Proverbs 8
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1 Doth not wisdom cry, And understanding put forth her voice?
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2 On the top of high places by the way, Where the paths meet, she standeth;
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3 Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, At the coming in at the doors, she crieth aloud:
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4 Unto you, O men, I call; And my voice is to the sons of men.
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5 O ye simple, understand prudence; And, ye fools, be of an understanding heart.
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6 Hear, for I will speak excellent things; And the opening of my lips shall be right things.
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7 For my mouth shall utter truth; And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
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8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; There is nothing crooked or perverse in them.
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9 They are all plain to him that understandeth, And right to them that find knowledge.
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10 Receive my instruction, and not silver; And knowledge rather than choice gold.
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11 For wisdom is better than rubies; And all the things that may be desired are not to be compared unto it.
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12 I wisdom have made prudence my dwelling, And find out knowledge [and] discretion.
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13 The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil: Pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, And the perverse mouth, do I hate.
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14 Counsel is mine, and sound knowledge: I am understanding; I have might.
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15 By me kings reign, And princes decree justice.
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16 By me princes rule, And nobles, [even] all the judges of the earth.
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17 I love them that love me; And those that seek me diligently shall find me.
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18 Riches and honor are with me; [Yea], durable wealth and righteousness.
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19 My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; And my revenue than choice silver.
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20 I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice;
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21 That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance, And that I may fill their treasuries.
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22 Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, Before his works of old.
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23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, Before the earth was.
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24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water.
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25 Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills was I brought forth;
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26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, Nor the beginning of the dust of the world.
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27 When he established the heavens, I was there: When he set a circle upon the face of the deep,
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28 When he made firm the skies above, When the fountains of the deep became strong,
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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;
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30 Then I was by him, [as] a master workman; And I was daily [his] delight, Rejoicing always before him,
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31 Rejoicing in his habitable earth; And my delight was with the sons of men.
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32 Now therefore, [my] sons, hearken unto me; For blessed are they that keep my ways.
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33 Hear instruction, and be wise, And refuse it not.
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34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors.
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35 For whoso findeth me findeth life, And shall obtain favor of Jehovah.
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36 But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: All they that hate me love death.