the First Week of Advent
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Legacy Standard Bible
Proverbs 8
The Blessing of Wisdom
1 Does not (C1)wisdom call,
And discernment give forth her voice?
2 At the top of (C1)the heights upon the way,
Where the pathways meet, she takes her stand;
3 Beside the (C1)gates, at the opening to the city,
At the entrance of the doors, she makes a shout:
4 "To you, O men, I call,
And my voice is to the sons of men.
5 "O (C1)simple ones, understand prudence;
And, O (C2)fools, understand a heart of wisdom.
6 "Listen, for I will speak (C1)noble things;
And the opening of my lips will reveal (C2)upright things.
7 "For my (C1)mouth will utter truth;
And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 "All the words of my mouth are in righteousness;
There is nothing (C1)twisted or crooked in them.
9 "They are all (C1)straightforward to him who understands,
And right to those who (C2)find knowledge.
10 "Take my (C1)discipline and not silver,
And knowledge rather than choicest fine gold.
11 "For wisdom is (C1)better than pearls;
And (C2)all desirable things cannot compare with her.
12 "I, wisdom, (C1)dwell with prudence,
And I find (C2)knowledge and discretion.
13 "The (C1)fear of Yahweh is to hate evil;
(C2)Pride and arrogance and (C3)the evil way
And the mouth of (F1)(C4)perverted words, I hate.
14 "(C1)Counsel is mine and (C2)sound wisdom;
I am understanding, (C3)might is mine.
15 "By me (C1)kings reign,
And rulers mark out righteousness.
16 "By me princes rule, and nobles,
All who judge rightly.
17 "I (C1)love those who love me;
And (C2)those who earnestly seek me will find me.
18 "(C1)Riches and glory are with me,
Enduring (C2)wealth and righteousness.
19 "My fruit is (C1)better than fine gold, even pure gold,
And my produce better than (C2)choice silver.
20 "I walk in the path of righteousness,
In the midst of the pathways of justice,
21 To give those who love me an inheritance of wealth,
That I may (C1)fill their treasuries.
22 "Yahweh possessed me (C1)at the beginning of His way,
Before His deeds (F1)of old.
23 "From everlasting I was (F1)(C1)installed,
From the beginning, (C2)from the earliest times of the earth.
24 "When there were no (C1)depths I was (F1)brought forth,
When there were no springs heavy with water.
25 "(C1)Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills I was (F1)brought forth;
26 While He had not yet made the earth and the fields outside,
Nor the first dust of the world.
27 "When He (C1)established the heavens, I was there,
When (C2)He marked out a circle on the face of the deep,
28 When He made firm the skies above,
When the springs of the deep became strong,
29 When (C1)He set for the sea its boundary
So that the water would not pass over His (F1)command,
When He marked out (C2)the foundations of the earth;
30 Then (C1)I was beside Him, as a master workman;
And I was a daily delight,
(F1)Rejoicing always before Him,
31 (F1)Rejoicing in the world, His earth,
(C1)My delight is in the sons of men.
32 "So now, O sons, (C1)listen to me,
For (C2)blessed are they who keep my ways.
33 "(C1)Hear discipline and be wise,
And do not neglect it.
34 "(C1)How blessed is the man who hears me,
To watch daily at my doors,
To keep watch at my doorposts.
35 "For (C1)he who finds me finds life
And (C2)obtains favor from Yahweh.
36 "But he who (F1)sins against me (C1)does violence to his own soul;
All those who (C2)hate me (C3)love death."
