,
    我憎恨驕傲、狂妄、惡道和謊言。
14 我有謀略和真知,
    又有悟性和能力。
15 君王靠我安邦定國,
    首領藉我秉公行義,
16 王公大臣靠我治理天下,
    官宦貴胄憑我公正斷案。
17 愛我的,我也愛他;
    懇切尋求我的,必能尋見。
18 富貴和尊榮在我,
    恆久的產業和公義也在我。
19 我的果實勝過純金,
    我的出產勝過純銀。
20 我在公義的道上奔走,
    在公平的路上前行。
21 我要賜財富給愛我的人,
    使他們的庫房充盈。

22 「在耶和華造物的起頭,
    在太初萬物被造以前,
    就已經有我。
23 從亙古,從太初,
    大地還沒有形成以前,
    我已經被立。
24 沒有深淵,
    沒有湧流的水泉以前,
    我已經誕生。
25 大山未曾奠定,
    小丘未曾形成,
    我已經出生。
26 那時耶和華還沒有造大地和原野,
    還沒有造一粒塵土。
27 祂鋪設諸天的時候,我已在場。
    祂在深淵上畫出地平線,
28 上使穹蒼堅固,
    下使深淵的泉源安穩,
29 設定滄海的界限,
    使海水不得越過祂定的範圍,
    為大地奠定根基的時候,
30 我就在祂身旁,
    做祂的工程師,
    天天成為祂的喜樂,
    終日在祂面前歡悅,
31 因祂所造的人世而歡悅,
    因祂所造的世人而喜樂。

32 「孩子們啊,你們要聽從我,
    持守我道路的人有福了。
33 要聽從教誨,不可輕忽,
    要做智者。
34 人若聽從我、天天在我門口仰望、
    時時在我門邊等候,就有福了。
35 因為找到我的,便找到了生命,
    他必蒙耶和華的恩惠。
36 沒找到我就是害自己;
    憎恨我就是喜愛死亡。」

Wisdom’s autobiography

Doesn’t Wisdom cry out
    and Understanding shout?
Atop the heights along the path,
    at the crossroads she takes her stand.
By the gate before the city,
    at the entrances she shouts:

I cry out to you, people;
    my voice goes out to all of humanity.
Understand skill, you who are naive.
    Take this to heart, you fools.
Listen, for I speak things that are correct;
    from my lips comes what is right.
My mouth utters the truth;
    my lips despise wickedness.
All the words of my mouth are righteous;
    nothing in them is twisted or crooked.
All of them are straightforward to those who understand,
    and upright for the knowledgeable.
10 Take my instruction rather than silver,
    knowledge rather than choice gold.
11 Wisdom is better than pearls;
    nothing is more delightful than she.

12 I, Wisdom, dwell with prudence;
    I have found knowledge and discretion.
13 To fear the Lord is to hate evil.
    I hate pride and arrogance,
        the path of evil and corrupt speech.
14 I have advice and ability,
    as well as understanding and strength.
15 By me kings rule,
    and princes issue righteous decrees.
16 By me rulers govern,
    and officials judge righteously.[a]
17 I love those who love me;
    those who seek me will find me.
18 Riches and honor are with me,
    as well as enduring wealth and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold;
    my crops are better than choice silver.
20 I walk on the way of righteousness,
    on the paths of justice,
21     to provide for those who love me
        and to fill up their treasuries.

22 The Lord created me at the beginning of his way,
    before his deeds long in the past.
23 I was formed in ancient times,
    at the beginning, before the earth was.
24 When there were no watery depths, I was brought forth,
    when there were no springs flowing with water.
25 Before the mountains were settled,
    before the hills, I was brought forth;
26     before God[b] made the earth and the fields
    or the first of the dry land.
27 I was there when he established the heavens,
    when he marked out the horizon on the deep sea,
28     when he thickened the clouds above,
    when he secured the fountains of the deep,
29     when he set a limit for the sea,
        so the water couldn’t go beyond his command,
    when he marked out the earth’s foundations.
30 I was beside him as a master of crafts.[c]
    I was having fun,
    smiling before him all the time,
31     frolicking with his inhabited earth
    and delighting in the human race.

32 Now children, listen to me:
    Happy are those who keep to my ways!
33 Listen to instruction, and be wise;
    don’t avoid it.
34 Happy are those who listen to me,
    watching daily at my doors,
    waiting at my doorposts.
35 Those who find me find life;
    they gain favor from the Lord.
36 Those who offend me injure themselves;
all those who hate me love death.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 8:16 Heb uncertain
  2. Proverbs 8:26 Heb lacks God.
  3. Proverbs 8:30 Heb uncertain