Pro 8 | HCSB | STEP | Doesn’t Wisdom call out ? Doesn’t Understanding make her voice heard?

Proverbs 8

Wisdom’s Appeal

1 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 at the entry to ^{▼▼Lit the mouth of} the city,
at the main entrance, she cries out:
4 “People, I call out to you;
my cry is to mankind.
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, ^d
and wickedness is detestable to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are righteous;
none of them are deceptive or perverse. ^e
9 All of them are clear to the perceptive, ^f
and right to those who discover knowledge.
10 Accept my instruction instead of silver,
and knowledge rather than pure gold. ^g
11 For wisdom is better than jewels, ^h
and nothing desirable can compare with it. ⁱ
12 I, Wisdom, share a home with shrewdness
and have knowledge and discretion. ^j
13 To ^{▼▼fear(s) God or the Lord/ the fear of the Lord: No single English word conveys every aspect of the word fear in this phrase. The meaning includes worshipful submission, reverential awe, and obedient respect to the covenant-keeping God of Israel.}fear the Lord is to hate evil. ^l
I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct,
and perverse speech.
14 I possess good advice and competence; ^{▼▼Or resourcefulness}
I have understanding and strength. ⁿ
15 It is by me that kings reign ^o
and rulers enact just law;
16 by me, princes lead,
as do nobles and all righteous judges. ^{▼▼Some Hb mss, LXX read nobles who judge the earth}
17 I love those who love me, ^q
and those who search for me find me. ^r
18 With me are riches and honor, ^s
lasting wealth and righteousness. ^t
19 My fruit is better than solid gold,
and my harvest than pure silver. ^u
20 I walk in the way 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 made ^{▼▼Or possessed, or begot} me
at the beginning of His creation, ^{▼▼Lit way}
before His works of long ago. ^x
23 I was formed before ancient times,
from the beginning, before the earth began. ^y
24 I was born
when there were no watery depths ^z
and no springs filled with water.
25 I was delivered
before the mountains and hills were established, ^aa
26 before He made the land, the fields,
or the first soil on earth.
27 I was there when He established the heavens, ^ab
when He laid out the horizon on the surface of the ocean, ^ac
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, ^ad
when He laid out the foundations of the earth. ^ae
30 I was a skilled craftsman ^{▼▼Or a confidant, or a child, or was constantly} beside Him. ^ag
I was His ^{▼▼LXX; MT omits His} delight every day,
always rejoicing before Him.
31 I was rejoicing in His inhabited world, ^ai
delighting in the ^{▼▼everyone/ human race: Literally, sons of man or sons of Adam}human race. ^ak

32 “And now, my sons, listen to me;
those who keep my ways are happy. ^al
33 Listen to instruction and be wise; ^am
don’t ignore it.
34 Anyone who listens to me is happy, ^an
watching at my doors every day,
waiting by the posts of my doorway.
35 For the one who finds me finds life ^ao
and obtains favor from the Lord, ^ap
36 but the one who misses me ^{▼▼Or who sins against me} harms himself; ^ar
all who hate me love death.” ^as