Chapter 8

  Doth not wisdom cry, And understanding put forth her voice?  

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  On the top of high places by the way, Where the paths meet, she standeth;  

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  Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, At the coming in at the doors, she crieth aloud:  

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  Unto you, O men, I call; And my voice is to the sons of men.  

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  O ye simple, understand prudence; And, ye fools, be of an understanding heart.  

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  Hear, for I will speak excellent things; And the opening of my lips shall be right things.  

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  For my mouth shall utter truth; And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.  

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  All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; There is nothing crooked or perverse in them.  

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  They are all plain to him that understandeth, And right to them that find knowledge.  

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  Receive my instruction, and not silver; And knowledge rather than choice gold.  

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  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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  I wisdom have made prudence my dwelling, And find out knowledge [and] discretion.  

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  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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  Counsel is mine, and sound knowledge: I am understanding; I have might.  

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  By me kings reign, And princes decree justice.  

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  By me princes rule, And nobles, [even] all the judges of the earth.  

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  I love them that love me; And those that seek me diligently shall find me.  

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  Riches and honor are with me; [Yea], durable wealth and righteousness.  

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  My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; And my revenue than choice silver.  

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  I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice;  

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  That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance, And that I may fill their treasuries.  

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  Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, Before his works of old.  

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  I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, Before the earth was.  

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  When there were no depths, I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water.  

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  Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills was I brought forth;  

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  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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  When he established the heavens, I was there: When he set a circle upon the face of the deep,  

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  When he made firm the skies above, When the fountains of the deep became strong,  

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  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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  Then I was by him, [as] a master workman; And I was daily [his] delight, Rejoicing always before him,  

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  Rejoicing in his habitable earth; And my delight was with the sons of men.  

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  Now therefore, [my] sons, hearken unto me; For blessed are they that keep my ways.  

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  Hear instruction, and be wise, And refuse it not.  

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  Blessed is the man that heareth me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors.  

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  For whoso findeth me findeth life, And shall obtain favor of Jehovah.  

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  But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: All they that hate me love death.  

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