Proverbs 8-10

English Standard Version

¹² “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
    and I find knowledge and ^(S)discretion.
^13 (T)The fear of the Lord is ^(U)hatred of evil.
^(V)Pride and arrogance and the way of evil
    and ^(W)perverted speech I hate.
¹⁴ I have ^(X)counsel and ^(Y)sound wisdom;
    I have insight; ^(Z)I have strength.
¹⁵ By me ^(AA)kings reign,
    and rulers decree what is just;
¹⁶ by me princes rule,
    and nobles, all who govern justly.^[a]
17 (AB)I love those who love me,
    and ^(AC)those who seek me diligently find me.
^18 (AD)Riches and honor are with me,
    ^(AE)enduring wealth and ^(AF)righteousness.
¹⁹ My fruit is ^(AG)better than ^(AH)gold, even fine gold,
    and my yield than ^(AI)choice silver.
²⁰ I walk in the way of righteousness,
    in the paths of justice,
²¹ granting an inheritance to those who love me,
    and filling their treasuries.

^22 (AJ)“The Lord ^(AK)possessed^[b] me at the beginning of his work,^[c]
    the first of his acts ^(AL)of old.
²³ Ages ago I was ^(AM)set up,
    at the first, ^(AN)before the beginning of the earth.
²⁴ When there were no ^(AO)depths I was ^(AP)brought forth,
    when there were no springs abounding with water.
²⁵ Before the mountains ^(AQ)had been shaped,
    ^(AR)before the hills, I was brought forth,
²⁶ before he had made the earth with its fields,
    or the first of the dust of the world.
²⁷ When he ^(AS)established the heavens, I was there;
    when he drew ^(AT)a circle on the face of the deep,
²⁸ when he ^(AU)made firm the skies above,
    when he established^[d] the fountains of the deep,
²⁹ when he ^(AV)assigned to the sea its ^(AW)limit,
    so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out ^(AX)the foundations of the earth,
³⁰     then ^(AY)I was beside him, like a master workman,
and I was daily his^{[e] (AZ)}delight,
    rejoicing before him always,
^31 (BA)rejoicing in his ^(BB)inhabited world
    and delighting in the children of man.

³² “And now, ^(BC)O sons, listen to me:
    ^(BD)blessed are those who keep my ways.
^33 (BE)Hear instruction and be wise,
    and do not neglect it.
^34 (BF)Blessed is the one who listens to me,
    watching daily at my gates,
    waiting beside my doors.
³⁵ For ^(BG)whoever finds me ^(BH)finds life
    and ^(BI)obtains favor from the Lord,
³⁶ but he who fails to find me ^(BJ)injures himself;
    all who ^(BK)hate me ^(BL)love death.”

⁷ Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,
    and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
^8 (CD)Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
    ^(CE)reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
⁹ Give instruction^[g] to a wise man, and he will be ^(CF)still wiser;
    teach a righteous man, and he will ^(CG)increase in learning.
^10 (CH)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
    and ^(CI)the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
¹¹ For by me ^(CJ)your days will be multiplied,
    and years will be added to your life.
^12 (CK)If you are wise, you are wise for yourself;
    if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

^(CV)A wise son makes a glad father,
    ^(CW)but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.
^2 (CX)Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit,
    ^(CY)but righteousness delivers from death.
^3 (CZ)The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry,
    ^(DA)but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.
⁴ A slack hand ^(DB)causes poverty,
    ^(DC)but the hand of the diligent makes rich.
⁵ He who ^(DD)gathers in summer is a prudent son,
    but he who sleeps in harvest is ^(DE)a son who brings shame.
⁶ Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
    but ^(DF)the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.^[j]
7 (DG)The memory of the righteous is a blessing,
    but ^(DH)the name of the wicked will rot.
^8 (DI)The wise of heart will receive commandments,
    but a babbling fool will come to ruin.
^9 (DJ)Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,
    but he who makes his ways crooked ^(DK)will be found out.
¹⁰ Whoever ^(DL)winks the eye causes trouble,
    and a babbling fool will come to ruin.
^11 (DM)The mouth of the righteous is ^(DN)a fountain of life,
    but the mouth of the wicked ^(DO)conceals violence.
¹² Hatred stirs up strife,
    but ^(DP)love covers all offenses.
¹³ On the lips of him who has understanding, wisdom is found,
    but ^(DQ)a rod is for the back of him who ^(DR)lacks sense.
¹⁴ The wise ^(DS)lay up knowledge,
    but ^(DT)the mouth of a fool brings ruin near.
^15 (DU)A rich man's wealth is his strong city;
    the poverty of the poor is their ruin.
¹⁶ The wage of the righteous leads ^(DV)to life,
    the gain of the wicked to sin.
¹⁷ Whoever heeds instruction is on ^(DW)the path to life,
    but he who rejects reproof leads others astray.
¹⁸ The one who conceals hatred has lying lips,
    and whoever utters slander is a fool.
^19 (DX)When words are many, transgression is not lacking,
    ^(DY)but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.
²⁰ The tongue of the righteous is ^(DZ)choice silver;
    the heart of the wicked is of little worth.
²¹ The lips of the righteous feed many,
    but fools die for ^(EA)lack of sense.
^22 (EB)The blessing of the Lord makes rich,
    and he adds no sorrow with it.^[k]
23 Doing wrong is ^(EC)like a joke to a fool,
    but ^(ED)wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding.
^24 (EE)What the wicked dreads ^(EF)will come upon him,
    but ^(EG)the desire of the righteous will be granted.
²⁵ When ^(EH)the tempest passes, the wicked is no more,
    but ^(EI)the righteous is established forever.
²⁶ Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
    so is the sluggard to those who send him.
^27 (EJ)The fear of the Lord prolongs life,
    ^(EK)but the years of the wicked will be short.
^28 (EL)The hope of the righteous brings joy,
    ^(EM)but the expectation of the wicked will perish.
^29 (EN)The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the blameless,
    but destruction to evildoers.
^30 (EO)The righteous will never be removed,
    but ^(EP)the wicked will not dwell in the land.
^31 (EQ)The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom,
    but the perverse tongue will be cut off.
³² The lips of the righteous ^(ER)know what is acceptable,
    but the mouth of the wicked, ^(ES)what is perverse.