Proverbes 8

¹ Is not wisdom crying out, and the voice of knowledge sounding? ² At the top of the highways, at the meeting of the roads, she takes her place; ³ Where the roads go into the town her cry goes out, at the doorways her voice is loud: ⁴ I am crying out to you, O men; my voice comes to the sons of men. ⁵ Become expert in reason, O you simple ones; you foolish ones, take training to heart. ⁶ Give ear, for my words are true, and my lips are open to give out what is upright. ⁷ For good faith goes out of my mouth, and false lips are disgusting to me. ⁸ All the words of my mouth are righteousness; there is nothing false or twisted in them. ⁹ They are all true to him whose mind is awake, and straightforward to those who get knowledge. ¹⁰ Take my teaching, and not silver; get knowledge in place of the best gold. ¹¹ For wisdom is better than jewels, and all things which may be desired are nothing in comparison with her. ¹² I, wisdom, have made wise behaviour my near relation; I am seen to be the special friend of wise purposes. ¹³ The fear of the Lord is seen in hating evil: pride, a high opinion of oneself, the evil way, and the false tongue, are unpleasing to me. ¹⁴ Wise design and good sense are mine; reason and strength are mine. ¹⁵ Through me kings have their power, and rulers give right decisions. ¹⁶ Through me chiefs have authority, and the noble ones are judging in righteousness. ¹⁷ Those who have given me their love are loved by me, and those who make search for me with care will get me. ¹⁸ Wealth and honour are in my hands, even wealth without equal and righteousness. ¹⁹ My fruit is better than gold, even than the best gold; and my increase is more to be desired than silver. ²⁰ I go in the road of righteousness, in the way of right judging: ²¹ So that I may give my lovers wealth for their heritage, making their store-houses full. ²² The Lord made me as the start of his way, the first of his works in the past. ²³ From eternal days I was given my place, from the birth of time, before the earth was. ²⁴ When there was no deep I was given birth, when there were no fountains flowing with water. ²⁵ Before the mountains were put in their places, before the hills was my birth: ²⁶ When he had not made the earth or the fields or the dust of the world. ²⁷ When he made ready the heavens I was there: when he put an arch over the face of the deep: ²⁸ When he made strong the skies overhead: when the fountains of the deep were fixed: ²⁹ When he put a limit to the sea, so that the waters might not go against his word: when he put in position the bases of the earth: ³⁰ Then I was by his side, as a master workman: and I was his delight from day to day, playing before him at all times; ³¹ Playing in his earth; and my delight was with the sons of men. ³² Give ear to me then, my sons: for happy are those who keep my ways. ³³ Take my teaching and be wise; do not let it go. ³⁴ Happy is the man who gives ear to me, watching at my doors day by day, keeping his place by the pillars of my house. ³⁵ For whoever gets me gets life, and grace from the Lord will come to him. ³⁶ But he who does evil to me, does wrong to his soul: all my haters are in love with death.