1 Não clama, porventura, a Sabedoria,
e o Entendimento não faz ouvir a sua voz?
2 No cimo das alturas, junto ao caminho,
nas encruzilhadas das veredas ela se coloca;
3 junto às portas, à entrada da cidade,
à entrada das portas está gritando:
4 A vós outros, ó homens, clamo;
e a minha voz se dirige aos filhos dos homens.
5 Entendei, ó simples, a prudência;
e vós, néscios, entendei a sabedoria.
6 Ouvi, pois falarei coisas excelentes;
os meus lábios proferirão coisas retas.
7 Porque a minha boca proclamará a verdade;
os meus lábios abominam a impiedade.
8 São justas todas as palavras da minha boca;
não há nelas nenhuma coisa torta, nem perversa.
9 Todas são retas para quem as entende
e justas, para os que acham o conhecimento.
10 Aceitai o meu ensino, e não a prata,
e o conhecimento, antes do que o ouro escolhido.
11 Porque melhor é a sabedoria do que joias,
e de tudo o que se deseja nada se pode comparar com ela.
12 Eu, a Sabedoria, habito com a prudência
e disponho de conhecimentos e de conselhos.
13 O temor do Senhor consiste em aborrecer o mal;
a soberba, a arrogância, o mau caminho
e a boca perversa, eu os aborreço.
14 Meu é o conselho e a verdadeira sabedoria,
eu sou o Entendimento, minha é a fortaleza.
15 Por meu intermédio, reinam os reis,
e os príncipes decretam justiça.
16 Por meu intermédio, governam os príncipes,
os nobres e todos os juízes da terra.
17 Eu amo os que me amam;
os que me procuram me acham.
18 Riquezas e honra estão comigo,
bens duráveis e justiça.
19 Melhor é o meu fruto do que o ouro, do que o ouro refinado;
e o meu rendimento, melhor do que a prata escolhida.
20 Ando pelo caminho da justiça,
no meio das veredas do juízo,
21 para dotar de bens os que me amam
e lhes encher os tesouros.
22 O Senhor me possuía no início de sua obra,
antes de suas obras mais antigas.
23 Desde a eternidade fui estabelecida,
desde o princípio, antes do começo da terra.
24 Antes de haver abismos, eu nasci,
e antes ainda de haver fontes carregadas de águas.
25 Antes que os montes fossem firmados,
antes de haver outeiros, eu nasci.
26 Ainda ele não tinha feito a terra, nem as amplidões,
nem sequer o princípio do pó do mundo.
27 Quando ele preparava os céus, aí estava eu;
quando traçava o horizonte sobre a face do abismo;
28 quando firmava as nuvens de cima;
quando estabelecia as fontes do abismo;
29 quando fixava ao mar o seu limite,
para que as águas não traspassassem os seus limites;
quando compunha os fundamentos da terra;
30 então, eu estava com ele e era seu arquiteto,
dia após dia, eu era as suas delícias,
folgando perante ele em todo o tempo;
31 regozijando-me no seu mundo habitável
e achando as minhas delícias com os filhos dos homens.
32 Agora, pois, filhos, ouvi-me,
porque felizes serão os que guardarem os meus caminhos.
33 Ouvi o ensino, sede sábios
e não o rejeiteis.
34 Feliz o homem que me dá ouvidos,
velando dia a dia às minhas portas,
esperando às ombreiras da minha entrada.
35 Porque o que me acha acha a vida
e alcança favor do Senhor.
36 Mas o que peca contra mim violenta a própria alma.
Todos os que me aborrecem amam a morte.
1 Doth not wisdom cry,
And understanding put forth her voice?
2 On the top of high places by the way,
Where the paths meet, she standeth;
3 Beside the gates, at the entry of the city,
At the coming in at the doors, she crieth aloud:
4 Unto you, O men, I call;
And my voice is to the sons of men.
5 O ye simple, understand prudence;
And, ye fools, be of an understanding heart.
6 Hear, for I will speak excellent things;
And the opening of my lips shall be right things.
7 For my mouth shall utter truth;
And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness;
There is nothing crooked or perverse in them.
9 They are all plain to him that understandeth,
And right to them that find knowledge.
10 Receive my instruction, and not silver;
And knowledge rather than choice gold.
11 For wisdom is better than rubies;
And all the things that may be desired are not to be compared unto it.
12 I wisdom have made prudence my dwelling,
And find out knowledge and discretion.
13 The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil:
Pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way,
And the perverse mouth, do I hate.
14 Counsel is mine, and sound knowledge:
I am understanding; I have might.
15 By me kings reign,
And princes decree justice.
16 By me princes rule,
And nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
17 I love them that love me;
And those that seek me diligently shall find me.
18 Riches and honor are with me;
Yea, durable wealth and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold;
And my revenue than choice silver.
20 I walk in the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice;
21 That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance,
And that I may fill their treasuries.
22 Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way,
Before his works of old.
23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning,
Before the earth was.
24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth,
When there were no fountains abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills was I brought forth;
26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields,
Nor the beginning of the dust of the world.
27 When he established the heavens, I was there:
When he set a circle upon the face of the deep,
28 When he made firm the skies above,
When the fountains of the deep became strong,
29 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;
30 Then I was by him, as a master workman;
And I was daily his delight,
Rejoicing always before him,
31 Rejoicing in his habitable earth;
And my delight was with the sons of men.
32 Now therefore, my sons, hearken unto me;
For blessed are they that keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction, and be wise,
And refuse it not.
34 Blessed is the man that heareth me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 For whoso findeth me findeth life,
And shall obtain favor of Jehovah.
36 But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul:
All they that hate me love death.
1 Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice?
2 At the highest point along the way, where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
3 beside the gate leading into the city, at the entrance, she cries aloud:
4 "To you, O people, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind.
5 You who are simple, gain prudence; you who are foolish, set your hearts on it. [^1]
6 Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right.
7 My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest wickedness.
8 All the words of my mouth are just; none of them is crooked or perverse.
9 To the discerning all of them are right; they are upright to those who have found knowledge.
10 Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold,
11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.
12 "I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion.
13 To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.
14 Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have insight, I have power.
15 By me kings reign and rulers issue decrees that are just;
16 by me princes govern, and nobles —all who rule on earth. [^2]
17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.
18 With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity.
19 My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver.
20 I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice,
21 bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me and making their treasuries full.
22 "The LORD brought me forth as the first of his works, ""before his deeds of old;
23 I was formed long ages ago, at the very beginning, when the world came to be.
24 When there were no watery depths, I was given birth, when there were no springs overflowing with water;
25 before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was given birth,
26 before he made the world or its fields or any of the dust of the earth.
27 I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,
28 when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,
29 when he gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.
30 Then I was constantly "at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence,
31 rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind.
32 "Now then, my children, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not disregard it.
34 Blessed are those who listen to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.
35 For those who find me find life and receive favor from the LORD.
36 But those who fail to find me harm themselves; all who hate me love death."