Chapter 8

  Doth not wisdom call? And understanding give forth her voice?  

--

  At the head of high places by the way, Between the paths she hath stood,  

--

  At the side of the gates, at the mouth of the city, The entrance of the openings, she crieth aloud,  

--

  'Unto you, O men, I call, And my voice [is] unto the sons of men.  

--

  Understand, ye simple ones, prudence, And ye fools, understand the heart,  

--

  Hearken, for noble things I speak, And the opening of my lips [is] uprightness.  

--

  For truth doth my mouth utter, And an abomination to my lips [is] wickedness.  

--

  In righteousness [are] all the sayings of my mouth, Nothing in them is froward and perverse.  

--

  All of them [are] plain to the intelligent, And upright to those finding knowledge.  

--

  Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold.  

--

  For better [is] wisdom than rubies, Yea, all delights are not comparable with it.  

--

  I, wisdom, have dwelt with prudence, And a knowledge of devices I find out.  

--

  The fear of Jehovah [is] to hate evil; Pride, and arrogance, and an evil way, And a froward mouth, I have hated.  

--

  Mine [is] counsel and substance, I [am] understanding, I have might.  

--

  By me kings reign, and princes decree righteousness,  

--

  By me do chiefs rule, and nobles, All judges of the earth.  

--

  I love those loving me, And those seeking me earnestly do find me.  

--

  Wealth and honour [are] with me, Lasting substance and righteousness.  

--

  Better [is] my fruit than gold, even fine gold, And mine increase than choice silver.  

--

  In a path of righteousness I cause to walk, In midst of paths of judgment,  

--

  To cause my lovers to inherit substance, Yea, their treasures I fill.  

--

  Jehovah possessed me -- the beginning of His way, Before His works since then.  

--

  From the age I was anointed, from the first, From former states of the earth.  

--

  In there being no depths, I was brought forth, In there being no fountains heavy [with] waters,  

--

  Before mountains were sunk, Before heights, I was brought forth.  

--

  While He had not made the earth, and out-places, And the top of the dusts of the world.  

--

  In His preparing the heavens I [am] there, In His decreeing a circle on the face of the deep,  

--

  In His strengthening clouds above, In His making strong fountains of the deep,  

--

  In His setting for the sea its limit, And the waters transgress not His command, In His decreeing the foundations of earth,  

--

  Then I am near Him, a workman, And I am a delight -- day by day. Rejoicing before Him at all times,  

--

  Rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth, And my delights [are] with the sons of men.  

--

  And now, ye sons, hearken to me, Yea, happy are they who keep my ways.  

--

  Hear instruction, and be wise, and slight not.  

--

  O the happiness of the man hearkening to me, To watch at my doors day by day, To watch at the door-posts of my entrance.  

--

  For whoso is finding me, hath found life, And bringeth out good-will from Jehovah.  

--

  And whoso is missing me, is wronging his soul, All hating me have loved death!  

--