8:1Doth not wisdom call? And understanding give forth her voice?

8:2At the head of high places by the way, Between the paths she hath stood,

8:3At the side of the gates, at the mouth of the city, The entrance of the openings, she crieth aloud,

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

8:5Understand, ye simple ones, prudence, And ye fools, understand the heart,

8:6Hearken, for noble things I speak, And the opening of my lips is uprightness.

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

8:8In righteousness are all the sayings of my mouth, Nothing in them is froward and perverse.

8:9All of them are plain to the intelligent, And upright to those finding knowledge.

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

8:11For better is wisdom than rubies, Yea, all delights are not comparable with it.

8:12I, wisdom, have dwelt with prudence, And a knowledge of devices I find out.

8:13The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil; Pride, and arrogance, and an evil way, And a froward mouth, I have hated.

8:14Mine is counsel and substance, I am understanding, I have might.

8:15By me kings reign, and princes decree righteousness,

8:16By me do chiefs rule, and nobles, All judges of the earth.

8:17I love those loving me, And those seeking me earnestly do find me.

8:18Wealth and honour are with me, Lasting substance and righteousness.

8:19Better is my fruit than gold, even fine gold, And mine increase than choice silver.

8:20In a path of righteousness I cause to walk, In midst of paths of judgment,

8:21To cause my lovers to inherit substance, Yea, their treasures I fill.

8:22Jehovah possessed me -- the beginning of His way, Before His works since then.

8:23From the age I was anointed, from the first, From former states of the earth.

8:24In there being no depths, I was brought forth, In there being no fountains heavy with waters,

8:25Before mountains were sunk, Before heights, I was brought forth.

8:26While He had not made the earth, and out-places, And the top of the dusts of the world.

8:27In His preparing the heavens I am there, In His decreeing a circle on the face of the deep,

8:28In His strengthening clouds above, In His making strong fountains of the deep,

8:29In His setting for the sea its limit, And the waters transgress not His command, In His decreeing the foundations of earth,

8:30Then I am near Him, a workman, And I am a delight -- day by day. Rejoicing before Him at all times,

8:31Rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth, And my delights are with the sons of men.

8:32And now, ye sons, hearken to me, Yea, happy are they who keep my ways.

8:33Hear instruction, and be wise, and slight not.

8:34O the happiness of the man hearkening to me, To watch at my doors day by day, To watch at the door-posts of my entrance.

8:35For whoso is finding me, hath found life, And bringeth out good-will from Jehovah.

8:36And whoso is missing me, is wronging his soul, All hating me have loved death!

9:1Wisdom hath builded her house, She hath hewn out her pillars -- seven.

9:2She hath slaughtered her slaughter, She hath mingled her wine, Yea, she hath arranged her table.

9:3She hath sent forth her damsels, She crieth on the tops of the high places of the city:

9:4`Who is simple? let him turn aside hither.' Whoso lacketh heart: she hath said to him,

9:5`Come, eat of my bread, And drink of the wine I have mingled.

9:6Forsake ye, the simple, and live, And be happy in the way of understanding.

9:7The instructor of a scorner Is receiving for it -- shame, And a reprover of the wicked -- his blemish.

9:8Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee, Give reproof to the wise, and he loveth thee.

9:9Give to the wise, and he is wiser still, Make known to the righteous, And he increaseth learning.

9:10The commencement of wisdom is the fear of Jehovah, And a knowledge of the Holy Ones is understanding.

9:11For by me do thy days multiply, And added to thee are years of life.

9:12If thou hast been wise, thou hast been wise for thyself, And thou hast scorned -- thyself bearest it.

9:13A foolish woman is noisy, Simple, and hath not known what.

9:14And she hath sat at the opening of her house, On a throne -- the high places of the city,

9:15To call to those passing by the way, Who are going straight on their paths.

9:16`Who is simple? let him turn aside hither.' And whoso lacketh heart -- she said to him,

9:17`Stolen waters are sweet, And hidden bread is pleasant.'

9:18And he hath not known that Rephaim are there, In deep places of Sheol her invited ones!

10:1Proverbs of Solomon. A wise son causeth a father to rejoice, And a foolish son is an affliction to his mother.

10:2Treasures of wickedness profit not, And righteousness delivereth from death.

10:3Jehovah causeth not the soul of the righteous to hunger, And the desire of the wicked He thrusteth away.

10:4Poor is he who is working -- a slothful hand, And the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

10:5Whoso is gathering in summer is a wise son, Whoso is sleeping in harvest is a son causing shame.

10:6Blessings are for the head of the righteous, And the mouth of the wicked cover doth violence.

10:7The remembrance of the righteous is for a blessing, And the name of the wicked doth rot.

10:8The wise in heart accepteth commands, And a talkative fool kicketh.

10:9Whoso is walking in integrity walketh confidently, And whoso is perverting his ways is known.

10:10Whoso is winking the eye giveth grief, And a talkative fool kicketh.

10:11A fountain of life is the mouth of the righteous, And the mouth of the wicked cover doth violence.

10:12Hatred awaketh contentions, And over all transgressions love covereth.

10:13In the lips of the intelligent is wisdom found, And a rod is for the back of him who is lacking understanding.

10:14The wise lay up knowledge, and the mouth of a fool is near ruin.

10:15The wealth of the rich is his strong city, The ruin of the poor is their poverty.

10:16The wage of the righteous is for life, The increase of the wicked for sin.

10:17A traveller to life is he who is keeping instruction, And whoso is forsaking rebuke is erring.

10:18Whoso is covering hatred with lying lips, And whoso is bringing out an evil report is a fool.

10:19In the abundance of words transgression ceaseth not, And whoso is restraining his lips is wise.

10:20The tongue of the righteous is chosen silver, The heart of the wicked -- as a little thing.

10:21The lips of the righteous delight many, And fools for lack of heart die.

10:22The blessing of Jehovah -- it maketh rich, And He addeth no grief with it.

10:23To execute inventions is as play to a fool, And wisdom to a man of understanding.

10:24The feared thing of the wicked it meeteth him, And the desire of the righteous is given.

10:25As the passing by of a hurricane, So the wicked is not, And the righteous is a foundation age-during.

10:26As vinegar to the teeth, And as smoke to the eyes, So is the slothful to those sending him.

10:27The fear of Jehovah addeth days, And the years of the wicked are shortened.

10:28The hope of the righteous is joyful, And the expectation of the wicked perisheth.

10:29The way of Jehovah is strength to the perfect, And ruin to workers of iniquity.

10:30The righteous to the age is not moved, And the wicked inhabit not the earth.

10:31The mouth of the righteous uttereth wisdom, And the tongue of frowardness is cut out.

10:32The lips of the righteous know a pleasing thing, And the mouth of the wicked perverseness!

11:1Balances of deceit are an abomination to Jehovah, And a perfect weight is His delight.

11:2Pride hath come, and shame cometh, And with the lowly is wisdom.

11:3The integrity of the upright leadeth them, And the perverseness of the treacherous destroyeth them.

11:4Wealth profiteth not in a day of wrath, And righteousness delivereth from death.

11:5The righteousness of the perfect maketh right his way, And by his wickedness doth the wicked fall.

11:6The righteousness of the upright delivereth them, And in mischief the treacherous are captured.

11:7In the death of a wicked man, hope perisheth, And the expectation of the iniquitous hath been lost.

11:8The righteous from distress is drawn out, And the wicked goeth in instead of him.

11:9With the mouth a hypocrite corrupteth his friend, And by knowledge the righteous are drawn out.

11:10In the good of the righteous a city exulteth, And in the destruction of the wicked is singing.

11:11By the blessing of the upright is a city exalted, And by the mouth of the wicked thrown down.

11:12Whoso is despising his neighbour lacketh heart, And a man of understanding keepeth silence.

11:13A busybody is revealing secret counsel, And the faithful of spirit is covering the matter.

11:14Without counsels do a people fall, And deliverance is in a multitude of counsellors.

11:15Evil one suffereth when he hath been surety for a stranger, And whoso is hating suretyship is confident.

11:16A gracious woman retaineth honour, And terrible men retain riches.

11:17A kind man is rewarding his own soul, And the fierce is troubling his own flesh.

11:18The wicked is getting a lying wage, And whoso is sowing righteousness -- a true reward.

11:19Rightly is righteousness for life, And whoso is pursuing evil -- for his own death.

11:20An abomination to Jehovah are the perverse of heart, And the perfect of the way are His delight.

11:21Hand to hand, the wicked is not acquitted, And the seed of the righteous hath escaped.

11:22A ring of gold in the nose of a sow -- A fair woman and stubborn of behaviour.

11:23The desire of the righteous is only good, The hope of the wicked is transgression.

11:24There is who is scattering, and yet is increased, And who is keeping back from uprightness, only to want.

11:25A liberal soul is made fat, And whoso is watering, he also is watered.

11:26Whoso is withholding corn, the people execrate him, And a blessing is for the head of him who is selling.

11:27Whoso is earnestly seeking good Seeketh a pleasing thing, And whoso is seeking evil -- it meeteth him.

11:28Whoso is confident in his wealth he falleth, And as a leaf, the righteous flourish.

11:29Whoso is troubling his own house inheriteth wind, And a servant is the fool to the wise of heart.

11:30The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And whoso is taking souls is wise.

11:31Lo, the righteous in the earth is recompensed, Surely also the wicked and the sinner!