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
New King James Version
The Excellence of Wisdom
8 Does not (A)wisdom cry out,
And understanding lift up her voice?
2 She takes her stand on the top of the [a]high hill,
Beside the way, where the paths meet.
3 She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city,
At the entrance of the doors:
4 “To you, O men, I call,
And my voice is to the sons of men.
5 O you [b]simple ones, understand prudence,
And you fools, be of an understanding heart.
6 Listen, for I will speak of (B)excellent things,
And from the opening of my lips will come right things;
7 For my mouth will speak truth;
Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are with righteousness;
Nothing crooked or perverse is in them.
9 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
- Proverbs 8:2 Lit. heights
- Proverbs 8:5 naive
- Proverbs 8:16 MT, Syr., Tg., Vg. righteousness; LXX, Bg., some mss. and editions earth
- Proverbs 8:20 walk about on
- Proverbs 8:26 outer places
- Proverbs 8:26 Lit. beginning of the dust
- Proverbs 8:30 A Jewish tradition one brought up
Proverbios 8
Reina-Valera 1995
Excelencia de la Sabiduría
8 ¿Acaso no clama la Sabiduría
y alza su voz la inteligencia?
2 Apostada en las alturas junto al camino,
en las encrucijadas de las veredas,
3 junto a las puertas, a la entrada de la ciudad,
a la entrada de las puertas da voces:
4 ¡A vosotros, hombres, llamo;
mi voz dirijo a los hijos de los hombres!
5 «Ingenuos, aprended discreción;
y vosotros, necios, entrad en cordura.
6 Escuchad, porque voy a decir cosas excelentes,
voy a abrir mis labios para cosas rectas.
7 Porque mi boca dice la verdad,
y mis labios abominan la impiedad.
8 Justas son todas las razones de mi boca:
nada hay en ellas perverso ni torcido;
9 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».
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1995 by United Bible Societies