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Proverbs 8
Lexham English Bible
Proverbs 8
Lexham English Bible
Wisdom Calls
8 Does not wisdom call,
and understanding raise its voice?
2 Atop the heights[a] beside the road,
at the crossroads she stands.
3 Beside gates, before towns,
at the entrance of doors, she cries out:
4 “To you, O people,[b] I call,
and my cry is to the children of humankind.
5 Learn prudence, O simple ones;
fools, learn intelligence.[c]
6 Listen! For noble things I will speak,
and upright things from the opening of my lips.
7 My mouth will utter truth,
and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All sayings of my mouth are in righteousness;
none of them are twisted and crooked.
9 All of them are straight to him who understands,
and upright to those who find knowledge.
10 Take my teaching and not silver;
may you choose knowledge rather than choice gold.
11 For wisdom is better than jewels,
and all desires shall not compare with her.
12 I, wisdom, live with prudence,
and I find knowledge and discretion.
13 The fear of Yahweh is hatred of evil,
pride, and arrogance and an evil way.
And I hate a mouth of perversity.
14 Advice and sound judgment[d] are mine;
I am understanding, strength is mine.[e]
15 By me kings reign,
and rulers decree righteousness.
16 By me rulers rule,
and nobles—all judges of righteousness.
17 I love those who love me,[f]
and those who seek me diligently shall find me.
18 Fortune and glory are with me,
enduring wealth and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than gold,[g] even refined gold,
and my yield than choice silver.
20 In the way of righteousness I walk,
in the midst of paths of justice,
21 in order to endow those who love me with wealth,
and I will fill their treasuries.
Wisdom at Creation
22 “Yahweh possessed[h] me, the first of his ways,
before his acts of old.[i]
23 From eternity, I was set up from the first,
from the beginning[j] of the earth.
24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth,
when there were no springs of abounding[k] water.
25 Before mountains had been shaped,
before hills, I was brought forth.
26 When he had not yet made earth and fields,
or the first dust of the world,
27 when he established[l] the heavens, there I was,
when he drew[m] a circle upon the face of the deep,
28 when he made[n] skies from above,
when he founded fountains of the deep,
29 when he assigned[o] his limits to the sea,
that waters shall not transgress his command,[p]
when he marked[q] the foundations of the earth,
30 I was beside[r] him, a master workman,
and I was delighting day by day,
rejoicing before him always,[s]
31 rejoicing in the world of his earth,
and my delight was with the children of humankind.
Benefits of Following Wisdom
32 “And now, children, listen to me;
happy are those who will keep my ways.
33 Hear teaching and be wise;
do not neglect it.
34 Happy is the person who listens to me,
in order to keep watch at my doors day by day,
in order to guard the frames of my entrances.
35 For he who finds me is he who finds[t] life,
and he obtains favor from Yahweh.
36 But he who misses me injures himself.[u]
All those who hate me love death.”
Footnotes
- Proverbs 8:2 Literally “At a head of the heights”
- Proverbs 8:4 Literally “men”
- Proverbs 8:5 Literally “heart”
- Proverbs 8:14 Literally “To/for me are advice and sound judgment”
- Proverbs 8:14 Literally “to/for me is strength”
- Proverbs 8:17 Literally “her lovers”
- Proverbs 8:19 Literally “fine gold”
- Proverbs 8:22 Or “gained,” or “acquired”
- Proverbs 8:22 Literally “from before” or “from then”
- Proverbs 8:23 Hebrew “beginnings”
- Proverbs 8:24 Literally “made heavy”
- Proverbs 8:27 Literally “in his establishing”
- Proverbs 8:27 Literally “in his drawing”
- Proverbs 8:28 Literally “in his making”
- Proverbs 8:29 Literally “in his assigning”
- Proverbs 8:29 Literally “mouth”
- Proverbs 8:29 Literally “in his marking”
- Proverbs 8:30 Literally “at the place of”
- Proverbs 8:30 Literally “in all of time”
- Proverbs 8:35 Hebrew “those who find”
- Proverbs 8:36 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
Proverbs 8
Contemporary English Version
Proverbs 8
Contemporary English Version
In Praise of Wisdom
8 (A) With great understanding,
Wisdom[a] is calling out
2 as she stands at the crossroads
and on every hill.
3 She stands by the city gate
where everyone enters the city,
and she shouts:
4 “I am calling out
to each one of you!
5 Good sense and sound judgment
can be yours.
6 Listen, because what I say
is worthwhile and right.
7 I always speak the truth
and refuse to tell a lie.
8 Every word I speak is honest,
not one is misleading
or deceptive.
9 “If you have understanding,
you will see that my words
are just what you need.
10 Let instruction and knowledge
mean more to you than silver
or the finest gold.
11 (B) Wisdom is worth much more
than precious jewels
or anything else you desire.”
Wisdom Speaks
12 I am Wisdom[b]—Common Sense
is my closest friend;
I possess knowledge
and sound judgment.
13 If you respect the Lord,
you will hate evil.
I hate pride and conceit
and deceitful lies.
14 I am strong, and I offer
sensible advice
and sound judgment.
15 By my power kings govern,
and rulers make laws
that are fair.
16 Every honest leader rules
with help from me.
17 I love everyone who loves me,
and I will be found by all
who honestly search.
18 I can make you rich and famous,
important and successful.
19 What you receive from me
is more valuable
than even the finest gold
or the purest silver.
20 I always do what is right,
21 and I give great riches
to everyone who loves me.
22 (C) From the beginning,
I was with the Lord.[c]
I was there before he began
23 to create the earth.
At the very first,
the Lord gave life to[d] me.
24 When I was born,
there were no oceans
or springs of water.
25 My birth was before
mountains were formed
or hills were put in place.
26 It happened long before God
had made the earth
or any of its fields
or even the dust.
27 (D) I was there when the Lord
put the heavens in place
and stretched the sky
over the surface of the sea.
28 I was with him when he placed
the clouds in the sky
and created the springs
that fill the ocean.
29 I was there when he set
boundaries for the sea
to make it obey him,
and when he laid foundations
to support the earth.
30 I was right beside the Lord,
helping him plan and build.[e]
I made him happy each day,
and I was happy at his side.
31 I was pleased with his world
and pleased with its people.
32 (E) Pay attention, my children!
Follow my advice,
and you will be happy.
33 Listen carefully
to my instructions,
and you will be wise.
34 Come to my home each day
and listen to me.
You will find happiness.
35 By finding me, you find life,
and the Lord will be pleased
with you.
36 But if you don't find me,
you hurt only yourself,
and if you hate me,
you are in love with death.
Proverbs 8
New International Version
Proverbs 8
New International Version
Wisdom’s Call
8 Does not wisdom call out?(A)
Does not understanding raise her voice?
2 At the highest point along the way,
where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
3 beside the gate leading into the city,
at the entrance, she cries aloud:(B)
4 “To you, O people, I call out;(C)
I raise my voice to all mankind.
5 You who are simple,(D) gain prudence;(E)
you who are foolish, set your hearts on it.[a]
6 Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say;
I open my lips to speak what is right.
7 My mouth speaks what is true,(F)
for my lips detest wickedness.
8 All the words of my mouth are just;
none of them is crooked or perverse.
9 To the discerning all of them are right;
they are upright to those who have found knowledge.
10 Choose my instruction instead of silver,
knowledge rather than choice gold,(G)
11 for wisdom is more precious(H) than rubies,
and nothing you desire can compare with her.(I)
12 “I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;
I possess knowledge and discretion.(J)
13 To fear the Lord(K) is to hate evil;(L)
I hate(M) pride and arrogance,
evil behavior and perverse speech.
14 Counsel and sound judgment are mine;
I have insight, I have power.(N)
15 By me kings reign
and rulers(O) issue decrees that are just;
16 by me princes govern,(P)
and nobles—all who rule on earth.[b]
17 I love those who love me,(Q)
and those who seek me find me.(R)
18 With me are riches and honor,(S)
enduring wealth and prosperity.(T)
19 My fruit is better than fine gold;(U)
what I yield surpasses choice silver.(V)
20 I walk in the way of righteousness,(W)
along the paths of justice,
21 bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me
and making their treasuries full.(X)
22 “The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,[c][d]
before his deeds of old;
23 I was formed long ages ago,
at the very beginning, when the world came to be.
24 When there were no watery depths, I was given birth,
when there were no springs overflowing with water;(Y)
25 before the mountains were settled in place,(Z)
before the hills, I was given birth,(AA)
26 before he made the world or its fields
or any of the dust of the earth.(AB)
27 I was there when he set the heavens in place,(AC)
when he marked out the horizon(AD) on the face of the deep,
28 when he established the clouds above(AE)
and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,(AF)
29 when he gave the sea its boundary(AG)
so the waters would not overstep his command,(AH)
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.(AI)
30 Then I was constantly[e] at his side.(AJ)
I was filled with delight day after day,
rejoicing always in his presence,
31 rejoicing in his whole world
and delighting in mankind.(AK)
32 “Now then, my children, listen(AL) to me;
blessed are(AM) those who keep my ways.(AN)
33 Listen to my instruction and be wise;
do not disregard it.
34 Blessed are those who listen(AO) to me,
watching daily at my doors,
waiting at my doorway.
35 For those who find me(AP) find life(AQ)
and receive favor from the Lord.(AR)
36 But those who fail to find me harm themselves;(AS)
all who hate me love death.”(AT)
Footnotes
- Proverbs 8:5 Septuagint; Hebrew foolish, instruct your minds
- Proverbs 8:16 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; other Hebrew manuscripts all righteous rulers
- Proverbs 8:22 Or way; or dominion
- Proverbs 8:22 Or The Lord possessed me at the beginning of his work; or The Lord brought me forth at the beginning of his work
- Proverbs 8:30 Or was the artisan; or was a little child
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