Proverbs 8

¹ Doth not wisdom cry, And understanding put forth her voice?

² On the top of high places by the way, Where the paths meet, she standeth;

³ Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, At the coming in at the doors, she crieth aloud:

⁴ Unto you, O men, I call; And my voice is to the sons of men.

⁵ O ye simple, understand prudence; And, ye fools, be of an understanding heart.

⁶ Hear, for I will speak excellent things; And the opening of my lips shall be right things.

⁷ For my mouth shall utter truth; And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

⁸ All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; There is nothing crooked 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 unto it.

¹² I wisdom have made prudence my dwelling, And find out knowledge and discretion.

¹³ The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil: Pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, And the perverse mouth, do I hate.

¹⁴ Counsel is mine, and sound knowledge: I am understanding; I have might.

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 diligently shall find me.

¹⁸ Riches and honor are with me; Yea, durable wealth and righteousness.

¹⁹ My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; And my revenue than choice silver.

²⁰ I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice;

²¹ That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance, And that I may fill their treasuries.

²² Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, Before his works of old.

²³ I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, Before 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 beginning of the dust of the world.

²⁷ When he established the heavens, I was there: When he set a circle upon the face of the deep,

²⁸ When he made firm the skies above, When the fountains of the deep became strong,

²⁹ When he gave to the sea its bound, That the waters should not transgress his commandment, When he marked out the foundations of the earth;

³⁰ Then I was by him, as a master workman; And I was daily his delight, Rejoicing always before him,

³¹ Rejoicing in his habitable earth; And my delight was with the sons of men.

³² Now therefore, my sons, hearken unto me; 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 favor of Jehovah.

³⁶ But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: All they that hate me love death.