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Proverbs 8 (Listen)

• Proverbs 7
• Proverbs 8
• Proverbs 9

The Blessings of Wisdom

8 Does not lwisdom call?

Does not munderstanding raise her voice?

2 On nthe heights beside the way,

at the crossroads she takes her stand;

3 beside othe gates in front of pthe town,

at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:

4 “To you, O qmen, I call,

and my cry is to qthe children of man.

5 O rsimple ones, learn sprudence;

O tfools, learn sense.

6 Hear, for I will speak unoble things,

and from my lips will come vwhat is right,

7 for my wmouth will utter truth;

wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

8 All the words of my mouth are righteous;

there is nothing xtwisted or crooked in them.

9 They are all ystraight to him who understands,

and right to those who find knowledge.

10 zTake my instruction instead of silver,

and knowledge rather than choice gold,

11 afor wisdom is better than jewels,

and ball that you may desire cannot compare with her.

12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,

and I find knowledge and cdiscretion.

13 dThe fear of the Lord is ehatred of evil.

fPride and arrogance and the way of evil

and gperverted speech I hate.

14 I have hcounsel and isound wisdom;

I have insight; jI have strength.

15 By me kkings reign,

and rulers decree what is just;

16 by me princes rule,

and nobles, all who govern justly.1

17 lI love those who love me,

and mthose who seek me diligently find me.

18 nRiches and honor are with me,

oenduring wealth and orighteousness.

19 My fruit is pbetter than qgold, even fine gold,

and my yield than rchoice silver.

20 I walk in the way of righteousness,

in the paths of justice,

21 granting an inheritance to those who love me,

and filling their treasuries.

22 s“The Lord tpossessed2 me at the beginning of his work,3

the first of his acts uof old.

23 Ages ago I was vset up,

at the first, wbefore the beginning of the earth.

24 When there were no xdepths I was ybrought forth,

when there were no springs abounding with water.

25 Before the mountains zhad been shaped,

abefore the hills, I was brought forth,

26 before he had made the earth with its fields,

or the first of the dust of the world.

27 When he bestablished the heavens, I was there;

when he drew ca circle on the face of the deep,

28 when he dmade firm the skies above,

when he established4 the fountains of the deep,

29 when he eassigned to the sea its flimit,

so that the waters might not transgress his command,

when he marked out gthe foundations of the earth,

30 then hI was beside him, like a master workman,

and I was daily his5 idelight,

rejoicing before him always,

31 jrejoicing in his kinhabited world

and delighting in the children of man.

32 “And now, lO sons, listen to me:

mblessed are those who keep my ways.

33 nHear instruction and be wise,

and do not neglect it.

34 oBlessed is the one who listens to me,

watching daily at my gates,

waiting beside my doors.

35 For pwhoever finds me qfinds life

and robtains favor from the Lord,

36 but he who fails to find me sinjures himself;

all who thate me ulove death.”

• Proverbs 7
• Proverbs 8
• Proverbs 9

Proverbs 1 (Listen)

• Psalm 150
• Proverbs 1
• Proverbs 2

The Beginning of Knowledge

1 aThe proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

2 To know wisdom and instruction,

to understand words of insight,

3 to receive instruction in wise dealing,

in brighteousness, justice, and equity;

4 to give prudence to cthe simple,

knowledge and ddiscretion to the youth—

5 Let the wise hear and eincrease in learning,

and the one who understands obtain guidance,

6 to understand a proverb and a saying,

fthe words of the wise and their griddles.

7 hThe fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;

fools despise wisdom and instruction.

The Enticement of Sinners

8 iHear, my son, your father's instruction,

and forsake not your mother's teaching,

9 for they are ja graceful garland for your head

and kpendants for your neck.

10 My son, if sinners lentice you,

do not consent.

11 If they say, “Come with us, mlet us lie in wait for blood;

nlet us ambush the innocent without reason;

12 like Sheol let us oswallow them alive,

and whole, like pthose who go down to the pit;

13 we shall find all precious goods,

we shall fill our houses with plunder;

14 throw in your lot among us;

we will all have one purse”—

15 my son, qdo not walk in the way with them;

rhold back your foot from their paths,

16 for stheir feet run to evil,

and they make haste to shed blood.

17 tFor in vain is a net spread

in the sight of any bird,

18 but these men ulie in wait for their own blood;

they uset an ambush for their own lives.

19 vSuch are the ways of everyone who is wgreedy for unjust gain;

xit takes away the life of its possessors.

The Call of Wisdom

20 yWisdom cries aloud in the street,

in the markets she raises her voice;

21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;

at zthe entrance of the city gates she speaks:

22 “How long, O asimple ones, will you love being simple?

How long will bscoffers delight in their scoffing

and fools chate knowledge?

23 If you turn at my reproof,1

behold, I will dpour out my spirit to you;

I will make my words known to you.

24 eBecause I have called and fyou refused to listen,

have gstretched out my hand and no one has heeded,

25 because you have hignored all my counsel

and iwould have none of my reproof,

26 I also jwill laugh at your calamity;

I will mock when kterror strikes you,

27 when terror strikes you like la storm

and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,

when distress and anguish come upon you.

28 mThen they will call upon me, but I will not answer;

they will seek me diligently but will not find me.

29 Because they chated knowledge

and ndid not choose the fear of the Lord,

30 hwould have none of my counsel

and idespised all my reproof,

31 therefore they shall eat othe fruit of their way,

and have ptheir fill of their own devices.

32 For the simple are killed by qtheir turning away,

and rthe complacency of fools destroys them;

33 but swhoever listens to me will dwell secure

and will be tat ease, without dread of disaster.”

• Psalm 150
• Proverbs 1
• Proverbs 2