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The Blessing of Wisdom

Does not (A)wisdom call,
And discernment give forth her voice?
At the top of (B)the heights upon the way,
Where the pathways meet, she takes her stand;
Beside the (C)gates, at the opening to the city,
At the entrance of the doors, she makes a shout:
“To you, O men, I call,
And my voice is to the sons of men.
O (D)simple ones, understand prudence;
And, O (E)fools, understand a heart of wisdom.
Listen, for I will speak (F)noble things;
And the opening of my lips will reveal (G)upright things.
For my (H)mouth will utter truth;
And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
All the words of my mouth are in righteousness;
There is nothing (I)twisted or crooked in them.
They are all (J)straightforward to him who understands,
And right to those who (K)find knowledge.
10 Take my (L)discipline and not silver,
And knowledge rather than choicest fine gold.
11 For wisdom is (M)better than pearls;
And (N)all desirable things cannot compare with her.

12 “I, wisdom, (O)dwell with prudence,
And I find (P)knowledge and discretion.
13 The (Q)fear of Yahweh is to hate evil;
(R)Pride and arrogance and (S)the evil way
And the mouth of [a](T)perverted words, I hate.
14 (U)Counsel is mine and (V)sound wisdom;
I am understanding, (W)might is mine.
15 By me (X)kings reign,
And rulers mark out righteousness.
16 By me princes rule, and nobles,
All who judge rightly.
17 I (Y)love those who love me;
And (Z)those who earnestly seek me will find me.
18 (AA)Riches and glory are with me,
Enduring (AB)wealth and righteousness.
19 My fruit is (AC)better than fine gold, even pure gold,
And my produce better than (AD)choice silver.
20 I walk in the path of righteousness,
In the midst of the pathways of justice,
21 To give those who love me an inheritance of wealth,
That I may (AE)fill their treasuries.

22 “Yahweh possessed me (AF)at the beginning of His way,
Before His deeds [b]of old.
23 From everlasting I was [c](AG)installed,
From the beginning, (AH)from the earliest times of the earth.
24 When there were no (AI)depths I was [d]brought forth,
When there were no springs heavy with water.
25 (AJ)Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills I was [e]brought forth;
26 While He had not yet made the earth and the fields outside,
Nor the first dust of the world.
27 When He (AK)established the heavens, I was there,
When (AL)He marked out a circle on the face of the deep,
28 When He made firm the skies above,
When the springs of the deep became strong,
29 When (AM)He set for the sea its boundary
So that the water would not pass over His [f]command,
When He marked out (AN)the foundations of the earth;
30 Then (AO)I was beside Him, as a master workman;
And I was a daily delight,
[g]Rejoicing always before Him,
31 [h]Rejoicing in the world, His earth,
(AP)My delight is in the sons of men.

32 “So now, O sons, (AQ)listen to me,
For (AR)blessed are they who keep my ways.
33 (AS)Hear discipline and be wise,
And do not neglect it.
34 (AT)How blessed is the man who hears me,
To watch daily at my doors,
To keep watch at my doorposts.
35 For (AU)he who finds me finds life
And (AV)obtains favor from Yahweh.
36 But he who [i]sins against me (AW)does violence to his own soul;
All those who (AX)hate me (AY)love death.”

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 8:13 Lit perversities
  2. Proverbs 8:22 Lit from then
  3. Proverbs 8:23 Or consecrated
  4. Proverbs 8:24 Or born
  5. Proverbs 8:25 Or born
  6. Proverbs 8:29 Lit mouth
  7. Proverbs 8:30 Or Playing
  8. Proverbs 8:31 Or Playing
  9. Proverbs 8:36 Or misses me

The Excellence of Wisdom

Does not (A)wisdom cry out,
And understanding lift up her voice?
She takes her stand on the top of the [a]high hill,
Beside the way, where the paths meet.
She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city,
At the entrance of the doors:
“To you, O men, I call,
And my voice is to the sons of men.
O you [b]simple ones, understand prudence,
And you fools, be of an understanding heart.
Listen, for I will speak of (B)excellent things,
And from the opening of my lips will come right things;
For my mouth will speak truth;
Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
All the words of my mouth are with righteousness;
Nothing crooked or perverse is in them.
They are all plain to him who understands,
And right to those who find knowledge.
10 Receive my instruction, and not silver,
And knowledge rather than choice gold;
11 (C)For wisdom is better than rubies,
And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.

12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
And find out knowledge and discretion.
13 (D)The fear of the Lord is to hate evil;
(E)Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And (F)the perverse mouth I hate.
14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom;
I am understanding, (G)I have strength.
15 (H)By me kings reign,
And rulers decree justice.
16 By me princes rule, and nobles,
All the judges of [c]the earth.
17 (I)I love those who love me,
And (J)those who seek me diligently will find me.
18 (K)Riches and honor are with me,
Enduring riches and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold,
And my revenue than choice silver.
20 I [d]traverse the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice,
21 That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth,
That I may fill their treasuries.

22 “The(L) Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way,
Before His works of old.
23 (M)I have been established from everlasting,
From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth,
When there were no fountains abounding with water.
25 (N)Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills, I was brought forth;
26 While as yet He had not made the earth or the [e]fields,
Or the [f]primal dust of the world.
27 When He prepared the heavens, I was there,
When He drew a circle on the face of the deep,
28 When He established the clouds above,
When He strengthened the fountains of the deep,
29 (O)When He assigned to the sea its limit,
So that the waters would not transgress His command,
When (P)He marked out the foundations of the earth,
30 (Q)Then I was beside Him as [g]a master craftsman;
(R)And I was daily His delight,
Rejoicing always before Him,
31 Rejoicing in His inhabited world,
And (S)my delight was with the sons of men.

32 “Now therefore, listen to me, my children,
For (T)blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction and be wise,
And do not disdain it.
34 (U)Blessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 For whoever finds me finds life,
And (V)obtains favor from the Lord;
36 But he who sins against me (W)wrongs his own soul;
All those who hate me love death.”

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 8:2 Lit. heights
  2. Proverbs 8:5 naive
  3. Proverbs 8:16 MT, Syr., Tg., Vg. righteousness; LXX, Bg., some mss. and editions earth
  4. Proverbs 8:20 walk about on
  5. Proverbs 8:26 outer places
  6. Proverbs 8:26 Lit. beginning of the dust
  7. Proverbs 8:30 A Jewish tradition one brought up

Excelencia de la Sabiduría

¿Acaso no clama la Sabiduría
y alza su voz la inteligencia?
Apostada en las alturas junto al camino,
en las encrucijadas de las veredas,
junto a las puertas, a la entrada de la ciudad,
a la entrada de las puertas da voces:
¡A vosotros, hombres, llamo;
mi voz dirijo a los hijos de los hombres!
«Ingenuos, aprended discreción;
y vosotros, necios, entrad en cordura.
Escuchad, porque voy a decir cosas excelentes,
voy a abrir mis labios para cosas rectas.
Porque mi boca dice la verdad,
y mis labios abominan la impiedad.
Justas son todas las razones de mi boca:
nada hay en ellas perverso ni torcido;
todas son claras para el que entiende
y rectas para los que han hallado sabiduría.
10 Recibid mi enseñanza antes que la plata,
y ciencia antes que el oro puro;
11 porque mejor es la sabiduría que las perlas,
y no hay cosa deseable que se le pueda comparar.»

Discurso de la Sabiduría

12 «Yo, la Sabiduría, habito con la cordura
y tengo la ciencia de los consejos.
13 El temor de Jehová es aborrecer el mal:
yo aborrezco la soberbia, la arrogancia, el mal camino
y la boca perversa.
14 Conmigo están el consejo y el buen juicio.
Yo soy la inteligencia, y mío es el poder.
15 Por mí reinan los reyes,
y los príncipes ejercen la justicia.
16 Por mí dominan los príncipes,
y los gobernadores juzgan la tierra.
17 Yo amo a los que me aman,
y me hallan los que temprano me buscan.
18 Las riquezas y el honor me acompañan;
los bienes permanentes y la justicia.
19 Mejor es mi fruto que el oro, que el oro refinado;
y mis beneficios mejores que la plata pura.
20 Por vereda de justicia guiaré,
por en medio de sendas de juicio,
21 para hacer que los que me aman tengan su heredad
y que yo llene sus tesoros.

22 »Jehová me poseía en el principio,
ya de antiguo, antes de sus obras.
23 Eternamente tuve la primacía, desde el principio,
antes de la tierra.
24 Fui engendrada antes que los abismos,
antes que existieran las fuentes de las muchas aguas.
25 Antes que los montes fueran formados,
antes que los collados, ya había sido yo engendrada,
26 cuando él aún no había hecho la tierra, ni los campos,
ni el principio del polvo del mundo.
27 Cuando formaba los cielos, allí estaba yo;
cuando trazaba el círculo sobre la faz del abismo,
28 cuando afirmaba los cielos arriba,
cuando afirmaba las fuentes del abismo,
29 cuando fijaba los límites al mar
para que las aguas no transgredieran su mandato,
cuando establecía los fundamentos de la tierra,
30 con él estaba yo ordenándolo todo.
Yo era su delicia cada día
y me recreaba delante de él en todo tiempo.
31 Me regocijaba con la parte habitada de su tierra,
pues mis delicias están con los hijos de los hombres.

32 »Ahora pues, hijos, escuchadme:
¡Bienaventurados los que guardan mis caminos!
33 Atended el consejo, sed sabios
y no lo menospreciéis.
34 Bienaventurado el hombre que me escucha,
velando a mis puertas cada día,
guardando los postes de mis puertas,
35 porque el que me halle, hallará la vida
y alcanzará el favor de Jehová;
36 pero el que peca contra mí, se defrauda a sí mismo,
pues todos los que me aborrecen aman la muerte».