Proverbs 8:1-9:6
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.”
The Way of Wisdom
9 Wisdom has (X)built her house,
She has hewn out her seven pillars;
2 (Y)She has slaughtered her meat,
(Z)She has mixed her wine,
She has also [h]furnished her table.
3 She has sent out her maidens,
She cries out from the highest places of the city,
4 “Whoever(AA) is simple, let him turn in here!”
As for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
5 “Come,(AB) eat of my bread
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 Forsake foolishness and live,
And go in the way of understanding.
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 9:2 arranged
Proverbs 8:1-9:6
21st Century King James Version
8 Doth not wisdom cry out, and understanding put forth her voice?
2 She standeth at the top of high places, by the wayside where the paths meet.
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 of 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 disclose knowledge of learned thoughts.
13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance 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 honor 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 treasuries.
22 “The Lord possessed me at 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 first parts of dust of the world.
27 When He prepared the heavens, I was there; when He set a compass upon the face of the deep,
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 the favor of the Lord.
36 But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul; all they that hate me love death.”
9 Wisdom hath built her house; she hath hewn out her seven pillars.
2 She hath killed her beasts, she hath mingled her wine, she hath also furnished her table.
3 She hath sent forth her maidens, she crieth from the highest places of the city:
4 “Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither!” As for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him:
5 “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine which I have mixed.
6 Forsake the foolish and live, and go in the way of understanding.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.