Proverbs 8–9

8Doth not ^abwisdom cry?

And ^bunderstanding ^aput forth her voice?

²She standeth in the top of ^chigh places, by the way

In the places of the paths.

³She ^acrieth at the ^dgates, at the entry of ^cethe city,

At the coming in at the doors.

⁴Unto you, O men, I call;

And my voice is to the sons of man.

⁵O ye ^fsimple, understand ^fwisdom:

And, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.

⁶Hear; for I will speak of ^gexcellent things;

And the opening of my lips shall be ^hright things.

⁷For my ⁱmouth shall ^kspeak truth;

And wickedness is ^†an abomination to my lips.

⁸All the words of my mouth are in righteousness;

There is nothing ^†lfroward or ^lperverse in them.

⁹They are all ^mplain to him that understandeth,

And right to them that find knowledge.

¹⁰Receive my instruction, and not silver;

And knowledge rather than ⁿchoice gold.

^11oFor wisdom is better than ^prubies;

And ^qall the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.

¹²I ^rwisdom dwell with ^||prudence,

And find out knowledge of ^switty inventions.

^13tThe fear of the Lord is to ^uhate evil:

^xPride, and arrogancy, and the evil way,

And ^ythe froward mouth, do I hate.

^14zCounsel is mine, and ^asound wisdom:

I am understanding; ^bI have strength.

^15cBy me kings reign,

And ^dprinces decree justice.

¹⁶By me princes rule,

And nobles, even all the judges of the earth.

^17eI love them that love me;

And ^fthose that ^gseek me early shall find me.

^18hiRiches and honour are with me;

Yea, durable ⁱriches and ⁱrighteousness.

¹⁹My fruit is ^jbetter than ^kgold, yea, than ^lfine gold;

And ^jmy revenue than ^kchoice silver.

²⁰I ^||lead in the way of righteousness,

In the midst of the paths of judgment:

²¹That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance;

And I will fill their treasures.

^22mThe Lord ⁿpossessed me ^oin ^pthe beginning of his way,

Before his works ^qof old.

²³I was ^rset up from everlasting, from the beginning,

^sOr ever the earth was.

²⁴When there were no ^tdepths, I was ^ubrought forth;

When there were no fountains abounding with water.

²⁵Before the mountains ^vwere settled,

^wBefore the hills was I ^ubrought forth:

²⁶While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the ^||fields,

Nor ^||the ^xhighest part of the dust of the world.

²⁷When he ^yprepared the heavens, I was there:

When he ^zset ^||a compass upon the face of the ^tdepth:

²⁸When he established the clouds above:

When he strengthened the fountains of the ^tdeep:

^29aWhen he gave to the sea ^bhis decree,

That the waters should not pass his commandment:

When he ^zappointed ^cthe foundations of the earth:

^30dThen I was by him, as ^eone brought up with him:

And I was daily his ^fdelight,

^gRejoicing always before him;

^31gRejoicing in ^hthe habitable part of his earth;

And my ^fdelights were ⁱwith the sons of men.

^32jNow therefore hearken unto me, O ye children:

For ^kblessed are they that keep my ways.

^33lHear instruction, and be wise,

And ^mrefuse it not.

³⁴ⁿBlessed is the man ^othat heareth me,

Watching daily at my gates,

Waiting at the posts of my doors.

³⁵For whoso ⁿfindeth me ^oofindeth life,

And shall ^†obtain favour of the Lord.

³⁶But he that ^psinneth against me ^qwrongeth his own soul:

All they that ^rhate me ^slove death.

9^aWisdom hath builded her house,

She hath hewn out her ^bseven ^cpillars:

^2dShe hath killed ^†her beasts; she hath ^emingled her wine;

She hath also ^ffurnished her table.

³She hath sent forth ^gher maidens:

^hShe crieth upon ⁱthe highest places of the city,

^4jWhoso is simple, let him turn in hither:

As for ^jkhim that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,

^5lCome, eat of my bread,

And drink of ^ethe wine which I have mingled.

⁶Forsake ^mthe foolish, and ^slive;

And ⁿgo in the way of understanding.

⁷He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame:

And he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot.

^8oReprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee:

^pRebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.

⁹Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser:

Teach a just man, and ^qhe will increase in learning.

^10rThe fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom:

And ^rrthe knowledge of the holy is understanding.

^11sFor by me thy days shall be multiplied,

And ^sthe years of thy life shall be increased.

^12tIf thou be wise, thou shalt be wise ^ufor thyself:

But if thou scornest, ^wthou alone shalt bear it.

^13xA foolish woman is ^yclamorous:

She is simple, and ^zknoweth nothing.

¹⁴For she sitteth at the door of her house,

On a seat in ^athe high places of the city,

¹⁵To call passengers

Who ^bgo right on their ways:

^16cWhoso is simple, let him turn in hither:

And as for ^chim that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,

^17dStolen waters are sweet,

And bread ^†eaten in secret is pleasant.

¹⁸But he knoweth not ^ethat ^fthe dead are there;

And that her guests are in the depths of hell.