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8:1  Does not wisdom call, And discernment give forth her voice?
8:2  At the top of the heights upon the way, Where the pathways meet, she takes her stand;
8:3  Beside the gates, at the opening to the city, At the entrance of the doors, she makes a shout:
8:4  “To you, O men, I call, And my voice is to the sons of men.
8:5  O simple ones, understand prudence; And, O fools, understand a heart of wisdom.
8:6  Listen, for I will speak noble things; And the opening of my lips will reveal upright things.
8:7  For my mouth will utter truth; And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8:8  All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; There is nothing twisted or crooked in them.
8:9  They are all straightforward to him who understands, And right to those who find knowledge.
8:10  Take my discipline and not silver, And knowledge rather than choicest fine gold.
8:11  For wisdom is better than pearls; And all desirable things cannot compare with her.
8:12  “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And I find knowledge and discretion.
8:13  The fear of Yahweh is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the mouth of perverted words, I hate.
8:14  Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding, might is mine.
8:15  By me kings reign, And rulers mark out righteousness.
8:16  By me princes rule, and nobles, All who judge rightly.
8:17  I love those who love me; And those who earnestly seek me will find me.
8:18  Riches and glory are with me, Enduring wealth and righteousness.
8:19  My fruit is better than fine gold, even pure gold, And my produce better than choice silver.
8:20  I walk in the path of righteousness, In the midst of the pathways of justice,
8:21  To give those who love me an inheritance of wealth, That I may fill their treasuries.
8:22  “Yahweh possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His deeds of old.
8:23  From everlasting I was installed, From the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth.
8:24  When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no springs heavy with water.
8:25  Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills I was brought forth;
8:26  While He had not yet made the earth and the fields outside, Nor the first dust of the world.
8:27  When He established the heavens, I was there, When He marked out a circle on the face of the deep,
8:28  When He made firm the skies above, When the springs of the deep became strong,
8:29  When He set for the sea its boundary So that the water would not pass over His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth;
8:30  Then I was beside Him, as a master workman; And I was a daily delight, Rejoicing always before Him,
8:31  Rejoicing in the world, His earth, My delight is in the sons of men.
8:32  “So now, O sons, listen to me, For blessed are they who keep my ways.
8:33  Hear discipline and be wise, And do not neglect it.
8:34  How blessed is the man who hears me, To watch daily at my doors, To keep watch at my doorposts.
8:35  For he who finds me finds life And obtains favor from Yahweh.
8:36  But he who sins against me does violence to his own soul; All those who hate me love death.”