8
1 Doth not Chochmah cry out?
And Tevunah (understanding) put forth her voice?
2 In the top of high hills, beside the derech (road),
in the bais netivot (meeting place of trodden paths, crossroads) nitzavah (she* stands).
3 She crieth out at the she'arim (gates), at the entry of the city,
at the entrance at the petachim (doorways):
4 Unto you, O ishim, I call out;
and my voice is to the Bnei Adam.
5 O ye simple ones, understand armah (prudence);
and, ye kesilim, understand in your lev.
6 Hear; for I will speak negidim (noble things, worthy [words]);
and the opening of my sfatayim (lips) shall be meisharim (upright, fair things).
7 For my mouth shall speak emes;
and resha is an abomination to my sfatayim (lips).
8 All the words of my peh (mouth) are in tzedek;
there is nothing crooked or perverse in them.
9 They are all correct to him that discerneth,
and yesharim (straight ones) to them that find da'as (knowledge).
10 Receive my musar, and not kesef;
and da'as (knowledge) rather than choice gold.
11 For chochmah is tovah (better, more precious) than pearls;
and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.
12 I, Chochmah, dwell with armah (prudence),
and find out da'as (knowledge) of mezimot (discretions).
13 The Yirat Hashem is to hate rah;
pride, and ga'on (arrogance), and the derech rah,
and the perverse peh (mouth), do I hate.
14 Etzah (counsel, advice) is mine, and sound judgment;
I am binah; I have gevurah.
15 By me melachim reign,
and nobles decree tzedek.
16 By me sarim (princes) rule, and nobles,
even all the shofetim of tzedek.
17 I love them that have ahavah for me;
and those that seek me shall find me.
18 Osher and kavod are with me;
indeed, enduring hon (wealth) and tzedakah.
19 My p'ri is better than gold, indeed, than fine gold;
and my revenue than choice kesef.
20 I walk in the orach tzedakah (way of righteousness),
in the midst of the netivot (paths) of mishpat,
21 That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance;
and I will fill their otzarot.
22 Hashem possessed† me in the reshit of His derech,
before His works of old.
23 I was set up [to reign] me'olam (from eternity),
from the beginning, or ever eretz was.
24 When there were no tehomot,
I was brought forth;
when there were no springs abounding with mayim.
25 Before the harim were settled,
before the geva'ot (hills) was I brought forth;
26 While as yet He had not made eretz, nor the outer places,
nor the beginning of the dust of the tevel.
27 When He set in place Shomayim, I was there;
when He drew a khoog (circle, horizon) upon the face of the tehom,
28 When He established the clouds above,
when He strengthened the fountains of the tehom,
29 When He gave to the yam His chok (decree, limits),
that the mayim should not pass its limits,
when He appointed the foundations of the Eretz;
30 Then I was etzel (at the side of, beside)‡ Him,
as an Amon (master craftsman, builder, architect, artist);
and I was daily His delight,
rejoicing always before Him;§
31 Rejoicing in the tevel of His Eretz;
and my delights were with the Bnei Adam.
32 Now therefore pay heed unto me, O ye banim;
for ashrei (blessed, happy) are they that are shomer over my drakhim.
33 Hear musar, and be chacham,
and disdain it not.
34 Ashrei is adam that heareth me,
watching daily at my dalatot,
waiting at the mezuzot of my doors.
35 For whosoever findeth me findeth Chayyim,
and shall obtain ratzon Hashem.
36 But he that sinneth against me doth chamas against his own nefesh;
all they that hate me love mavet.
* 8:2 Lady Wisdom, the lady street preacher † 8:22 “By examining the total range of attestation of the verb Kuf Nun Heh in West Semitic we have been able to discover that the correct translation of the epithet ‘Kuf Nun Heh ARETZ’ is ‘Owner/Possessor of the land,’ not ‘Creator’ or ‘Begetter.’ The common assumption that Kuf Nun Heh in West Semitic means ‘to create’ is actually a scholarly heritage of interpretation related to a few select biblical passages going all the way back to the Septuagint translation, which has colored and shaped the way that Northwest Semitic inscriptions in our time have been read and understood” (from the article אל קנה ארץ: Creator, Begetter, or Owner of the Earth?) See https://www.religionofancientpalestine.com/?page_id=544 ‡ 8:30 See Yn 1:1 § 8:30 Prov 30:4