Proverbs 8

The Blessings of Wisdom

1 Does not awisdom call?
Does not bunderstanding raise her voice?
2On cthe heights beside the way,
at the crossroads she takes her stand;
3beside dthe gates in front of ethe town,
at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:
4“To you, O fmen, I call,
and my cry is to gthe children of man.
5O hsimple ones, learn iprudence;
O jfools, learn sense.
6Hear, for I will speak knoble things,
and from my lips will come lwhat is right,
7for my mmouth will utter truth;
wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8All the words of my mouth are righteous;
there is nothing ntwisted or crooked in them.
9They are all ostraight to him who understands,
and right to those who find knowledge.
10 pTake my instruction instead of silver,
and knowledge rather than choice gold,
11 qfor wisdom is better than jewels,
and rall that you may desire cannot compare with her.
12 I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
and I find knowledge and sdiscretion.
13 tThe fear of the Lord is uhatred of evil.
vPride and arrogance and the way of evil
and wperverted speech I hate.
14I have xcounsel and ysound wisdom;
I have insight; zI have strength.
15By me aakings reign,
and rulers decree what is just;
16by me princes rule,
and nobles, all who govern justly.
Most Hebrew manuscripts; many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint  govern the earth

17 acI love those who love me,
and adthose who seek me diligently find me.
18 aeRiches and honor are with me,
afenduring wealth and agrighteousness.
19My fruit is ahbetter than aigold, even fine gold,
and my yield than ajchoice silver.
20I walk in the way of righteousness,
in the paths of justice,
21granting an inheritance to those who love me,
and filling their treasuries.
22 ak“The Lord alpossessed
Or fathered; Septuagint created
me at the beginning of his work,
Hebrew way

the first of his acts aoof old.
23Ages ago I was apset up,
at the first, aqbefore the beginning of the earth.
24When there were no ardepths I was asbrought forth,
when there were no springs abounding with water.
25Before the mountains athad been shaped,
aubefore the hills, I was brought forth,
26before he had made the earth with its fields,
or the first of the dust of the world.
27When he avestablished the heavens, I was there;
when he drew awa circle on the face of the deep,
28when he axmade firm the skies above,
when he established
The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
the fountains of the deep,
29when he azassigned to the sea its balimit,
so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out bbthe foundations of the earth,
30then bcI was beside him, like a master workman,
and I was daily his
Or  daily filled with
bedelight,
rejoicing before him always,
31 bfrejoicing in his bginhabited world
and delighting in the children of man.
32 “And now, bhO sons, listen to me:
biblessed are those who keep my ways.
33 bjHear instruction and be wise,
and do not neglect it.
34 bkBlessed is the one who listens to me,
watching daily at my gates,
waiting beside my doors.
35For blwhoever finds me bmfinds life
and bnobtains favor from the Lord,
36but he who fails to find me boinjures himself;
all who bphate me bqlove death.”
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