Christian Standard Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1Doesn't wisdom call out? Doesn't understanding make her voice heard?

1Does not wisdom call, And understanding lift up her voice?

2At the heights overlooking the road, at the crossroads, she takes her stand.

2On top of the heights beside the way, Where the paths meet, she takes her stand;

3Beside the gates leading into the city, at the main entrance, she cries out:

3Beside the gates, at the opening to the city, At the entrance of the doors, she cries out:

4"People, I call out to you; my cry is to the children of Adam.

4"To you, O men, I call, And my voice is to the sons of men.

5Learn to be shrewd, you who are inexperienced; develop common sense, you who are foolish.

5"O naive ones, understand prudence; And, O fools, understand wisdom.

6Listen, for I speak of noble things, and what my lips say is right.

6"Listen, for I will speak noble things; And the opening of my lips will reveal right things.

7For my mouth tells the truth, and wickedness is detestable to my lips.

7"For my mouth will utter truth; And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

8All the words from my mouth are righteous; none of them are deceptive or perverse.

8"All the utterances of my mouth are in righteousness; There is nothing crooked or perverted in them.

9All of them are clear to the perceptive, and right to those who discover knowledge.

9"They are all straightforward to him who understands, And right to those who find knowledge.

10Accept my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold.

10"Take my instruction and not silver, And knowledge rather than choicest gold.

11For wisdom is better than jewels, and nothing desirable can equal it.

11"For wisdom is better than jewels; And all desirable things cannot compare with her.

12I, wisdom, share a home with shrewdness and have knowledge and discretion.

12"I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And I find knowledge and discretion.

13To fear the LORD is to hate evil. I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.

13"The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate.

14I possess good advice and sound wisdom; I have understanding and strength.

14"Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding, power is mine.

15It is by me that kings reign and rulers enact just law;

15"By me kings reign, And rulers decree justice.

16by me, princes lead, as do nobles and all righteous judges.

16"By me princes rule, and nobles, All who judge rightly.

17I love those who love me, and those who search for me find me.

17"I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me.

18With me are riches and honor, lasting wealth and righteousness.

18"Riches and honor are with me, Enduring wealth and righteousness.

19My fruit is better than solid gold, and my harvest than pure silver.

19"My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold, And my yield better than choicest silver.

20I walk in the ways of righteousness, along the paths of justice,

20"I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice,

21giving wealth as an inheritance to those who love me, and filling their treasuries.

21To endow those who love me with wealth, That I may fill their treasuries.

22"The LORD acquired me at the beginning of his creation, before his works of long ago.

22"The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old.

23I was formed before ancient times, from the beginning, before the earth began.

23"From everlasting I was established, From the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth.

24I was born when there were no watery depths and no springs filled with water.

24"When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no springs abounding with water.

25Before the mountains were established, prior to the hills, I was given birth--

25"Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills I was brought forth;

26before he made the land, the fields, or the first soil on earth.

26While He had not yet made the earth and the fields, Nor the first dust of the world.

27I was there when he established the heavens, when he laid out the horizon on the surface of the ocean,

27"When He established the heavens, I was there, When He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,

28when he placed the skies above, when the fountains of the ocean gushed out,

28When He made firm the skies above, When the springs of the deep became fixed,

29when he set a limit for the sea so that the waters would not violate his command, when he laid out the foundations of the earth.

29When He set for the sea its boundary So that the water would not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth;

30I was a skilled craftsman beside him. I was his delight every day, always rejoicing before him.

30Then I was beside Him, as a master workman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him,

31I was rejoicing in his inhabited world, delighting in the children of Adam.

31Rejoicing in the world, His earth, And having my delight in the sons of men.

32"And now, sons, listen to me; those who keep my ways are happy.

32"Now therefore, O sons, listen to me, For blessed are they who keep my ways.

33Listen to instruction and be wise; don't ignore it.

33"Heed instruction and be wise, And do not neglect it.

34Anyone who listens to me is happy, watching at my doors every day, waiting by the posts of my doorway.

34"Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at my doorposts.

35For the one who finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD,

35"For he who finds me finds life And obtains favor from the LORD.

36but the one who misses me harms himself; all who hate me love death."

36"But he who sins against me injures himself; All those who hate me love death."

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org