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.”
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.
Proverbs 8
The Voice
8 Isn’t Lady Wisdom calling?
Listen; don’t you hear the voice of understanding crying out?
2 She’s taken her stand at the highest place in the city,
at the crossroads where everyone can see her.
3 There, and at the gates, at the entrance to the city,
right in front of the city doors she cries out:
4 Lady Wisdom: O people! I am calling to you;
I have a message for all humanity.
5 You gullible people, acquire insight.
You naive ones, cultivate a heart that truly understands.
6 Listen, for I am about to tell you of unparalleled excellence and beauty;
what I am about to say will set things right.
7 I will only speak the truth;
I despise evil, so it will not pass through my lips.
8 Everything I say promotes justice;
not one word is crooked, and nothing is distorted.
9 Each and every word is straight talk to perceptive people,
upright and honest to knowledge-seekers.
10 Accept my correction as being more valuable than your prized possession,
authentic knowledge more valuable than pure gold.
11 You see, no gem is more precious than Lady Wisdom—
your most extravagant desire doesn’t come close to her.
12 Lady Wisdom: I make my home with prudence;
I obtain knowledge and sound judgment.
13 If you respect the Eternal, you will grow to despise evil.
I despise wretched, vile talk
and ways of pride and arrogance.
14 Good counsel is mine, and also true wisdom.
I am understanding, and strength belongs to me.
15 It’s because of me that kings wield power
and authorities decree what is right.
16 It’s because of me that leaders and their agents govern
and all judge according to what is right.
17 I love those who love me;
those who search hard for me will find me.
18 Riches and honor are the benefit of following me;
so are lasting wealth and justice.
19 My reward is better than gold, even the purest gold;
and my profit is greater than the highest quality silver.
20 I follow the way of right living.
Follow me along the path to find justice;
21 I’m ready to meet those who love me, bestow true riches upon them,
and fill up their lives until their treasuries overflow.
22 The Eternal created me; it happened when His work was beginning,
one of His first acts long ago.
23 Before time He established me,
before the earth saw its first sunrise.
24 I was born before the deep existed,
before any springs poured out their water,
25 Before the mountains were placed on their foundations,
before the hills rolled across the land—
yes, before all this, I was brought forth.
26 When the earth was yet unformed and the fields were not yet nestled beneath the wind—
even before the first dust of the earth—
27 When He created the heavens, I was there.
When He drew a circle in the deep, dividing the oceans and the sky, I was there.
28 I was there when He established the sky.
I was there when the springs in the deep were fortified;
29 I witnessed Him lay down the shore as a boundary
and put limits on the water
And determine the foundations of the earth.
30 All this time I was close beside Him, a master craftsman.
Every day I was His delightful companion,
celebrating every minute in His presence,
31 Elated by the world He was making and all its fine creatures;
I was especially pleased with humanity.
32 So now listen to me, my children:
those who live by my ways will find true happiness.
33 Pay attention to my guidance, dare to be wise,
and don’t disregard my teachings.
34 The one who listens to me,
who carefully seeks me in everyday things
and delays action until my way is apparent, that one will find true happiness.
35 For when he recognizes and follows me, he finds a peaceful and satisfying life
and receives favor from the Eternal.
36 But heed my warning: the one who goes against me will only hurt himself,
for all who despise me are playing with fire and courting death.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.