Proverbs 8
8
The Commendation of Wisdom
1Does not wisdom call,
And understanding lift up her voice?
2On the top of the heights beside the way,
Where the paths meet, wisdom takes her stand;
3Beside the gates, at the entrance to the city,
At the entrance of the doors, she cries out:
4“To you, O men, I call,
And my voice is directed to the sons of men.
5“O you naive or inexperienced [who are easily misled], understand prudence and seek astute common sense;
And, O you [closed-minded, self-confident] fools, understand wisdom [seek the insight and self-discipline that leads to godly living]. [Is 32:6]
6“Listen, for I will speak excellent and noble things;
And the opening of my lips will reveal right things.
7“For my mouth will utter truth,
And wickedness is repulsive and loathsome to my lips.
8“All the words of my mouth are in righteousness (upright, in right standing with God);
There is nothing contrary to truth or perverted (crooked) in them.
9“They are all straightforward to him who understands [with an open and willing mind],
And right to those who find knowledge and live by it.
10“Take my instruction rather than [seeking] silver,
And take knowledge rather than choicest gold,
11For wisdom is better than rubies;
And all desirable things cannot compare with her. [Job 28:15; Ps 19:10; 119:127]
12¶“I, [godly] wisdom, reside with prudence [good judgment, moral courage and astute common sense],
And I find knowledge and discretion. [James 1:5]
13“The [reverent] fear and worshipful awe of the Lord includes the hatred of evil;
Pride and arrogance and the evil way,
And the perverted mouth, I hate.
14“Counsel is mine and sound wisdom;
I am understanding, power and strength are mine.
15“By me kings reign
And rulers decide and decree justice. [Dan 2:21; Rom 13:1]
16“By me princes rule, and nobles,
All who judge and govern rightly.
17“I love those who love me;
And those who seek me early and diligently will find me. [1 Sam 2:30; Ps 91:14; John 14:21; James 1:5]
18“Riches and honor are with me,
Enduring wealth and righteousness (right standing with God). [Prov 3:16; Matt 6:33]
19“My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold,
And my yield is better than choicest silver.
20“I, [Wisdom, continuously] walk in the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice,
21That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth and true riches,
And that I may fill their treasuries.
22¶“The Lord created and possessed me at the beginning of His way,
Before His works of old [were accomplished].
23“From everlasting I was established and ordained,
From the beginning, before the earth existed, [I, godly wisdom, existed]. [John 1:1; 1 Cor 1:24]
24“When there were no ocean depths I was born,
When there were no fountains and springs overflowing with water.
25“Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills, I was born; [Job 15:7, 8]
26While He had not yet made the earth and the fields,
Or the first of the dust of the earth.
27“When He established the heavens, I [Wisdom] was there;
When He drew a circle upon the face of the deep,
28When He made firm the skies above,
When the fountains and springs of the deep became fixed and strong,
29When He set for the sea its boundary
So that the waters would not transgress [the boundaries set by] His command,
When He marked out the foundations of the earth— [Job 38:10, 11; Ps 104:6-9; Jer 5:22]
30Then I was beside Him, as a master craftsman;
And I was daily His delight;
Rejoicing before Him always, [Matt 3:17; John 1:2, 18]
31Rejoicing in the world, His inhabited earth,
And having my delight in the sons of men. [Ps 16:3]
32¶“Now therefore, O sons, listen to me,
For blessed [happy, prosperous, to be admired] are they who keep my ways. [Ps 119:1, 2; 128:1, 2; Luke 11:28]
33“Heed (pay attention to) instruction and be wise,
And do not ignore or neglect it.
34“Blessed [happy, prosperous, to be admired] is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at my doorposts.
35“For whoever finds me (Wisdom) finds life
And obtains favor and grace from the Lord.
36“But he who fails to find me or sins against me injures himself;
All those who hate me love and court death.”
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Proverbs 8
8
Wisdom’s Announcement
1Does not wisdom call out?
Does not understanding raise its voice?
2 ⌞Wisdom⌟ takes its stand on high ground,
by the wayside where the roads meet,
3near the gates to the city.
At the entrance ⌞wisdom⌟ sings its song,
4“I am calling to all of you,
and my appeal is to all people.
5You gullible people, learn how to be sensible.
You fools, get a heart that has understanding.
6Listen! I am speaking about noble things,
and my lips will say what is right.
7My mouth expresses the truth,
and wickedness is disgusting to my lips.
8Everything I say is fair,
and there is nothing twisted or crooked in it.
9All of it is clear to a person who has understanding
and right to those who have acquired knowledge.
10Take my discipline, not silver,
and my knowledge rather than fine gold,
11because wisdom is better than jewels.
Nothing you desire can equal it.
Wisdom’s Authority
12“I, Wisdom, live with insight,
and I acquire knowledge and foresight.
13To fear the Lord is to hate evil.
I hate pride, arrogance, evil behavior, and twisted speech.
14Advice and priceless wisdom are mine.
I, Understanding, have strength.
15Through me kings reign,
and rulers decree fair laws.
16Through me princes rule,
so do nobles and all fair judges.
17I love those who love me.
Those eagerly looking for me will find me.
18I have riches and honor,
lasting wealth and righteousness.
19What I produce is better than gold, pure gold.
What I yield is better than fine silver.
20I walk in the way of righteousness, on the paths of justice,
21to give an inheritance to those who love me
and to fill their treasuries.
Wisdom as Creator
22“The Lord already possessed me long ago,
when his way began,
before any of his works.
23I was appointed from everlasting
from the first,
before the earth began.
24I was born
before there were oceans,
before there were springs filled with water.
25I was born
before the mountains were settled in their places
and before the hills,
26when he had not yet made land or fields
or the first dust of the world.
27“When he set up the heavens, I was there.
When he traced the horizon on the surface of the ocean,
28when he established the skies above,
when he determined the currents in the ocean,
29when he set a limit for the sea
so the waters would not overstep his command,
when he traced the foundations of the earth,
30I was beside him as a master craftsman.
I made him happy day after day,
I rejoiced in front of him all the time,
31found joy in his inhabited world, and delighted in the human race.
Wisdom as Lifegiver
32“Now, sons, listen to me.
Blessed are those who follow my ways.
33Listen to discipline, and become wise.
Do not leave my ways.
34Blessed is the person who listens to me,
watches at my door day after day,
and waits by my doorposts.
35Whoever finds me finds life
and obtains favor from the Lord.
36Whoever sins against me harms himself.
All those who hate me love death.”
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