Proverbs 8

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¹Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding give forth her voice?

²On the top of high places by the way, at the cross-paths she taketh her stand.

³Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors, she crieth aloud.

⁴Unto you, men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of man:

⁵O ye simple, understand prudence; and ye foolish, understand sense.

⁶Hear, for I will speak excellent things, and the opening of my lips shall be right things.

⁷For my palate shall meditate truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

⁸All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing tortuous or perverse in them.

⁹They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.

¹⁰Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold:

¹¹for wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things that may be desired are not equal to it.

¹²I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find the knowledge which cometh of reflection.

¹³The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil; pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth do I hate.

¹⁴Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am intelligence; I have strength.

¹⁵By me kings reign, and rulers make just decrees;

¹⁶by me princes rule, and nobles, all the judges of the earth.

¹⁷I love those that love me; and they that seek me early shall find me.

¹⁸Riches and honour are with me; durable wealth and righteousness.

¹⁹My fruit is better than fine gold, yea, than pure gold; and my revenue than choice silver.

²⁰I walk in the path 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 treasuries.

²²Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.

²³I was set up from eternity, from the beginning, before the earth was.

²⁴When there were no depths, I was brought forth, when there were no fountains abounding with water.

²⁵Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth;

²⁶while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the beginning of the dust of the world.

²⁷When he prepared the heavens I was there; when he ordained the circle upon the face of the deep;

²⁸when he established the skies above, when the fountains of the deep became strong;

²⁹when he imposed on the sea his decree that the waters should not pass his commandment, when he appointed the foundations of the earth:

³⁰then I was by him his nursling, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;

³¹rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth, and my delights were with the sons of men.

³²And now, sons, hearken unto me, and blessed are they that keep my ways:

³³hear instruction and be wise, and refuse it not.

³⁴Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.

³⁵For whoso findeth me findeth life, and obtaineth favour of Jehovah;

³⁶but he that sinneth against me doeth violence to his own soul: all they that hate me love death.