Proverbs 8-9
1599 Geneva Bible
8 1 Wisdom declareth her excellency, 11 riches, 15 power, 22 eternity. 32 She exhorteth all to love and follow her.
1 Doth (A)not [a]wisdom cry? and understanding utter her voice?
2 She standeth in the top of the high places, by the way in the place of the paths.
3 She crieth besides [b]the gates before the city at the entry of the doors,
4 O men, I call unto you, and utter my voice to the children of men.
5 O ye foolish men, understand wisdom, and ye, O fools, be wise in heart.
6 Give ear, for I will speak of excellent things, and the opening of my lips shall teach things that be right.
7 For my mouth shall speak the truth, and my lips abhor wickedness.
8 All the words of my mouth are righteous: there is no lewdness, nor frowardness in them.
9 They are all [c]plain to them that will understand, and straight to them that would find knowledge.
10 Receive mine instruction, and not silver, and knowledge rather than fine gold.
11 For wisdom is better than precious stones: and all pleasures are not to be compared unto her.
12 I wisdom dwell with [d]prudence, and I find forth knowledge and counsels.
13 The fear of the Lord is to hate [e]evil, as pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way: and a mouth that speaketh lewd things I do hate.
14 I have counsel and wisdom: I am understanding, and I have strength.
15 By me [f]kings reign, and princes decree justice.
16 By me princes rule, and the nobles, and all the judges of the earth.
17 I love them that love me: and they that seek me [g]early shall find me.
18 Riches and honor are with me: [h]even durable riches and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than gold, even than fine gold, and my revenues better than fine silver.
20 I cause to walk in the way of righteousness, and in the midst of the paths of [i]judgment,
21 That I may cause them that love me, to inherit substance, and I will fill their treasures.
22 The Lord hath possessed me in the beginning of his way: I was [j]before his works of old.
23 [k]I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, and before the earth.
24 When there were no depths, was I begotten, when there were no fountains abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains were settled: and before the hills, was I begotten.
26 He had not yet made the earth, nor the open places, nor the height of the dust in the world.
27 When he prepared the heavens, I was there, when he set the compass upon the deep:
28 When he established the clouds above: when he confirmed the fountains of the deep:
29 When he gave his decree to the sea, that the waters should not pass his commandment, when he appointed the foundations of the earth.
30 Then was I with him [l]as a nourisher, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him,
31 And took my [m]solace in the compass of [n]his earth: and my delight is with the children of men.
32 Therefore now hearken, O children, unto me: for blessed are they that keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction, and be ye wise, and refuse it not: blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, and giving attendance at the posts of my doors.
34 For he that findeth me, findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the Lord.
35 But he that sinneth against me, hurteth his own soul: and all that hate me, love death.
9 2 Wisdom calleth all to her feast. 7 The scorner will not be corrected. 10 The fear of God. 13 The conditions of the harlot.
1 Wisdom hath built her [o]house, and hewn out her [p]seven pillars.
2 She hath killed her victuals, drawn her wine, and [q]prepared her table.
3 She hath sent forth her [r]maidens, and crieth upon the highest places of the city, saying,
4 Who so is [s]simple, let him come hither, and to him that is destitute of wisdom, she saith,
5 Come, and eat of my [t]meat, and drink of the wine that I have drawn.
6 Forsake your way, ye foolish, and ye shall live: and walk in the way of understanding.
7 He that reproveth a scorner, purchaseth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh the wicked, getteth himself a [u]blot.
8 Rebuke not a [v]scorner, lest he hate thee: but rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.
9 Give admonition to the wise, and he will be the wiser: teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
10 The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and the knowledge of holy things, is [w]understanding.
11 For thy days shall be multiplied by me, and the years of thy life shall be augmented.
12 If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for [x]thyself, and if thou be a scorner, thou alone shalt suffer.
13 ¶ A [y]foolish woman is troublesome; she is ignorant and knoweth nothing.
14 But she sitteth at the door of her house on a seat in the high places of the city,
15 To call them that pass by the way, that go right on their way, saying,
16 Who so is simple let him come hither, and to him that is destitute of wisdom, she saith also,
17 Stolen waters are sweet, and hid bread is pleasant.
18 But he knoweth not, that the dead are there, and that her guests are in the depth of hell.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 8:1 Solomon declareth that man is cause of his own perdition, and that he can pretend no ignorance, forasmuch as God calleth to all men by his word, and by his works to follow virtue, and to flee from vice.
- Proverbs 8:3 Where the people did most resort, and which was the place of justice.
- Proverbs 8:9 Meaning, that the word of God is easy unto all that have a desire unto it, and which are not blinded by the prince of this world.
- Proverbs 8:12 That is, except a man have wisdom, which is the true knowledge of God, he can neither be prudent nor good counselor.
- Proverbs 8:13 So that he that doth not hate evil, feareth not God.
- Proverbs 8:15 Whereby he declareth that honors, dignity or riches come not of man’s wisdom or industry, but by the providence of God.
- Proverbs 8:17 That is, study the word of God diligently, and with a desire to profit.
- Proverbs 8:18 Signifying that he chiefly meaneth the spiritual treasures and heavenly riches.
- Proverbs 8:20 For there can be no true justice or judgment, which is not rejected by this wisdom.
- Proverbs 8:22 He declareth hereby the divinity and eternity of this wisdom, which he magnifieth and praiseth through this book: meaning thereby the eternal son of God Jesus Christ our Savior, whom Saint John calleth that word that was in the beginning, John 1:1.
- Proverbs 8:23 He declareth the eternity of the Son of God, which is meant by this word, wisdom, who was before all time, and ever present with the father.
- Proverbs 8:30 Some read, a chief worker: signifying that this wisdom, even Christ Jesus, was equal with God his father, and created, preserveth and still worketh with him, as John 5:17.
- Proverbs 8:31 Whereby is declared that the work of the creation was no pain, but a solace unto the wisdom of God.
- Proverbs 8:31 By earth he meaneth man, which is the work of God in whom wisdom took pleasure: insomuch as for man’s sake the divine wisdom took man’s nature, and dwelt among us, and filled us with unspeakable treasures: and this is that solace and pastime whereof is here spoken.
- Proverbs 9:1 Christ hath prepared him a Church.
- Proverbs 9:1 That is, many chief stays and principal parts of his Church, as were the Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Pastors, and Doctors.
- Proverbs 9:2 He compareth wisdom with great princes that keep open house for all that come.
- Proverbs 9:3 Meaning, true preachers, which are not infected with man’s wisdom.
- Proverbs 9:4 He that knoweth his own ignorance, and is void of malice.
- Proverbs 9:5 By the meat and drink, is meant the word of God, and the ministration of the Sacraments, whereby God nourisheth his servants in his house, which is the Church.
- Proverbs 9:7 For the wicked will contemn him and labor to defame him.
- Proverbs 9:8 Meaning them that are incorrigible, which Christ calleth dogs and swine: or he speaketh this in comparison, not that the wicked should not be rebuked, but he showeth their malice, and the small hope of profit.
- Proverbs 9:10 He showeth what true understanding is, to know the will of God in his word which is meant by holy things.
- Proverbs 9:12 Thou shalt have the chief profit and commodity thereof.
- Proverbs 9:13 By the foolish woman, some understand the wicked preachers, who counterfeit the word of God: as appeareth verse 16, which were the words of the true preachers, as verse 4, but their doctrine is but as stolen waters: meaning, that they are but men’s traditions, which are more pleasant to the flesh than the word of God, and therefore they themselves boast thereof.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
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