Proverbs 8

₁Listen! Wisdom is calling out.

Reason is making herself heard.

₂On the hilltops near the road

and at the crossroads she stands.

₃At the entrance to the city,

beside the gates, she calls:

₄“I appeal to all of you;

I call to everyone on earth.

₅Are you immature? Learn to be mature.

Are you foolish? Learn to have sense.

₆Listen to my excellent words;

all I tell you is right.

₇What I say is the truth;

lies are hateful to me.

₈Everything I say is true;

nothing is false or misleading.

₉To those with insight, it is all clear;

to the well-informed, it is all plain.

₁₀Choose my instruction instead of silver;

choose knowledge rather than the finest gold.

₁₁“I am Wisdom, I am better than jewels;

nothing you want can compare with me.

₁₂I am Wisdom, and I have insight;

I have knowledge and sound judgement.

₁₃To honour the LORD is to hate evil;

I hate pride and arrogance,

evil ways and false words.

₁₄I make plans and carry them out.

I have understanding, and I am strong.

₁₅I help kings to govern

and rulers to make good laws.

₁₆Every ruler on earth governs with my help,

officials and nobles alike.

₁₇I love those who love me;

whoever looks for me can find me.

₁₈I have riches and honour to give,

prosperity and success.

₁₉What you get from me is better than the finest gold,

better than the purest silver.

₂₀I walk the way of righteousness;

I follow the paths of justice,

₂₁giving wealth to those who love me,

filling their houses with treasures.

₂₂“The LORD created me first of all,

the first of his works, long ago.

₂₃I was made in the very beginning,

at the first, before the world began.

₂₄I was born before the oceans,

when there were no springs of water.

₂₅I was born before the mountains,

before the hills were set in place,

₂₆before God made the earth and its fields

or even the first handful of soil.

₂₇I was there when he set the sky in place,

when he stretched the horizon across the ocean,

₂₈when he placed the clouds in the sky,

when he opened the springs of the ocean

₂₉and ordered the waters of the sea

to rise no further than he said.

I was there when he laid the earth's foundations.

₃₀I was beside him like an architect,

I was his daily source of joy,

always happy in his presence —

₃₁happy with the world

and pleased with the human race.

₃₂“Now, young people, listen to me.

Do as I say, and you will be happy.

₃₃Listen to what you are taught.

Be wise; do not neglect it.

₃₄Those who listen to me will be happy —

those who stay at my door every day,

waiting at the entrance to my home.

₃₅Those who find me find life,

and the LORD will be pleased with them.

₃₆Those who do not find me hurt themselves;

anyone who hates me loves death.”