Proverbs 8

Wisdom’s Call

8Does not wisdom call out?^u

Does not understanding raise her voice?

²At the highest point along the way,

where the paths meet, she takes her stand;

³beside the gate leading into the city,

at the entrance, she cries aloud:^v

⁴“To you, O people, I call out;^w

I raise my voice to all mankind.

⁵You who are simple,^x gain prudence;^y

you who are foolish, set your hearts on it.^a

⁶Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say;

I open my lips to speak what is right.

⁷My mouth speaks what is true,^z

for my lips detest wickedness.

⁸All the words of my mouth are just;

none of them is crooked or perverse.

⁹To the discerning all of them are right;

they are upright to those who have found knowledge.

¹⁰Choose my instruction instead of silver,

knowledge rather than choice gold,^a

¹¹for wisdom is more precious^b than rubies,

and nothing you desire can compare with her.^c

¹²“I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;

I possess knowledge and discretion.^d

¹³To fear the Lord^e is to hate evil;^f

I hate^g pride and arrogance,

evil behavior and perverse speech.

¹⁴Counsel and sound judgment are mine;

I have insight, I have power.^h

¹⁵By me kings reign

and rulersⁱ issue decrees that are just;

¹⁶by me princes govern,^j

and nobles—all who rule on earth.^b

¹⁷I love those who love me,^k

and those who seek me find me.^l

¹⁸With me are riches and honor,^m

enduring wealth and prosperity.ⁿ

¹⁹My fruit is better than fine gold;^o

what I yield surpasses choice silver.^p

²⁰I walk in the way of righteousness,^q

along the paths of justice,

²¹bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me

and making their treasuries full.^r

²²“The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,^cd

before his deeds of old;

²³I was formed long ages ago,

at the very beginning, when the world came to be.

²⁴When there were no watery depths, I was given birth,

when there were no springs overflowing with water;^s

²⁵before the mountains were settled in place,^t

before the hills, I was given birth,^u

²⁶before he made the world or its fields

or any of the dust of the earth.^v

²⁷I was there when he set the heavens in place,^w

when he marked out the horizon^x on the face of the deep,

²⁸when he established the clouds above^y

and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,^z

²⁹when he gave the sea its boundary^a

so the waters would not overstep his command,^b

and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.^c

³⁰Then I was constantly^e at his side.^d

I was filled with delight day after day,

rejoicing always in his presence,

³¹rejoicing in his whole world

and delighting in mankind.^e

³²“Now then, my children, listen^f to me;

blessed are^g those who keep my ways.^h

³³Listen to my instruction and be wise;

do not disregard it.

³⁴Blessed are those who listenⁱ to me,

watching daily at my doors,

waiting at my doorway.

³⁵For those who find me^j find life^k

and receive favor from the Lord.^l

³⁶But those who fail to find me harm themselves;^m

all who hate me love death.”ⁿ