Proverbs 8 - 9

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The Blessing of Wisdom

Does not wisdom call,

And discernment give forth her voice?

At the top of the heights upon the way,

Where the pathways meet, she takes her stand;

Beside the gates, at the opening to the city,

At the entrance of the doors, she makes a shout:

“To you, O men, I call,

And my voice is to the sons of men.

O simple ones, understand prudence;

And, O fools, understand a heart of wisdom.

Listen, for I will speak noble things;

And the opening of my lips will reveal upright things.

For my mouth will utter truth;

And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

All the words of my mouth are in righteousness;

There is nothing twisted or crooked in them.

They are all straightforward to him who understands,

And right to those who find knowledge.

Take my discipline and not silver,

And knowledge rather than choicest fine gold.

For wisdom is better than pearls;

And all desirable things cannot compare with her.

“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,

And I find knowledge and discretion.

The fear of Yahweh is to hate evil;

Pride and arrogance and the evil way

And the mouth of perverted words, I hate.

Counsel is mine and sound wisdom;

I am understanding, might is mine.

By me kings reign,

And rulers mark out righteousness.

By me princes rule, and nobles,

All who judge rightly.

I love those who love me;

And those who earnestly seek me will find me.

Riches and glory are with me,

Enduring wealth and righteousness.

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

And my produce better than choice silver.

I walk in the path of righteousness,

In the midst of the pathways of justice,

To give those who love me an inheritance of wealth,

That I may fill their treasuries.

“Yahweh possessed me at the beginning of His way,

Before His deeds of old.

From everlasting I was installed,

From the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth.

When there were no depths I was brought forth,

When there were no springs heavy with water.

Before the mountains were settled,

Before the hills I was brought forth;

While He had not yet made the earth and the fields outside,

Nor the first dust of the world.

When He established the heavens, I was there,

When He marked out a circle on the face of the deep,

When He made firm the skies above,

When the springs of the deep became strong,

When He set for the sea its boundary

So that the water would not pass over His command,

When He marked out the foundations of the earth;

Then I was beside Him, as a master workman;

And I was a daily delight,

Rejoicing always before Him,

Rejoicing in the world, His earth,

My delight is in the sons of men.

“So now, O sons, listen to me,

For blessed are they who keep my ways.

Hear discipline and be wise,

And do not neglect it.

How blessed is the man who hears me,

To watch daily at my doors,

To keep watch at my doorposts.

For he who finds me finds life

And obtains favor from Yahweh.

But he who sins against me does violence to his own soul;

All those who hate me love death.”

Wisdom and Foolishness Call Out

Wisdom has built her house,

She has hewn out her seven pillars;

She has slaughtered her cattle, she has mixed her wine;

She has also prepared her table;

She has sent out her maidens, she calls

From the tops of the heights of the city:

“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”

To him who lacks a heart of wisdom she says,

“Come, eat of my bread

And drink of the wine I have mixed.

Forsake your simplicity and live,

And step into the way of understanding.”

He who disciplines a scoffer receives disgrace for himself,

And he who reproves a wicked man receives injury for himself.

Do not reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you,

Reprove a wise man and he will love you.

Give knowledge to a wise man and he will be still wiser,

Make a righteous man know it and he will increase his learning.

The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom,

And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

For by me your days will become many,

And years of life will be added to you.

If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,

And if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

The woman of foolishness is boisterous,

A woman of simplicity, and does not know anything.

She sits at the doorway of her house,

On a seat by the high places of the city,

To call to those who pass by that way,

Who are making their paths straight:

“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here,”

And to him who lacks a heart of wisdom she says,

“Stolen water is sweet;

And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”

But he does not know that the dead are there,

That those she called are in the depths of Sheol.

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