The Commendation of Wisdom

Does not (A)wisdom call,
And understanding [a]raise her voice?
On top of (B)the heights beside the way,
Where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
Beside the (C)gates, at the opening to the city,
At the entrance of the doors, she cries out:
“To you, people, I call,
And my voice is to [b]mankind.
You (D)naive ones, understand prudence;
And, you (E)fools, understand [c]wisdom!
Listen, for I will speak (F)noble things;
And the opening of my lips will reveal (G)right things.
For my (H)mouth will proclaim truth;
And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
All the words of my mouth are in righteousness;
There is nothing (I)crooked or perverted in them.
They are all (J)straightforward to him who understands,
And right to those who (K)find knowledge.
10 Accept my (L)instruction and not silver,
And knowledge rather than choice gold.
11 For wisdom is (M)better than [d]jewels;
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 the Lord is to hate evil;
(R)Pride, arrogance, (S)the evil way,
And the (T)perverted mouth, I hate.
14 (U)Advice is mine and (V)sound wisdom;
I am understanding, (W)power is mine.
15 By me (X)kings reign,
And rulers decree justice.
16 By me princes rule, and nobles,
All who judge rightly.
17 I (Y)love those who love me;
And (Z)those who diligently seek me will find me.
18 (AA)Riches and honor are with me,
Enduring (AB)wealth and righteousness.
19 My fruit is (AC)better than gold, even pure gold;
And my yield better than (AD)choice silver.
20 I walk in the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice,
21 To endow those who love me with wealth,
That I may (AE)fill their treasuries.

22 “The Lord [e]created me (AF)at the beginning of His way,
Before His works [f]of old.
23 From eternity I was [g](AG)established,
From the beginning, (AH)from the earliest times of the earth.
24 When there were no (AI)ocean depths, I was born,
When there were no springs abounding with water.
25 (AJ)Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills, I was born;
26 While He had not yet made the earth and the [h]fields,
Nor the first dust of the world.
27 When He (AK)established the heavens, I was there;
When (AL)He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,
28 When He made firm the skies above,
When the springs of the deep became [i]fixed,
29 When (AM)He set a boundary for the sea
So that the water would not violate His [j]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 His delight daily,
[k]Rejoicing always before Him,
31 [l]Rejoicing in the world, His earth,
And having (AP)my delight in the sons of mankind.

32 “Now then, sons, (AQ)listen to me,
For (AR)blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 (AS)Listen to instruction and be wise,
And do not neglect it.
34 (AT)Blessed is the person who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at my doorposts.
35 For (AU)one who finds me finds life,
And (AV)obtains favor from the Lord.
36 But one who [m]sins against me (AW)injures himself;
All those who (AX)hate me (AY)love death.”

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 8:1 Lit give
  2. Proverbs 8:4 Lit sons of mankind
  3. Proverbs 8:5 Lit heart
  4. Proverbs 8:11 Lit corals
  5. Proverbs 8:22 Or possessed
  6. Proverbs 8:22 Lit from then
  7. Proverbs 8:23 Or consecrated
  8. Proverbs 8:26 Lit outside places
  9. Proverbs 8:28 Lit strong
  10. Proverbs 8:29 Lit mouth
  11. Proverbs 8:30 Or Playing
  12. Proverbs 8:31 Or Playing
  13. Proverbs 8:36 Or misses me

The Blessings of Redemption

Paul, (A)an apostle of (B)Christ Jesus [a](C)by the will of God,

To the [b](D)saints who are [c]at (E)Ephesus and (F)are faithful in (G)Christ Jesus: (H)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(I)Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in (J)the heavenly places in Christ, just as (K)He chose us in Him before (L)the foundation of the world, that we would be (M)holy and blameless before [d]Him. (N)In love [e]He (O)predestined us to (P)adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, (Q)according to the good pleasure of His will, (R)to the praise of the glory of His grace, with which He favored us in (S)the Beloved. (T)In [f]Him we have (U)redemption (V)through His blood, the (W)forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to (X)the riches of His grace which He [g]lavished on [h]us. In all wisdom and insight He [i](Y)made known to us the mystery of His will, (Z)according to His good pleasure which He (AA)set forth in Him, 10 regarding His plan of (AB)the fullness of the times, (AC)to bring all things together in Christ, things [j]in the heavens and things on the earth. 11 [k]In Him we also (AD)have obtained an inheritance, having been (AE)predestined (AF)according to the purpose of Him who works all things (AG)in accordance with the plan of His will, 12 to the end that [l]we who were the first to hope in the [m]Christ would be (AH)to the praise of His glory. 13 In [n]Him, [o]you also, after listening to (AI)the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also [p]believed, you were (AJ)sealed in [q]Him with (AK)the Holy Spirit of the promise, 14 who is a (AL)first installment of (AM)our inheritance, in regard to the (AN)redemption of (AO)God’s own possession, (AP)to the praise of His glory.

15 For this reason I too, (AQ)having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and [r]your love for (AR)all the [s]saints, 16 (AS)do not cease giving thanks for you, (AT)while making mention of you in my prayers; 17 that the (AU)God of our Lord Jesus Christ, (AV)the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of (AW)wisdom and of (AX)revelation in the [t]knowledge of Him. 18 I pray that (AY)the eyes of your heart [u]may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the (AZ)hope of His (BA)calling, what are (BB)the riches of the glory of (BC)His inheritance in (BD)the [v]saints, 19 and what is the [w]boundless greatness of His power toward us who believe. (BE)These are in accordance with the working of the (BF)strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He (BG)raised Him from the dead and (BH)seated Him at His right hand in (BI)the heavenly places, 21 far above (BJ)all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every (BK)name that is named, not only in (BL)this age but also in the one to come. 22 And He (BM)put all things in subjection under His feet, and made Him (BN)head over all things to the church, 23 which is His (BO)body, the (BP)fullness of Him who (BQ)fills (BR)all in all.

Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 1:1 Lit through
  2. Ephesians 1:1 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
  3. Ephesians 1:1 Three early mss do not contain at Ephesus
  4. Ephesians 1:4 Or Him, in love. He
  5. Ephesians 1:5 Lit having predestined
  6. Ephesians 1:7 Lit whom
  7. Ephesians 1:8 Lit made abundant toward
  8. Ephesians 1:8 Or us in all wisdom and insight. He
  9. Ephesians 1:9 Lit making known
  10. Ephesians 1:10 Lit upon
  11. Ephesians 1:11 Lit In whom also
  12. Ephesians 1:12 I.e., Jewish believers
  13. Ephesians 1:12 I.e., Messiah
  14. Ephesians 1:13 Lit whom
  15. Ephesians 1:13 I.e., Gentile believers
  16. Ephesians 1:13 Or believed in Him, you were sealed
  17. Ephesians 1:13 Lit whom
  18. Ephesians 1:15 Three early mss do not contain your love
  19. Ephesians 1:15 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
  20. Ephesians 1:17 Or true knowledge
  21. Ephesians 1:18 Lit having been
  22. Ephesians 1:18 See note 2 v 15
  23. Ephesians 1:19 Lit surpassing

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