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Proverbs 8

Holman Christian Standard Bible, 2009 (HCSB)

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¹ Doesn’t Wisdom ⓐ call out? Doesn’t Understanding make her voice heard?

² At the heights overlooking the road, at the crossroads, she takes her stand.

³ Beside the gates ⓑ at the entry to [1] the city, at the main entrance, she cries out:

⁴ “People, I call out to you; my cry is to mankind.

⁵ Learn to be shrewd, you who are inexperienced; develop common sense, you who are foolish.

⁶ Listen, for I speak of noble things, and what my lips say is right.

⁷ For my mouth tells the truth, ⓒ and wickedness is detestable to my lips.

⁸ All the words of my mouth are righteous; none of them are deceptive or perverse. ⓓ

⁹ All of them are clear to the perceptive, ⓔ and right to those who discover knowledge.

¹⁰ Accept my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold. ⓕ

¹¹ For wisdom is better than jewels, ⓖ and nothing desirable can compare with it. ⓗ

¹² I, Wisdom, share a home with shrewdness and have knowledge and discretion. ⓘ

¹³ To fear the LORD is to hate evil. ⓙ I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.

¹⁴ I possess good advice and competence; [2] I have understanding and strength. ⓚ

¹⁵ It is by me that kings reign ⓛ and rulers enact just law;

¹⁶ by me, princes lead, as do nobles and all righteous judges. [3]

¹⁷ I love those who love me, ⓜ and those who search for me find me. ⓝ

¹⁸ With me are riches and honor, ⓞ lasting wealth and righteousness. ⓟ

¹⁹ My fruit is better than solid gold, and my harvest than pure silver. ⓠ

²⁰ I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice,

²¹ giving wealth as an inheritance to those who love me, and filling their treasuries.

²² “The LORD made [4] me at the beginning of His creation, [5] before His works of long ago. ⓡ

²³ I was formed before ancient times, from the beginning, before the earth began. ⓢ

²⁴ I was born when there were no watery depths ⓣ and no springs filled with water.

²⁵ I was delivered before the mountains and hills were established, ⓤ

²⁶ before He made the land, the fields, or the first soil on earth.

²⁷ I was there when He established the heavens, ⓥ when He laid out the horizon on the surface of the ocean, ⓦ

²⁸ when He placed the skies above, when the fountains of the ocean gushed out,

²⁹ when He set a limit for the sea so that the waters would not violate His command, ⓧ when He laid out the foundations of the earth. ⓨ

³⁰ I was a skilled craftsman [6] beside Him. ⓩ I was His [7] delight every day, always rejoicing before Him.

³¹ I was rejoicing in His inhabited world, ⓐ delighting in the human race. ⓑ

³³ Listen to instruction and be wise; ⓓ don’t ignore it.

³⁴ Anyone who listens to me is happy, ⓔ watching at my doors every day, waiting by the posts of my doorway.

³⁵ For the one who finds me finds life ⓕ and obtains favor from the LORD, ⓖ

³⁶ but the one who misses me [8] harms himself; ⓗ all who hate me love death.” ⓘ

#	HCSB
1	Doesn’t Wisdom ⓐ call out? Doesn’t Understanding make her voice heard?
2	At the heights overlooking the road, at the crossroads, she takes her stand.
3	Beside the gates ⓑ at the entry to [1] the city, at the main entrance, she cries out:
4	“People, I call out to you; my cry is to mankind.
5	Learn to be shrewd, you who are inexperienced; develop common sense, you who are foolish.
6	Listen, for I speak of noble things, and what my lips say is right.
7	For my mouth tells the truth, ⓒ and wickedness is detestable to my lips.
8	All the words of my mouth are righteous; none of them are deceptive or perverse. ⓓ
9	All of them are clear to the perceptive, ⓔ and right to those who discover knowledge.
10	Accept my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold. ⓕ
11	For wisdom is better than jewels, ⓖ and nothing desirable can compare with it. ⓗ
12	I, Wisdom, share a home with shrewdness and have knowledge and discretion. ⓘ
13	To fear the LORD is to hate evil. ⓙ I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.
14	I possess good advice and competence; [2] I have understanding and strength. ⓚ
15	It is by me that kings reign ⓛ and rulers enact just law;
16	by me, princes lead, as do nobles and all righteous judges. [3]
17	I love those who love me, ⓜ and those who search for me find me. ⓝ
18	With me are riches and honor, ⓞ lasting wealth and righteousness. ⓟ
19	My fruit is better than solid gold, and my harvest than pure silver. ⓠ
20	I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice,
21	giving wealth as an inheritance to those who love me, and filling their treasuries.
22	“The LORD made [4] me at the beginning of His creation, [5] before His works of long ago. ⓡ
23	I was formed before ancient times, from the beginning, before the earth began. ⓢ
24	I was born when there were no watery depths ⓣ and no springs filled with water.
25	I was delivered before the mountains and hills were established, ⓤ
26	before He made the land, the fields, or the first soil on earth.
27	I was there when He established the heavens, ⓥ when He laid out the horizon on the surface of the ocean, ⓦ
28	when He placed the skies above, when the fountains of the ocean gushed out,
29	when He set a limit for the sea so that the waters would not violate His command, ⓧ when He laid out the foundations of the earth. ⓨ
30	I was a skilled craftsman [6] beside Him. ⓩ I was His [7] delight every day, always rejoicing before Him.
31	I was rejoicing in His inhabited world, ⓐ delighting in the human race. ⓑ
32	“And now, my sons, listen to me; those who keep my ways are happy. ⓒ
33	Listen to instruction and be wise; ⓓ don’t ignore it.
34	Anyone who listens to me is happy, ⓔ watching at my doors every day, waiting by the posts of my doorway.
35	For the one who finds me finds life ⓕ and obtains favor from the LORD, ⓖ
36	but the one who misses me [8] harms himself; ⓗ all who hate me love death.” ⓘ

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Proverbs 8

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