8:1 Does not wisdom call out?
Does not understanding raise her voice?
8:2 At the top 2 of the elevated places along the way,
at the intersection 3 of the paths she takes her stand;
8:3 beside the gates opening into 4 the city,
at the entrance of the doorways she cries out: 5
8:4 “To you, O people, 6 I call out,
and my voice calls 7 to all mankind. 8
8:5 You who are naive, discern 9 wisdom!
And you fools, understand discernment! 10
8:6 Listen, for I will speak excellent things, 11
and my lips will utter 12 what is right.
8:7 For my mouth 13 speaks truth, 14
and my lips 15 hate wickedness. 16
8:8 All the words of my mouth are righteous; 17
there is nothing in them twisted 18 or crooked.
8:9 All of them are clear 19 to the discerning
and upright to those who find knowledge.
8:10 Receive my instruction 20 rather than 21 silver,
and knowledge rather than choice gold.
8:11 For wisdom is better than rubies,
and desirable things cannot be compared 22 to her.
8:12 “I, wisdom, live with prudence, 23
and I find 24 knowledge and discretion.
8:13 The fear of the Lord is to hate 25 evil;
I hate arrogant pride 26 and the evil way
and perverse utterances. 27
8:14 Counsel and sound wisdom belong to me; 28
I possess understanding and might.
8:15 Kings reign by means of me,
and potentates 29 decree 30 righteousness;
8:16 by me princes rule,
as well as nobles and 31 all righteous judges. 32
8:17 I love 33 those who love me,
and those who seek me find me.
8:18 Riches and honor are with me,
long-lasting wealth and righteousness.
8:19 My fruit is better than the purest gold, 34
and what I produce 35 is better than choice silver.
8:20 I walk in the path of righteousness,
in the pathway of justice,
8:21 that I may cause 36 those who love me to inherit wealth,
and that I may fill 37 their treasuries. 38
8:22 The Lord created 39 me as the beginning 40 of his works, 41
before his deeds of long ago.
8:23 From eternity I was appointed, 42
from the beginning, from before the world existed. 43
8:24 When there were no deep oceans 44 I was born, 45
when there were no springs overflowing 46 with water;
8:25 before the mountains were set in place –
before the hills – I was born,
8:26 before he made the earth and its fields, 47
or the beginning 48 of the dust of the world.
8:27 When he established the heavens, I was there;
when he marked out the horizon 49 over the face of the deep,
8:28 when he established the clouds above,
when the fountains of the deep grew strong, 50
8:29 when he gave the sea his decree
that the waters should not pass over his command, 51
when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
8:30 then I was 52 beside him as a master craftsman, 53
and I was his delight 54 day by day,
rejoicing before him at all times,
8:31 rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth, 55
and delighting 56 in its people. 57
8:32 “So now, children, 58 listen to me;
blessed are those who keep my ways.
8:33 Listen to my instruction 59 so that you may be wise, 60
and do not neglect it.
8:34 Blessed is the one 61 who listens to me,
watching 62 at my doors day by day,
waiting 63 beside my doorway. 64
8:35 For the one who finds me finds 65 life
and receives 66 favor from the Lord.
8:36 But the one who does not find me 67 brings harm 68 to himself; 69
all who hate me 70 love death.”
9:1 Wisdom has built her house;
she has carved out its seven pillars. 72
9:2 She has prepared her meat, 73 she has mixed her wine;
she also has arranged her table. 74
9:3 She has sent out her female servants;
she calls out on the highest places 75 of the city.
9:4 “Whoever is naive, let him turn in here,”
she says 76 to those 77 who lack understanding. 78
9:5 “Come, eat 79 some of my food,
and drink some of the wine I have mixed. 80
9:6 Abandon your foolish ways 81 so that you may live, 82
and proceed 83 in the way of understanding.”
9:7 Whoever corrects 84 a mocker is asking for 85 insult; 86
whoever reproves a wicked person receives 87 abuse.
9:8 Do not reprove 88 a mocker or 89 he will hate you;
reprove a wise person and he will love you.
9:9 Give instruction 90 to a wise person, 91 and he will become wiser still;
teach 92 a righteous person and he will add to his 93 learning.
9:10 The beginning 94 of wisdom is to fear the Lord, 95
and acknowledging 96 the Holy One 97 is understanding.
9:11 For because 98 of me your days will be many,
and years will be added 99 to your life.
9:12 If you are wise, you are wise to your own advantage, 100
but if you are a mocker, 101 you alone must 102 bear it. 103
9:13 The woman called Folly 104 is brash, 105
she is naive 106 and does not know 107 anything. 108
9:14 So she sits at the door of her house,
on a seat at the highest point of the city,
9:15 calling out 109 to those who are passing by her 110 in the way, 111
who go straight 112 on their way.
9:16 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here,”
she says to those who lack understanding. 113
9:17 “Stolen waters 114 are sweet,
and food obtained in secret 115 is pleasant!”
9:18 But they do not realize 116 that the dead 117 are there,
that her guests are in the depths of the grave. 118
10:1 The Proverbs of Solomon:
A wise child 120 makes a father rejoice, 121
but a foolish child 122 is a grief to his mother. 123
10:2 Treasures gained by wickedness 124 do not profit,
but righteousness 125 delivers from mortal danger. 126
10:3 The Lord satisfies 127 the appetite 128 of the righteous,
but he thwarts 129 the craving 130 of the wicked.
10:4 The one who is lazy 131 becomes poor, 132
but the one who works diligently 133 becomes wealthy. 134
10:5 The one who gathers crops 135 in the summer is a wise 136 son,
but the one who sleeps 137 during the harvest
is a son who brings shame to himself. 138
10:6 Blessings 139 are on the head of the righteous,
but the speech 140 of the wicked conceals 141 violence. 142
10:7 The memory 143 of the righteous is a blessing,
but the reputation 144 of the wicked will rot. 145
10:8 The wise person 146 accepts instructions, 147
but the one who speaks foolishness 148 will come to ruin. 149
10:9 The one who conducts himself 150 in integrity 151 will live 152 securely,
but the one who behaves perversely 153 will be found out.
10:10 The one who winks 154 his 155 eye causes 156 trouble,
and the one who speaks foolishness 157 will come to ruin.
10:11 The teaching 158 of the righteous is a fountain of life, 159
but the speech 160 of the wicked conceals 161 violence. 162
10:12 Hatred 163 stirs up dissension,
but love covers all transgressions. 164
10:13 Wisdom is found in the words 165 of the discerning person, 166
but the one who lacks wisdom 167 will be disciplined. 168
10:14 Those who are wise 169 store up 170 knowledge,
but foolish speech 171 leads to imminent 172 destruction.
10:15 The wealth of a rich person is like 173 a fortified city, 174
but the poor are brought to ruin 175 by 176 their poverty.
10:16 The reward 177 which the righteous receive 178 is life;
the recompense 179 which the wicked receive 180 is judgment. 181
10:17 The one who heeds instruction 182 is on the way to 183 life,
but the one who rejects 184 rebuke goes astray.
10:18 The one who conceals hatred utters lies, 185
and the one who spreads 186 slander 187 is certainly 188 a fool.
10:19 When words abound, transgression is inevitable, 189
but the one who restrains 190 his words 191 is wise.
10:20 What the righteous say 192 is like 193 the best 194 silver,
but what the wicked think 195 is of little value. 196
10:21 The teaching 197 of the righteous feeds 198 many,
but fools die 199 for lack of wisdom. 200
10:22 The blessing 201 from the Lord 202 makes a person rich, 203
and he adds no sorrow 204 to 205 it.
10:23 Carrying out a wicked scheme 206 is enjoyable 207 to a fool,
and so is wisdom for the one who has discernment. 208
10:24 What the wicked fears 209 will come on him;
what the righteous desire 210 will be granted. 211
10:25 When the storm 212 passes through, the wicked are swept away, 213
but the righteous are an everlasting foundation. 214
10:26 Like vinegar to the teeth and like smoke to the eyes, 215
so is the sluggard to those 216 who send him.
10:27 Fearing the Lord 217 prolongs life, 218
but the life span 219 of the wicked will be shortened. 220
10:28 The hope 221 of the righteous is joy,
but the expectation of the wicked will remain unfulfilled. 222
10:29 The way of the Lord 223 is like 224 a stronghold for the upright, 225
but it is destruction 226 to evildoers. 227
10:30 The righteous will never be moved,
but the wicked will not inhabit the land. 228
10:31 The speech 229 of the righteous bears the fruit of wisdom, 230
but the one who speaks perversion 231 will be destroyed. 232
10:32 The lips of the righteous know 233 what is pleasing, 234
but the speech 235 of the wicked is perverse.
11:1 The Lord abhors 236 dishonest scales, 237
but an accurate weight 238 is his delight.
11:2 When pride 239 comes, 240 then comes disgrace, 241
but with humility 242 comes 243 wisdom.
11:3 The integrity of the upright guides them, 244
but the crookedness of the unfaithful destroys them. 245
11:4 Wealth does not profit in the day of wrath, 246
but righteousness delivers from mortal danger. 247
11:5 The righteousness of the blameless will make straight their way, 248
but the wicked person will fall by his own wickedness. 249
11:6 The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, 250
but the faithless will be captured 251 by their own desires. 252
11:7 When a wicked person dies, his expectation perishes, 253
and the hope of his strength 254 perishes. 255
11:8 The righteous person is delivered 256 out of trouble,
and the wicked turns up in his stead. 257
11:9 With his speech 258 the godless person 259 destroys 260 his neighbor,
but by knowledge 261 the righteous will be delivered.
11:10 When the righteous do well, 262 the city rejoices; 263
when the wicked perish, there is joy.
11:11 A city is exalted by the blessing provided from 264 the upright,
but it is destroyed by the counsel 265 of the wicked. 266
11:12 The one who denounces 267 his neighbor lacks wisdom, 268
but the one who has discernment 269 keeps silent. 270
11:13 The one who goes about slandering others 271 reveals 272 secrets,
but the one who is trustworthy 273 conceals a matter.
11:14 When there is no guidance 274 a nation falls,
but there is success 275 in the abundance of counselors.
11:15 The one who puts up security for a stranger 276 will surely have trouble, 277
but whoever avoids 278 shaking hands 279 will be secure.
11:16 A generous woman 280 gains honor,
and ruthless men 281 seize wealth. 282
11:17 A kind person 283 benefits 284 himself, 285
but a cruel person brings himself trouble. 286
11:18 The wicked person 287 earns 288 deceitful wages, 289
but the one who sows 290 righteousness reaps 291 a genuine 292 reward. 293
11:19 True 294 righteousness leads to 295 life,
but the one who pursues evil pursues it 296 to his own death. 297
11:20 The Lord abhors 298 those who are perverse in heart, 299
but those who are blameless in their ways 300 are his delight. 301
11:21 Be assured that 302 the evil person will certainly be punished, 303
but the descendants of the righteous 304 will not suffer unjust judgment. 305
11:22 Like a gold ring 306 in a pig’s snout 307
is 308 a beautiful woman who rejects 309 discretion. 310
11:23 What the righteous desire 311 leads 312 only to good,
but what the wicked hope for 313 leads 314 to wrath.
11:24 One person is generous 315 and yet grows more wealthy, 316
but another withholds more than he should 317 and comes to poverty. 318
11:25 A generous person 319 will be enriched, 320
and the one who provides water 321 for others 322 will himself be satisfied. 323
11:26 People will curse 324 the one who withholds grain, 325
but they will praise 326 the one who sells it. 327
11:27 The one who diligently seeks 328 good seeks favor,
but the one who searches 329 for evil – it will come to him. 330
11:28 The one who trusts in his riches will fall,
but the righteous 331 will flourish like a green leaf. 332
11:29 The one who troubles 333 his family 334 will inherit nothing, 335
and the fool 336 will be a servant to the wise person. 337
11:30 The fruit of the righteous is like 338 a tree producing life, 339
and the one who wins souls 340 is wise. 341
11:31 If the righteous are recompensed on earth, 342
how much more 343 the wicked sinner! 344