| 章 |
| 8:1 |
Does not wisdom call, And understanding lift up her voice?
|
| 8:2 |
On top of the heights beside the way, Where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
|
| 8:3 |
Beside the gates, at the opening to the city, At the entrance of the doors, she cries out:
|
| 8:4 |
"To you, O men, I call, And my voice is to the sons of men.
|
| 8:5 |
"O naive ones, understand prudence; And, O fools, understand wisdom.
|
| 8:6 |
"Listen, for I will speak noble things; And the opening of my lips will reveal right things.
|
| 8:7 |
"For my mouth will utter truth; And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
|
| 8:8 |
"All the utterances of my mouth are in righteousness; There is nothing crooked or perverted in them.
|
| 8:9 |
"They are all straightforward to him who understands, And right to those who find knowledge.
|
| 8:10 |
"Take my instruction and not silver, And knowledge rather than choicest gold.
|
| 8:11 |
"For wisdom is better than jewels; And all desirable things cannot compare with her.
|
| 8:12 |
"I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And I find knowledge and discretion.
|
| 8:13 |
"The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate.
|
| 8:14 |
"Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding, power is mine.
|
| 8:15 |
"By me kings reign, And rulers decree justice.
|
| 8:16 |
"By me princes rule, and nobles, All who judge rightly.
|
| 8:17 |
"I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me.
|
| 8:18 |
"Riches and honor are with me, Enduring wealth and righteousness.
|
| 8:19 |
"My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold, And my yield better than choicest silver.
|
| 8:20 |
"I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice,
|
| 8:21 |
To endow those who love me with wealth, That I may fill their treasuries.
|
| 8:22 |
"The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old.
|
| 8:23 |
"From everlasting I was established, From the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth.
|
| 8:24 |
"When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no springs abounding with water.
|
| 8:25 |
"Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills I was brought forth;
|
| 8:26 |
While He had not yet made the earth and the fields, Nor the first dust of the world.
|
| 8:27 |
"When He established the heavens, I was there, When He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,
|
| 8:28 |
When He made firm the skies above, When the springs of the deep became fixed,
|
| 8:29 |
When He set for the sea its boundary So that the water would not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth;
|
| 8:30 |
Then I was beside Him, as a master workman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him,
|
| 8:31 |
Rejoicing in the world, His earth, And having my delight in the sons of men.
|
| 8:32 |
"Now therefore, O sons, listen to me, For blessed are they who keep my ways.
|
| 8:33 |
"Heed instruction and be wise, And do not neglect it.
|
| 8:34 |
"Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at my doorposts.
|
| 8:35 |
"For he who finds me finds life And obtains favor from the Lord.
|
| 8:36 |
"But he who sins against me injures himself; All those who hate me love death."
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