1988 verses about Wisdom

In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Don’t be wise in your own eyes. Fear Yahweh, and depart from evil.

My son, don’t despise Yahweh’s discipline, neither be weary of his reproof:

Happy is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gets understanding.

For her good profit is better than getting silver, and her return is better than fine gold.

She is more precious than rubies. None of the things you can desire are to be compared to her.

Length of days is in her right hand. In her left hand are riches and honor.

Her ways are ways of pleasantness. All her paths are peace.

She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her. Happy is everyone who retains her.

By wisdom Yahweh founded the earth. By understanding, he established the heavens.

By his knowledge, the depths were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew.

My son, let them not depart from your eyes. Keep sound wisdom and discretion:

The wise will inherit glory, but shame will be the promotion of fools.

Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;

for I give you sound learning. Don’t forsake my law.

He taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live.

Get wisdom. Get understanding. Don’t forget, and don’t deviate from the words of my mouth.

Don’t forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you.

Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.

Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honor, when you embrace her.

She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendor to you.”

Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will be many.

I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths.

When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.

Take firm hold of instruction. Don’t let her go. Keep her, for she is your life.

Don’t enter into the path of the wicked. Don’t walk in the way of evil men.

Avoid it, and don’t pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.

My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings.

Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the center of your heart.

Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.

Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.

Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.

My son, pay attention to my wisdom. Turn your ear to my understanding:

that you may maintain discretion, that your lips may preserve knowledge.

For the lips of an adulteress drip honey. Her mouth is smoother than oil,

Now therefore, my sons, listen to me. Don’t depart from the words of my mouth.

Remove your way far from her. Don’t come near the door of her house,

lest you give your honor to others, and your years to the cruel one;

and say, “How I have hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;

neither have I obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor turned my ear to those who instructed me!

I have come to the brink of utter ruin, among the gathered assembly.”

Should your springs overflow in the streets, streams of water in the public squares?

He will die for lack of instruction. In the greatness of his folly, he will go astray.

Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise;

provides her bread in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.

Bind them continually on your heart. Tie them around your neck.

When you walk, it will lead you. When you sleep, it will watch over you. When you awake, it will talk with you.

For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light. Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,

to keep you from the immoral woman, from the flattery of the wayward wife’s tongue.

For a prostitute reduces you to a piece of bread. The adulteress hunts for your precious life.

Can a man scoop fire into his lap, and his clothes not be burned?

Or can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?

He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who does it destroys his own soul.

My son, keep my words. Lay up my commandments within you.

Bind them on your fingers. Write them on the tablet of your heart.

Tell wisdom, “You are my sister.” Call understanding your relative,

that they may keep you from the strange woman, from the foreigner who flatters with her words.

I saw among the simple ones. I discerned among the youths a young man void of understanding,

passing through the street near her corner, he went the way to her house,

Now therefore, sons, listen to me. Pay attention to the words of my mouth.

Doesn’t wisdom cry out? Doesn’t understanding raise her voice?

On the top of high places by the way, where the paths meet, she stands.

Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, at the entry doors, she cries aloud:

“To you men, I call! I send my voice to the sons of mankind.

You simple, understand prudence. You fools, be of an understanding heart.

Hear, for I will speak excellent things. The opening of my lips is for right things.

For my mouth speaks truth. Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

They are all plain to him who understands, right to those who find knowledge.

Receive my instruction rather than silver; knowledge rather than choice gold.

For wisdom is better than rubies. All the things that may be desired can’t be compared to it.

“I, wisdom, have made prudence my dwelling. Find out knowledge and discretion.

Counsel and sound knowledge are mine. I have understanding and power.

By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.

By me princes rule; nobles, and all the righteous rulers of the earth.

I love those who love me. Those who seek me diligently will find me.

With me are riches, honor, enduring wealth, and prosperity.

My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold; my yield than choice silver.

I walk in the way of righteousness, in the middle of the paths of justice;

“Yahweh possessed me in the beginning of his work, before his deeds of old.

I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, before the earth existed.

When there were no depths, I was born, when there were no springs abounding with water.

Before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was born;

When he established the heavens, I was there; when he set a circle on the surface of the deep,

when he gave to the sea its boundary, that the waters should not violate his commandment, when he marked out the foundations of the earth;

then I was the craftsman by his side. I was a delight day by day, always rejoicing before him,

“Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, for blessed are those who keep my ways.

Hear instruction, and be wise. Don’t refuse it.

Blessed is the man who hears me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at my door posts.

For whoever finds me, finds life, and will obtain favor from Yahweh.

Wisdom has built her house. She has carved out her seven pillars.

She has prepared her meat. She has mixed her wine. She has also set her table.

She has sent out her maidens. She cries from the highest places of the city:

“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” As for him who is void of understanding, she says to him,

“Come, eat some of my bread, Drink some of the wine which I have mixed!

Leave your simple ways, and live. Walk in the way of understanding.”

He who corrects a mocker invites insult. He who reproves a wicked man invites abuse.

Don’t reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you. Reprove a wise man, and he will love you.

Instruct a wise man, and he will be still wiser. Teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

For by me your days will be multiplied. The years of your life will be increased.