Holman 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 at the entry to 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: |
4People, I call out to you; my cry is to mankind. | 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 of 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 compare with 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 competence; 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 way 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. |
22The LORD made 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. |
25I was delivered before the mountains and hills were established, | 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 human race." | 31Rejoicing in the world, His earth, And having my delight in the sons of men. |
32And now, my 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." |
Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 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 |
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