8:1 Doth not wisdom cry, And understanding put forth her voice?

8:2 On the top of high places by the way, Where the paths meet, she standeth;

8:3 Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, At the coming in at the doors, she crieth aloud:

8:4 Unto you, O men, I call; And my voice is to the sons of men.

8:5 O ye simple, understand prudence; And, ye fools, be of an understanding heart.

8:6 Hear, for I will speak excellent things; And the opening of my lips shall be right things.

8:7 For my mouth shall utter truth; And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

8:8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; There is nothing crooked or perverse in them.

8:9 They are all plain to him that understandeth, And right to them that find knowledge.

8:10 Receive my instruction, and not silver; And knowledge rather than choice gold.

8:11 For wisdom is better than rubies; And all the things that may be desired are not to be compared unto it.

8:12 I wisdom have made prudence my dwelling, And find out knowledge [and] discretion.

8:13 The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil: Pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, And the perverse mouth, do I hate.

8:14 Counsel is mine, and sound knowledge: I am understanding; I have might.

8:15 By me kings reign, And princes decree justice.

8:16 By me princes rule, And nobles, [even] all the judges of the earth.

8:17 I love them that love me; And those that seek me diligently shall find me.

8:18 Riches and honor are with me; [Yea], durable wealth and righteousness.

8:19 My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; And my revenue than choice silver.

8:20 I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice;

8:21 That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance, And that I may fill their treasuries.

8:22 Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, Before his works of old.

8:23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, Before the earth was.

8:24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water.

8:25 Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills was I brought forth;

8:26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, Nor the beginning of the dust of the world.

8:27 When he established the heavens, I was there: When he set a circle upon the face of the deep,

8:28 When he made firm the skies above, When the fountains of the deep became strong,

8:29 When he gave to the sea its bound, That the waters should not transgress his commandment, When he marked out the foundations of the earth;

8:30 Then I was by him, [as] a master workman; And I was daily [his] delight, Rejoicing always before him,

8:31 Rejoicing in his habitable earth; And my delight was with the sons of men.

8:32 Now therefore, [my] sons, hearken unto me; For blessed are they that keep my ways.

8:33 Hear instruction, and be wise, And refuse it not.

8:34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors.

8:35 For whoso findeth me findeth life, And shall obtain favor of Jehovah.

8:36 But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: All they that hate me love death.