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8:1 Does not wisdom call, And understanding lift up her voice? 8:2 On top of the heights beside the way, Where the paths meet, she takes her stand; 8:3 Beside the gates, at the opening to the city, At the entrance of the doors, she cries out: 8:4 "To you, O men, I call, And my voice is to the sons of men. 8:5 "O naive ones, understand prudence; And, O fools, understand wisdom. 8:6 "Listen, for I will speak noble things; And the opening of my lips will reveal right things. 8:7 "For my mouth will utter truth; And wickedness is an abomination to my lips. 8:8 "All the utterances of my mouth are in righteousness; There is nothing crooked or perverted in them. 8:9 "They are all straightforward to him who understands, And right to those who find knowledge. 8:10 "Take my instruction and not silver, And knowledge rather than choicest gold. 8:11 "For wisdom is better than jewels; 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 the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate. 8:14 "Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding, power is mine. 8:15 "By me kings reign, And rulers decree justice. 8:16 "By me princes rule, and nobles, All who judge rightly. 8:17 "I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me. 8:18 "Riches and honor are with me, Enduring wealth and righteousness. 8:19 "My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold, And my yield better than choicest silver. 8:20 "I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice, 8:21 To endow those who love me with wealth, That I may fill their treasuries. 8:22 "The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old. 8:23 "From everlasting I was established, 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 abounding 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, Nor the first dust of the world. 8:27 "When He established the heavens, I was there, When He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep, 8:28 When He made firm the skies above, When the springs of the deep became fixed, 8:29 When He set for the sea its boundary So that the water would not transgress 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 daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him, 8:31 Rejoicing in the world, His earth, And having my delight in the sons of men. 8:32 "Now therefore, O sons, listen to me, For blessed are they who keep my ways. 8:33 "Heed instruction and be wise, And do not neglect it. 8:34 "Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at my doorposts. 8:35 "For he who finds me finds life And obtains favor from the Lord. 8:36 "But he who sins against me injures himself; All those who hate me love death."