Proverbs 8–9

The Gifts of Wisdom

⁸Does not wisdom call

and understanding raise her voice?^*

²On the heights, beside the way,

at the crossroads she takes her stand;

³beside the gates in front of the town,

at the entrance of the portals she cries out:^*

⁴“To you, O people, I call,

and my cry is to all who live.

⁵O simple ones, learn prudence;

acquire intelligence, you who lack it.^*

⁶Hear, for I will speak noble things,

and from my lips will come what is right,^*

⁷for my mouth will utter truth;

wickedness is an abomination to my lips.^*

⁸All the words of my mouth are righteous;

there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.

⁹They are all straight to one who understands

and right to those who find knowledge.^*

¹⁰Take my instruction instead of silver

and knowledge rather than choice gold,^*

¹¹for wisdom is better than jewels,

and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.^*

¹²I, wisdom, live with prudence,

and I attain knowledge and discretion.^*

¹³The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.

Pride and arrogance and the way of evil

and perverted speech I hate.^*

¹⁴I have good advice and sound wisdom;

I have insight; I have strength.^*

¹⁵By me kings reign,

and rulers decree what is just;^*

¹⁶by me rulers rule,

and nobles, all who govern rightly.

¹⁷I love those who love me,

and those who seek me diligently find me.^*

¹⁸Riches and honor are with me,

enduring wealth and prosperity.^*

¹⁹My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold,

and my yield than choice silver.^*

²⁰I walk in the way of righteousness,

along the paths of justice,

²¹endowing with wealth those who love me

and filling their treasuries.

Wisdom’s Part in Creation

²²“The Lord created me at the beginning^y of his work,^z

the first of his acts of long ago.^*

²³Ages ago I was set up,

at the first, before the beginning of the earth.^*

²⁴When there were no depths I was brought forth,

when there were no springs abounding with water.

²⁵Before the mountains had been shaped,

before the hills, I was brought forth,^*

²⁶when he had not yet made earth and fields^a

or the world’s first bits of soil.

²⁷When he established the heavens, I was there;

when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,^*

²⁸when he made firm the skies above,

when he established the fountains of the deep,

²⁹when he assigned to the sea its limit,

so that the waters might not transgress his command,

when he marked out the foundations of the earth,^*

³⁰then I was beside him, like a master worker,^b

and I was daily his^c delight,

playing before him always,^*

³¹playing in his inhabited world

and delighting in the human race.^*

³²“And now, my children, listen to me:

happy are those who keep my ways.^*

³³Hear instruction and be wise,

and do not neglect it.

³⁴Happy is the one who listens to me,

watching daily at my gates,

waiting beside my doors.^*

³⁵For whoever finds me finds life

and obtains favor from the Lord,^*

³⁶but those who miss me injure themselves;

all who hate me love death.”^*

Wisdom’s Feast

⁹Wisdom has built her house;

she has hewn her seven pillars.^*

²She has slaughtered her animals; she has mixed her wine;

she has also set her table.^*

³She has sent out her female servants; she calls

from the highest places in the town,^*

⁴“You who are simple, turn in here!”

To those without sense she says,^*

⁵“Come, eat of my bread

and drink of the wine I have mixed.^*

⁶Lay aside immaturity and live,

and walk in the way of insight.”^*

General Maxims

⁷Whoever corrects a scoffer wins abuse;

whoever rebukes the wicked gets hurt.^*

⁸Do not rebuke a scoffer, lest he hate you;

rebuke the wise, and he will love you.^*

⁹Give instruction^d to the wise, and they will become wiser still;

teach the righteous, and they will gain in learning.^*

¹⁰The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,

and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.^*

¹¹For by me your days will be multiplied,

and years will be added to your life.^*

¹²If you are wise, you are wise for yourself;

if you scoff, you alone will bear it.^*

Folly’s Invitation and Promise

¹³The foolish woman is loud;

she is ignorant and knows nothing.^*

¹⁴She sits at the door of her house,

on a seat at the high places of the town,

¹⁵calling to those who pass by,

who are going straight on their way,

¹⁶“You who are simple, turn in here!”

And to those without sense she says,

¹⁷“Stolen water is sweet,

and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”^*

¹⁸But they do not know that the dead^e are there,

that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.^*