Proverbs 8
Complete Jewish Bible
8 Wisdom is calling!
Understanding is raising her voice!
2 On the heights along the road,
where the paths meet, she is standing;
3 by the gates leading into the city,
at the entrances, she cries aloud:
4 “People, I am calling you,
raising my voice to all mankind.
5 You who don’t direct your lives,
understand caution;
as for you, you fools,
get some common sense!
6 “Listen! I will say worthwhile things;
when I speak, my words are right.
7 My mouth says what is true,
because my lips detest evil.
8 All the words from my mouth are righteous;
nothing false or crooked is in them.
9 They are all clear to those who understand
and straightforward to those who gain knowledge.
10 Receive my instruction, rather than silver;
knowledge, rather than the finest gold.
11 For wisdom is better than pearls;
nothing you want can compare with her.
12 “I, wisdom, live together with caution;
I attain knowledge and discretion.
13 The fear of Adonai is hatred of evil.
I hate pride and arrogance,
evil ways and duplicitous speech.
14 Good advice is mine, and common sense;
I am insight, power is mine.
15 By me kings reign,
and princes make just laws.
16 By me princes govern,
nobles too, and all the earth’s rulers.
17 I love those who love me;
and those who seek me will find me.
18 Riches and honor are with me,
lasting wealth and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than gold, fine gold,
my produce better than the finest silver.
20 I follow the course of righteousness
along the paths of justice,
21 to endow with wealth those who love me
and fill their treasuries.
22 “Adonai made me as the beginning of his way,
the first of his ancient works.
23 I was appointed before the world,
before the start, before the earth’s beginnings.
24 When I was brought forth, there were no ocean depths,
no springs brimming with water.
25 I was brought forth before the hills,
before the mountains had settled in place;
26 he had not yet made the earth, the fields,
or even the earth’s first grains of dust.
27 When he established the heavens, I was there.
When he drew the horizon’s circle on the deep,
28 when he set the skies above in place,
when the fountains of the deep poured forth,
29 when he prescribed boundaries for the sea,
so that its water would not transgress his command,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
30 I was with him as someone he could trust.
For me, every day was pure delight,
as I played in his presence all the time,.
31 playing everywhere on his earth,
and delighting to be with humankind.
32 “Therefore, children, listen to me:
happy are those who keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction, and grow wise;
do not refuse it.
34 How happy the person who listens to me,
who watches daily at my gates
and waits outside my doors.
35 For he who finds me finds life
and obtains the favor of Adonai.
36 But he who misses me harms himself;
all who hate me love death.”
Proverbs 8
King James Version
8 Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?
2 She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths.
3 She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors.
4 Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man.
5 O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.
6 Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things.
7 For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them.
9 They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.
10 Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold.
11 For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.
12 I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.
13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.
14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.
15 By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.
16 By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.
18 Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver.
20 I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment:
21 That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.
22 The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.
23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.
24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:
26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.
27 When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:
28 When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:
29 When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:
30 Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;
31 Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.
32 Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.
34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord.
36 But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.
Mishle 8
Orthodox Jewish Bible
8 Doth not Chochmah cry out? And Tevunah (understanding) put forth her voice?
2 In the top of high hills, beside the derech (road) in the bais netivot (meeting place of trodden paths, crossroads) nitzavah (she [Lady Wisdom, the lady street preacher] stands).
3 She crieth out at the she’arim (gates), at the entry of the city, at the entrance at the petachim (doorways):
4 Unto you, O ishim, I call out; and my voice is to the Bnei Adam.
5 O ye simple ones, understand armah (prudence); and, ye kesilim, understand in your lev.
6 Hear; for I will speak negidim (noble things, worthy [words]); and the opening of my sfatayim (lips) shall be meisharim (upright, fair things).
7 For my mouth shall speak emes; and resha is an abomination to my sfatayim (lips).
8 All the words of my peh (mouth) are in tzedek; there is nothing crooked or perverse in them.
9 They are all correct to him that discerneth, and yesharim (straight ones) to them that find da’as (knowledge).
10 Receive my musar, and not kesef; and da’as (knowledge) rather than choice gold.
11 For chochmah is tovah (better, more precious) than pearls; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.
12 I, Chochmah, dwell with armah (prudence), and find out da’as (knowledge) of mezimot (discretions).
13 The Yirat Hashem is to hate rah; pride, and ga’on (arrogance), and the derech rah, and the perverse peh (mouth), do I hate.
14 Etzah (counsel, advice) is mine, and sound judgment; I am binah; I have gevurah.
15 By me melachim reign, and nobles decree tzedek.
16 By me sarim (princes) rule, and nobles, even all the shofetim of tzedek.
17 I love them that have ahavah for me; and those that seek me shall find me.
18 Osher and kavod are with me; indeed, enduring hon (wealth) and tzedakah.
19 My p’ri is better than gold, indeed, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice kesef.
20 I walk in the orach tzedakah (way of righteousness), in the midst of the netivot (paths) of mishpat,
21 That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their otzarot.
22 Hashem possessed me in the reshit of His derech, before His works of old.
23 I was set up [to reign] me’olam (from eternity), from the beginning, or ever eretz was.
24 When there were no tehomot, I was brought forth; when there were no springs abounding with mayim.
25 Before the harim were settled, before the geva’ot (hills) was I brought forth;
26 While as yet He had not made eretz, nor the outer places, nor the beginning of the dust of the tevel.
27 When He set in place Shomayim, I was there; when He drew a khoog (circle, horizon) upon the face of the tehom,
28 When He established the clouds above, when He strengthened the fountains of the tehom,
29 When He gave to the yam His chok (decree, limits), that the mayim should not pass its limits, when He appointed the foundations of the Eretz;
30 Then I was etzel (at the side of, beside [see Yn 1:1]) Him, as an Amon (master craftsman, builder, architect, artist); and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him [Mishle 30:4] ;
31 Rejoicing in the tevel of His Eretz; and my delights were with the Bnei Adam.
32 Now therefore pay heed unto me, O ye banim; for ashrei (blessed, happy) are they that are shomer over my drakhim.
33 Hear musar, and be chacham, and disdain it not.
34 Ashrei is adam that heareth me, watching daily at my dalatot, waiting at the mezuzot of my doors.
35 For whosoever findeth me findeth Chayyim, and shall obtain ratzon Hashem.
36 But he that sinneth against me doth chamas against his own nefesh; all they that hate me love mavet.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
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