Proverbs 8:1-9:6
English Standard Version
The Blessings of Wisdom
8 Does not (A)wisdom call?
Does not (B)understanding raise her voice?
2 On (C)the heights beside the way,
at the crossroads she takes her stand;
3 beside (D)the gates in front of (E)the town,
at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:
4 “To you, O (F)men, I call,
and my cry is to (G)the children of man.
5 O (H)simple ones, learn (I)prudence;
O (J)fools, learn sense.
6 Hear, for I will speak (K)noble things,
and from my lips will come (L)what is right,
7 for my (M)mouth will utter truth;
wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are righteous;
there is nothing (N)twisted or crooked in them.
9 They are all (O)straight to him who understands,
and right to those who find knowledge.
10 (P)Take my instruction instead of silver,
and knowledge rather than choice gold,
11 (Q)for wisdom is better than jewels,
and (R)all that you may desire cannot compare with her.
12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
and I find knowledge and (S)discretion.
13 (T)The fear of the Lord is (U)hatred of evil.
(V)Pride and arrogance and the way of evil
and (W)perverted speech I hate.
14 I have (X)counsel and (Y)sound wisdom;
I have insight; (Z)I have strength.
15 By me (AA)kings reign,
and rulers decree what is just;
16 by me princes rule,
and nobles, all who govern justly.[a]
17 (AB)I love those who love me,
and (AC)those who seek me diligently find me.
18 (AD)Riches and honor are with me,
(AE)enduring wealth and (AF)righteousness.
19 My fruit is (AG)better than (AH)gold, even fine gold,
and my yield than (AI)choice silver.
20 I walk in the way of righteousness,
in the paths of justice,
21 granting an inheritance to those who love me,
and filling their treasuries.
22 (AJ)“The Lord (AK)possessed[b] me at the beginning of his work,[c]
the first of his acts (AL)of old.
23 Ages ago I was (AM)set up,
at the first, (AN)before the beginning of the earth.
24 When there were no (AO)depths I was (AP)brought forth,
when there were no springs abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains (AQ)had been shaped,
(AR)before the hills, I was brought forth,
26 before he had made the earth with its fields,
or the first of the dust of the world.
27 When he (AS)established the heavens, I was there;
when he drew (AT)a circle on the face of the deep,
28 when he (AU)made firm the skies above,
when he established[d] the fountains of the deep,
29 when he (AV)assigned to the sea its (AW)limit,
so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out (AX)the foundations of the earth,
30 then (AY)I was beside him, like a master workman,
and I was daily his[e] (AZ)delight,
rejoicing before him always,
31 (BA)rejoicing in his (BB)inhabited world
and delighting in the children of man.
32 “And now, (BC)O sons, listen to me:
(BD)blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 (BE)Hear instruction and be wise,
and do not neglect it.
34 (BF)Blessed is the one who listens to me,
watching daily at my gates,
waiting beside my doors.
35 For (BG)whoever finds me (BH)finds life
and (BI)obtains favor from the Lord,
36 but he who fails to find me (BJ)injures himself;
all who (BK)hate me (BL)love death.”
The Way of Wisdom
9 (BM)Wisdom has built her house;
she has hewn her (BN)seven (BO)pillars.
2 She has (BP)slaughtered her beasts; she has (BQ)mixed her wine;
she has also (BR)set her table.
3 She has (BS)sent out her young women to (BT)call
from (BU)the highest places in the town,
4 (BV)“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
(BW)To him who lacks sense she says,
5 “Come, (BX)eat of my bread
and (BY)drink of (BZ)the wine I have mixed.
6 Leave (CA)your simple ways,[f] and (CB)live,
(CC)and walk in the way of insight.”
Footnotes
- Proverbs 8:16 Most Hebrew manuscripts; many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint govern the earth
- Proverbs 8:22 Or fathered; Septuagint created
- Proverbs 8:22 Hebrew way
- Proverbs 8:28 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
- Proverbs 8:30 Or daily filled with
- Proverbs 9:6 Or Leave the company of the simple
Proverbs 8:1-9:6
Christian Standard Bible
Wisdom’s Appeal
8 Doesn’t wisdom(A) call out?
Doesn’t understanding make her voice heard?
2 At the heights overlooking the road,
at the crossroads, she takes her stand.
3 Beside the gates(B) leading into the city,
at the main entrance, she cries out:
4 “People, I call out to you;
my cry is to the children of Adam.
5 Learn to be shrewd, you who are inexperienced;
develop common sense, you who are foolish.
6 Listen, for I speak of noble things,
and what my lips say is right.
7 For my mouth tells the truth,(C)
and wickedness is detestable to my lips.
8 All the words from my mouth are righteous;
none of them are deceptive or perverse.(D)
9 All of them are clear to the perceptive,(E)
and right to those who discover knowledge.
10 Accept my instruction instead of silver,
and knowledge rather than pure gold.(F)
11 For wisdom is better than jewels,(G)
and nothing desirable can equal it.(H)
12 I, wisdom, share a home with shrewdness
and have knowledge and discretion.(I)
13 To fear the Lord is to hate evil.(J)
I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct,
and perverse speech.
14 I possess good advice and sound wisdom;[a]
I have understanding and strength.(K)
15 It is by me that kings reign(L)
and rulers enact just law;
16 by me, princes lead,
as do nobles and all righteous judges.[b]
17 I love those who love me,(M)
and those who search for me find me.(N)
18 With me are riches and honor,(O)
lasting wealth and righteousness.(P)
19 My fruit is better than solid gold,
and my harvest than pure silver.(Q)
20 I walk in the ways of righteousness,
along the paths of justice,
21 giving wealth as an inheritance to those who love me,
and filling their treasuries.
22 “The Lord acquired[c] me
at the beginning of his creation,[d]
before his works of long ago.(R)
23 I was formed[e] before ancient times,
from the beginning, before the earth began.(S)
24 I was born
when there were no watery depths(T)
and no springs filled with water.
25 Before the mountains were established,
prior to the hills,(U) I was given birth—
26 before he made the land, the fields,
or the first soil on earth.
27 I was there when he established the heavens,(V)
when he laid out the horizon on the surface of the ocean,(W)
28 when he placed the skies above,
when the fountains of the ocean gushed out,
29 when he set a limit for the sea
so that the waters would not violate his command,(X)
when he laid out the foundations of the earth.(Y)
30 I was a skilled craftsman[f] beside him.(Z)
I was his[g] delight every day,
always rejoicing before him.
31 I was rejoicing in his inhabited world,(AA)
delighting in the children of Adam.(AB)
32 “And now, sons, listen to me;
those who keep my ways are happy.(AC)
33 Listen to instruction and be wise;(AD)
don’t ignore it.
34 Anyone who listens to me is happy,(AE)
watching at my doors every day,
waiting by the posts of my doorway.
35 For the one who finds me finds life(AF)
and obtains favor from the Lord,(AG)
36 but the one who misses me[h] harms himself;(AH)
all who hate me love death.”(AI)
Wisdom versus Foolishness
9 Wisdom has built her house;(AJ)
she has carved out her seven pillars.
2 She has prepared her meat;(AK) she has mixed her wine;(AL)
she has also set her table.(AM)
3 She has sent out her female servants;(AN)
she calls out from the highest points of the city:(AO)
4 “Whoever is inexperienced, enter here!”
To the one who lacks sense,(AP) she says,
5 “Come, eat my bread,(AQ)
and drink the wine I have mixed.
6 Leave inexperience behind, and you will live;
pursue the way of understanding.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.