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
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.
Proverbios 8
Nueva Versión Internacional (Castilian)
Llamado de la sabiduría
8 ¿Acaso no está llamando la sabiduría?
¿No está elevando su voz la inteligencia?
2 Establece su puesto en las alturas,
a la vera del camino y en las encrucijadas.
3 Junto a las puertas que dan a la ciudad,
a la entrada misma, grita fuertemente:
4 «A vosotros los hombres os estoy llamando;
dirijo mi voz a toda la humanidad.
5 Vosotros los inexpertos, ¡adquirid prudencia!
Vosotros los necios, ¡obtened discernimiento!
6 Escuchadme, que diré cosas importantes;
mis labios hablarán lo correcto.
7 Mi boca expresará la verdad,
pues mis labios detestan la mentira.
8 Las palabras de mi boca son todas justas;
no hay en ellas maldad ni doblez.
9 Son claras para los entendidos,
e irreprochables para los sabios.
10 Optad por mi instrucción, no por la plata;
por el conocimiento, no por el oro refinado.
11 Vale más la sabiduría que las piedras preciosas,
y ni lo más deseable se le compara.
12 »Yo, la sabiduría, convivo con la prudencia
y poseo conocimiento y discreción.
13 Quien teme al Señor aborrece lo malo;
yo aborrezco el orgullo y la arrogancia,
la mala conducta y el lenguaje perverso.
14 Míos son el consejo y el buen juicio;
míos son el entendimiento y el poder.
15 Por mí reinan los reyes
y promulgan leyes justas los gobernantes.
16 Por mí gobiernan los príncipes
y todos los nobles que rigen la tierra.[a]
17 A los que me aman, les correspondo;
a los que me buscan, me doy a conocer.
18 Conmigo están las riquezas y la honra,
la prosperidad[b] y los bienes duraderos.
19 Mi fruto es mejor que el oro fino;
mi cosecha sobrepasa a la plata refinada.
20 Voy por el camino de la rectitud,
por los senderos de la justicia,
21 enriqueciendo a los que me aman
y acrecentando sus tesoros.
22 »El Señor me dio la vida[c] como primicia de sus obras,[d]
mucho antes de sus obras de antaño.
23 Fui establecida desde la eternidad,
desde antes que existiera el mundo.
24 No existían los grandes mares cuando yo nací;
no había entonces manantiales de abundantes aguas.
25 Nací antes que fueran formadas las colinas,
antes que se cimentaran las montañas,
26 antes que él creara la tierra y sus paisajes
y el polvo primordial con que hizo el mundo.
27 Cuando Dios cimentó la bóveda celeste
y trazó el horizonte sobre las aguas,
allí estaba yo presente.
28 Cuando estableció las nubes en los cielos
y reforzó las fuentes del mar profundo;
29 cuando señaló los límites del mar,
para que las aguas obedecieran su mandato;
cuando plantó los fundamentos de la tierra,
30 allí estaba yo, afirmando su obra.
Día tras día me llenaba yo de alegría,
siempre disfrutaba de estar en su presencia;
31 me regocijaba en el mundo que él creó;
¡en el género humano me deleitaba!
32 »Y ahora, hijos míos, escuchadme:
dichosos los que van por[e] mis caminos.
33 Atended a mi instrucción, y sed sabios;
no la descuidéis.
34 Dichosos los que me escuchan
y a mis puertas están atentos cada día,
esperando a la entrada de mi casa.
35 En verdad, quien me encuentra halla la vida
y recibe el favor del Señor.
36 Quien me rechaza se perjudica a sí mismo;
quien me aborrece ama la muerte».
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Santa Biblia, NUEVA VERSIÓN INTERNACIONAL® NVI® (Castellano) © 1999, 2005, 2017 por Biblica, Inc.® Usado con permiso de Biblica, Inc.® Reservados todos los derechos en todo el mundo.