New Revised Standard NRS
Common English Bible CEB
1 Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice?
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Doesn't Wisdom cry out and Understanding shout?
2 On the heights, beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand;
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Atop the heights along the path, at the crossroads she takes her stand.
3 beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries out:
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By the gate before the city, at the entrances she shouts:
4 "To you, O people, I call, and my cry is to all that live.
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I cry out to you, people; my voice goes out to all of humanity.
5 O simple ones, learn prudence; acquire intelligence, you who lack it.
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Understand skill, you who are naive. Take this to heart, you fools.
6 Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right;
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Listen, for I speak things that are correct; from my lips comes what is right.
7 for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
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My mouth utters the truth; my lips despise wickedness.
8 All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.
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All the words of my mouth are righteous; nothing in them is twisted or crooked.
9 They are all straight to one who understands and right to those who find knowledge.
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All of them are straightforward to those who understand, and upright for the knowledgeable.
10 Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold;
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Take my instruction rather than silver, knowledge rather than choice gold.
11 for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.
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Wisdom is better than pearls; nothing is more delightful than she.
12 I, wisdom, live with prudence, and I attain knowledge and discretion.
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I, Wisdom, dwell with prudence; I have found knowledge and discretion.
13 The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.
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To fear the LORD is to hate evil. I hate pride and arrogance, the path of evil and corrupt speech.
14 I have good advice and sound wisdom; I have insight, I have strength.
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I have advice and ability, as well as understanding and strength.
15 By me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just;
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By me kings rule, and princes issue righteous decrees.
16 by me rulers rule, and nobles, all who govern rightly.
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By me rulers govern, and officials judge righteously.
17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.
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I love those who love me; those who seek me will find me.
18 Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and prosperity.
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Riches and honor are with me, as well as enduring wealth and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and my yield than choice silver.
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My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold; my crops are better than choice silver.
20 I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice,
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I walk on the way of righteousness, on the paths of justice,
21 endowing with wealth those who love me, and filling their treasuries.
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to provide for those who love me and to fill up their treasuries.
22 The Lord created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of long ago.
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The LORD created me at the beginning of his way, before his deeds long in the past.
23 Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
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I was formed in ancient times, at the beginning, before the earth was.
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water.
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When there were no watery depths, I was brought forth, when there were no springs flowing with water.
25 Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth—
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Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was brought forth;
26 when he had not yet made earth and fields, or the world's first bits of soil.
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before God made the earth and the fields or the first of the dry land.
27 When he established the heavens, I was there, when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
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I was there when he established the heavens, when he marked out the horizon on the deep sea,
28 when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep,
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when he thickened the clouds above, when he secured the fountains of the deep,
29 when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
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when he set a limit for the sea, so the water couldn't go beyond his command, when he marked out the earth's foundations.
30 then I was beside him, like a master worker; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always,
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I was beside him as a master of crafts. I was having fun, smiling before him all the time,
31 rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the human race.
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frolicking with his inhabited earth and delighting in the human race.
32 "And now, my children, listen to me: happy are those who keep my ways.
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Now children, listen to me: Happy are those who keep to my ways!
33 Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it.
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Listen to instruction, and be wise; don't avoid it.
34 Happy is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors.
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Happy are those who listen to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorposts.
35 For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord;
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Those who find me find life; they gain favor from the LORD.
36 but those who miss me injure themselves; all who hate me love death."
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Those who offend me injure themselves; all those who hate me love death.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible