Proverbs 8:1-9:6

New American Standard Bible

The Commendation of Wisdom

8 Does not ^(A)wisdom call,
And understanding ^[a]raise her voice?
²On top of ^(B)the heights beside the way,
Where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
³Beside the ^(C)gates, at the opening to the city,
At the entrance of the doors, she cries out:
⁴“To you, people, I call,
And my voice is to ^[b]mankind.
⁵You ^(D)naive ones, understand prudence;
And, you ^(E)fools, understand ^[c]wisdom!
⁶Listen, for I will speak ^(F)noble things;
And the opening of my lips will reveal ^(G)right things.
⁷For my ^(H)mouth will proclaim truth;
And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
⁸All the words of my mouth are in righteousness;
There is nothing ^(I)crooked or perverted in them.
⁹They are all ^(J)straightforward to him who understands,
And right to those who ^(K)find knowledge.
¹⁰Accept my ^(L)instruction and not silver,
And knowledge rather than choice gold.
¹¹For wisdom is ^(M)better than ^[d]jewels;
And ^(N)all desirable things cannot compare with her.

¹²“I, wisdom, ^(O)dwell with prudence,
And I find ^(P)knowledge and discretion.
¹³The ^(Q)fear of the Lord is to hate evil;
^(R)Pride, arrogance, ^(S)the evil way,
And the ^(T)perverted mouth, I hate.
¹⁴^(U)Advice is mine and ^(V)sound wisdom;
I am understanding, ^(W)power is mine.
¹⁵By me ^(X)kings reign,
And rulers decree justice.
¹⁶By me princes rule, and nobles,
All who judge rightly.
¹⁷I ^(Y)love those who love me;
And ^(Z)those who diligently seek me will find me.
¹⁸^(AA)Riches and honor are with me,
Enduring ^(AB)wealth and righteousness.
¹⁹My fruit is ^(AC)better than gold, even pure gold;
And my yield better than ^(AD)choice silver.
²⁰I walk in the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice,
²¹To endow those who love me with wealth,
That I may ^(AE)fill their treasuries.

²²“The Lord ^[e]created me ^(AF)at the beginning of His way,
Before His works ^[f]of old.
²³From eternity I was ^[g]^(AG)established,
From the beginning, ^(AH)from the earliest times of the earth.
²⁴When there were no ^(AI)ocean depths, I was born,
When there were no springs abounding with water.
²⁵^(AJ)Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills, I was born;
²⁶While He had not yet made the earth and the ^[h]fields,
Nor the first dust of the world.
²⁷When He ^(AK)established the heavens, I was there;
When ^(AL)He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,
²⁸When He made firm the skies above,
When the springs of the deep became ^[i]fixed,
²⁹When ^(AM)He set a boundary for the sea
So that the water would not violate His ^[j]command,
When He marked out ^(AN)the foundations of the earth;
³⁰Then ^(AO)I was beside Him, as a master workman;
And I was His delight daily,
^[k]Rejoicing always before Him,
³¹^[l]Rejoicing in the world, His earth,
And having ^(AP)my delight in the sons of mankind.

³²“Now then, sons, ^(AQ)listen to me,
For ^(AR)blessed are those who keep my ways.
³³^(AS)Listen to instruction and be wise,
And do not neglect it.
³⁴^(AT)Blessed is the person who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at my doorposts.
³⁵For ^(AU)one who finds me finds life,
And ^(AV)obtains favor from the Lord.
³⁶But one who ^[m]sins against me ^(AW)injures himself;
All those who ^(AX)hate me ^(AY)love death.”

Wisdom’s Invitation

9 Wisdom has ^(AZ)built her house,
She has carved out her seven pillars;
²She has ^[n]^(BA)prepared her food, she has ^(BB)mixed her wine;
She has also ^(BC)set her table;
³She has ^(BD)sent out her attendants, she ^(BE)calls out
From the ^(BF)tops of the heights of the city:
⁴“^(BG)Whoever is naive, let him turn in here!”
To him who ^(BH)lacks ^[o]understanding she says,
⁵“Come, ^(BI)eat of my food
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
⁶^[p]Abandon your foolishness and ^(BJ)live,
And ^(BK)proceed in the way of understanding.”