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Proverbs 8

Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

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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 ⓜ leading into the city, at the main entrance, she cries out:

⁴ “People, I call out to you; my cry is to the children of Adam.

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 from 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 equal 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 sound wisdom; [1] 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. [2]

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 ways 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 acquired [3] me at the beginning of his creation, [4] before his works of long ago. ⓐ

²³ I was formed [5] 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 Before the mountains were established, prior to the hills, ⓓ I was given birth —

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 children of Adam. ⓚ

³² “And now, 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, ⓑ

#	CSB
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 ⓜ leading into the city, at the main entrance, she cries out:
4	“People, I call out to you; my cry is to the children of Adam.
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 from 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 equal 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 sound wisdom; [1] 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. [2]
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 ways 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 acquired [3] me at the beginning of his creation, [4] before his works of long ago. ⓐ
23	I was formed [5] 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	Before the mountains were established, prior to the hills, ⓓ I was given birth —
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 children of Adam. ⓚ
32	“And now, 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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