New American Standard Bible 1995

NET Bible

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

1Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice?

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

2At the top of the elevated places along the way, at the intersection of the paths she takes her stand;

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

3beside the gates opening into the city, at the entrance of the doorways she cries out:

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

4"To you, O people, I call out, and my voice calls to all mankind.

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

5You who are naive, discern wisdom! And you fools, understand discernment!

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

6Listen, for I will speak excellent things, and my lips will utter what is right.

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

7For my mouth speaks truth, and my lips hate wickedness.

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

8All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing in them twisted or crooked.

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

9All of them are clear to the discerning and upright to those who find knowledge.

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

10Receive my instruction rather than silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold.

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

11For wisdom is better than rubies, and desirable things cannot be compared to her.

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

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

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

13The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; I hate arrogant pride and the evil way and perverse utterances.

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

14Counsel and sound wisdom belong to me; I possess understanding and might.

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

15Kings reign by means of me, and potentates decree righteousness;

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

16by me princes rule, as well as nobles and all righteous judges.

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

17I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.

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

18Riches and honor are with me, long-lasting wealth and righteousness.

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

19My fruit is better than the purest gold, and what I produce is better than choice silver.

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

20I walk in the path of righteousness, in the pathway of justice,

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

21that I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth, and that I may fill their treasuries.

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

22The LORD created me as the beginning of his works, before his deeds of long ago.

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

23From eternity I was appointed, from the beginning, from before the world existed.

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

24When there were no deep oceans I was born, when there were no springs overflowing with water;

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

25before the mountains were set in place--before the hills--I was born,

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

26before he made the earth and its fields, or the beginning of the dust of the world.

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

27When he established the heavens, I was there; when he marked out the horizon over the face of the deep,

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

28when he established the clouds above, when the fountains of the deep grew strong,

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;

29when he gave the sea his decree that the waters should not pass over his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth,

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

30then I was beside him as a master craftsman, and I was his delight day by day, rejoicing before him at all times,

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

31rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth, and delighting in its people.

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

32"So now, children, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways.

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

33Listen to my instruction so that you may be wise, and do not neglect it.

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

34Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching at my doors day by day, waiting beside my doorway.

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

35For the one who finds me finds life and receives favor from the LORD.

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

36But the one who does not find me brings harm to himself; all who hate me love death."

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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