LEB PRO Chapter 8

Wisdom Calls

• and understanding raise its voice?
• 2 Atop the heights[fn] beside the road, at the crossroads she stands.
• 3 Beside gates, before towns, at the entrance of doors, she cries out:
• 4 “To you, O people ,[fn] I call, and my cry is to the children of humankind.
• 5 Learn prudence, O simple ones; fools, learn intelligence .[fn]
• 6 Listen! For noble things I will speak, and upright things from the opening of my lips.
• 7 My mouth will utter truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
• 8 All sayings of my mouth are in righteousness; none of them are twisted and crooked.
• 9 All of them are straight to him who understands, and upright to those who find knowledge.
• 10 Take my teaching and not silver; may you choose knowledge rather than choice gold.
• 11 For wisdom is better than jewels, and all desires shall not compare with her.
• 12 I, wisdom, live with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion.
• 13 The fear of Yahweh is hatred of evil, pride, and arrogance and an evil way.
• And I hate a mouth of perversity.
• 14 Advice and sound judgment[fn] are mine; I am understanding, strength is mine .[fn]
• 15 By me kings reign, and rulers decree righteousness.
• 16 By me rulers rule, and nobles—all judges of righteousness.
• 17 I love those who love me ,[fn] and those who seek me diligently shall find me.
• 18 Fortune and glory are with me, enduring wealth and righteousness.
• 19 My fruit is better than gold,[fn] even refined gold, and my yield than choice silver.
• 20 In the way of righteousness I walk, in the midst of paths of justice,
• 21 in order to endow those who love me with wealth, and I will fill their treasuries.

Wisdom at Creation

• 22 “Yahweh possessed[fn] me, the first of his ways, before his acts of old .[fn]
• 23 From eternity, I was set up from the first, from the beginning[fn] of the earth.
• 24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth, when there were no springs of abounding[fn] water.
• 25 Before mountains had been shaped, before hills, I was brought forth.
• 26 When he had not yet made earth and fields, or the first dust of the world,
• 27 when he established[fn] the heavens, there I was, when he drew[fn] a circle upon the face of the deep,
• 28 when he made[fn] skies from above, when he founded fountains of the deep,
• 29 when he assigned[fn] his limits to the sea, that waters shall not transgress his command ,[fn]
• when he marked[fn] the foundations of the earth,
• 30 I was beside[fn] him, a master workman, and I was delighting day by day,
• rejoicing before him always ,[fn]
• 31 rejoicing in the world of his earth, and my delight was with the children of humankind.

Benefits of Following Wisdom

• 32 “And now, children, listen to me; happy are those who will keep my ways.
• 33 Hear teaching and be wise; do not neglect it.
• 34 Happy is the person who listens to me, in order to keep watch at my doors day by day,
• in order to guard the frames of my entrances.
• 35 For he who finds me is he who finds[fn] life, and he obtains favor from Yahweh.
• 36 But he who misses me injures himself.[fn] All those who hate me love death.”