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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