Proverbs 8

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Does not Wisdom call, and Understanding raise her voice?	1 Is not Wisdom cal ing? Is not Understanding raising her voice?
2 On the top of the heights along the road, at the crossroads she takes her stand;	2 On the heights overlooking the road, at the crossways, she takes her stand;
3 By the gates at the approaches of the city, in the entryways she cries aloud:	3 by the gates, at the entrance to the city, on the access-roads, she cries out,
4 "To you, O men, I call; my appeal is to the children of men.	4 'I am cal ing to you, al people, my words are addressed to al humanity.
5 You simple ones, gain resource, you fools, gain sense.	5 Simpletons, learn how to behave, fools, come to your senses.
6 "Give heed! for noble things I speak; honesty opens my lips.	6 Listen, I have something important to tel you, when I speak, my words are right.
7 Yes, the truth my mouth recounts, but the wickedness my lips abhor.	7 My mouth proclaims the truth, for evil is abhorrent to my lips.
8 Sincere are all the words of my mouth, no one of them is wily or crooked;	8 Al the words from my mouth are upright, nothing false there, nothing crooked,
9 All of them are plain to the man of intelligence, and right to those who attain knowledge.	9 everything plain, if you can understand, straight, if you have acquired knowledge.
10 Receive my instruction in preference to silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold.	10 Accept my discipline rather than silver, and knowledge of me in preference to finest gold.
11 (For Wisdom is better than corals, and no choice possessions can compare with her.)	11 For Wisdom is more precious than jewels, and nothing else is so worthy of desire.
12 "I, Wisdom, dwell with experience, and judicious knowledge I attain.	12 'I, Wisdom, share house with Discretion, I am mistress of the art of thought.
13 (The fear of the LORD is to hate evil;) Pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverse mouth I hate.	13 (Fear of Yahweh means hatred of evil.) I hate pride and arrogance, wicked behaviour and a lyingmouth.
14 Mine are counsel and advice; Mine is strength; I am understanding.	14 To me belong good advice and prudence, I am perception: power is mine!
15 By me kings reign, and lawgivers establish justice;	15 By me monarchs rule and princes decree what is right;
16 By me princes govern, and nobles; all the rulers of earth.	16 by me rulers govern, so do nobles, the lawful authorities.
17 "Those who love me I also love, and those who seek me find me.	17 I love those who love me; whoever searches eagerly for me finds me.
18 With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity.	18 With me are riches and honour, lasting wealth and saving justice.
19 My fruit is better than gold, yes, than pure gold, and my revenue than choice silver.	19 The fruit I give is better than gold, even the finest, the return I make is better than pure silver.
20 On the way of duty I walk, along the paths of justice,	20 I walk in the way of uprightness in the path of justice,
21 Granting wealth to those who love me, and filling their treasuries.	21 to endow my friends with my wealth and to fil their treasuries.
22 "The LORD begot me, the first-born of his ways, the forerunner of his prodigies of long ago;	22 'Yahweh created me, first-fruits of his fashioning, before the oldest of his works.
23 From of old I was poured forth, at the first, before the earth.	23 From everlasting, I was firmly set, from the beginning, before the earth came into being.
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no fountains or springs of water;	24 The deep was not, when I was born, nor were the springs with their abounding waters.
25 Before the mountains were settled into place, before the hills, I was brought forth;	25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hil s, I came to birth;
26 While as yet the earth and the fields were not made, nor the first clods of the world.	26 before he had made the earth, the countryside, and the first elements of the world.
27 "When he established the heavens I was there, when he marked out the vault over the face of the deep;	27 When he fixed the heavens firm, I was there, when he drew a circle on the surface of the deep,
28 When he made firm the skies above, when he fixed fast the foundations of the earth;	28 when he thickened the clouds above, when the sources of the deep began to swel ,
29 When he set for the sea its limit, so that the waters should not transgress his command;	29 when he assigned the sea its boundaries -- and the waters will not encroach on the shore -- when hetraced the foundations of the earth,
30 Then was I beside him as his craftsman, and I was his delight day by day, Playing before him all the while,	30 I was beside the master craftsman, delighting him day after day, ever at play in his presence,
31 playing on the surface of his earth; and I found delight in the sons of men.	31 at play everywhere on his earth, delighting to be with the children of men.
32 "So now, O children, listen to me;	32 'And now, my children, listen to me. Happy are those who keep my ways.
33 instruction and wisdom do not reject! Happy the man who obeys me, and happy those who keep my ways,	33 Listen to instruction and become wise, do not reject it.
34 Happy the man watching daily at my gates, waiting at my doorposts;	34 Blessed, whoever listens to me, who day after day keeps watch at my gates to guard my portals.
35 For he who finds me finds life, and wins favor from the LORD;	35 For whoever finds me finds life, and obtains the favour of Yahweh;
36 But he who misses me harms himself; all who hate me love death."	36 but whoever misses me harms himself, al who hate me are in love with death.'