Proverbs 8
Thou shalt proclaim wisdom, that understanding may be obedient to thee.
ΣΥ τὴν σοφίαν κηρύξεις, ἵνα φρόνησίς σοι ὑπακούσῃ·
For she is on lofty eminences, and stands in the midst of the ways.
ἐπὶ γὰρ τῶν ὑψηλῶν ἄκρων ἐστίν, ἀνὰ μέσον δὲ τῶν τρίβων ἕστηκε·
For she sits by the gates of princes, and sings in the entrances, [saying],
παρὰ γὰρ πύλαις δυναστῶν παρεδρεύει, ἐν δὲ εἰσόδοις ὑμνεῖται.
You, O men, I exhort; and utter my voice to the sons of men.
῾Υμᾶς, ὦ ἄνθρωποι, παρακαλῶ, καὶ προΐεμαι ἐμὴν φωνὴν υἱοῖς ἀνθρώπων·
O ye simple, understand subtlety, and ye that are untaught, imbibe knowledge.*
νοήσατε, ἄκακοι, πανουργίαν, οἱ δὲ ἀπαίδευτοι ἔνθεσθε καρδίαν.
Hearken to me; for I will speak solemn [truths]; and will produce right [sayings] from my lips.
εἰσακούσατέ μου, σεμνὰ γὰρ ἐρῶ καὶ ἀνοίσω ἀπὸ χειλέων ὀρθά·
For my throat shall meditate truth; and false lips are an abomination before me.
ὅτι ἀλήθειαν μελετήσει ὁ φάρυγξ μου, ἐβδελυγμένα δὲ ἐναντίον ἐμοῦ χείλη ψευδῆ.
All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing in them wrong or perverse.
μετὰ δικαιοσύνης πάντα τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ στόματός μου, οὐδὲν ἐν αὐτοῖς σκολιὸν οὐδὲ στραγγαλιῶδες·
They are all evident to those that understand, and right to those that find knowledge.
πάντα ἐνώπια τοῖς συνιοῦσι καὶ ὀρθὰ τοῖς εὑρίσκουσι γνῶσιν.
Receive instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than tried gold.
λάβετε παιδείαν καὶ μὴ ἀργύριον, καὶ γνῶσιν ὑπὲρ χρυσίον δεδοκιμασμένον·
For wisdom is better than precious stones; and no valuable substance is of equal worth with it.
κρείσσων γὰρ σοφία λίθων πολυτελῶν, πᾶν δὲ τίμιον οὐκ ἄξιον αὐτῆς ἐστιν.
I wisdom have dwelt [with] counsel and knowledge, and I have called upon understanding.
ἐγὼ ἡ σοφία κατεσκήνωσα βουλήν, καὶ γνῶσιν καὶ ἔννοιαν ἐγὼ ἐπεκαλεσάμην.
The fear of the Lord hates unrighteousness, and insolence, and pride, and the ways of wicked men; and I hate the perverse ways of bad men.
φόβος Κυρίου μισεῖ ἀδικίαν, ὕβριν τε καὶ ὑπερηφανίαν καὶ ὁδοὺς πονηρῶν· μεμίσηκα δὲ ἐγὼ διεστραμμένας ὁδοὺς κακῶν.
Counsel and safety are mine; prudence is mine, and strength is mine.
ἐμὴ βουλὴ καὶ ἀσφάλεια, ἐμὴ φρόνησις, ἐμὴ δὲ ἰσχύς·
By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.
δι᾿ ἐμοῦ βασιλεῖς βασιλεύουσι καὶ οἱ δυνάσται γράφουσι δικαιοσύνην·
By me nobles become great, and monarchs by me rule over the earth.
δι᾿ ἐμοῦ μεγιστᾶνες μεγαλύνονται, καὶ τύραννοι δι᾿ ἐμοῦ κρατοῦσι γῆς.
I love those that love me; and they that seek me shall find [me].
ἐγὼ τοὺς ἐμὲ φιλοῦντας ἀγαπῶ, οἱ δὲ ἐμὲ ζητοῦντες εὑρήσουσι χάριν.
Wealth and glory belong to me; yea, abundant possessions and righteousness.
πλοῦτος καὶ δόξα ἐμοὶ ὑπάρχει καὶ κτῆσις πολλῶν καὶ δικαιοσύνη.
[It is] better to have my fruit than [to have] gold and precious stones; and my produce is better than choice silver.
βέλτιον ἐμὲ καρπίζεσθαι ὑπὲρ χρυσίον καὶ λίθον τίμιον, τὰ δὲ ἐμὰ γεννήματα κρείσσω ἀργυρίου ἐκλεκτοῦ.
I walk in ways of righteousness, and [am] conversant with the paths of judgment;
ἐν ὁδοῖς δικαιοσύνης περιπατῶ καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τρίβων δικαιοσύνης ἀναστρέφομαι,
that I may divide substance to them that love me, and may fill their treasures with good things. If I declare to you the things that daily happen, I will remember [also] to recount the things of old.
ἵνα μερίσω τοῖς ἐμὲ ἀγαπῶσιν ὕπαρξιν καὶ τοὺς θησαυροὺς αὐτῶν ἐμπλήσω ἀγαθῶν. ἐὰν ἀναγγείλω ὑμῖν τὰ καθ᾿ ἡμέραν γινόμενα, μνημονεύσω τὰ ἐξ αἰῶνος ἀριθμῆσαι.
The Lord made me the beginning of his ways for his works.
Κύριος ἔκτισέ με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ εἰς ἔργα αὐτοῦ,
He established me before time [was] in the beginning, before he made the earth:
πρὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος ἐθεμελίωσέ με ἐν ἀρχῇ, πρὸ τοῦ τὴν γῆν ποιῆσαι
even before he made the depths; before the fountains of water came forth:
καὶ πρὸ τοῦ τὰς ἀβύσους ποιῆσαι, πρὸ τοῦ προελθεῖν τὰς πηγὰς τῶν ὑδάτων,
before the mountains were settled, and before all hills, he begets me.
πρὸ τοῦ ὄρη ἑδρασθῆναι, πρὸ δὲ πάντων βουνῶν γεννᾷ με.
The Lord made countries and uninhabited [tracks], and the highest inhabited parts of the world.
Κύριος ἐποίησε χώρας καὶ ἀοικήτους καὶ ἄκρα οἰκούμενα τῆς ὑπ᾿ οὐρανόν.
When he prepared the heaven, I was present with him; and when he prepared his throne upon the winds:
ἡνίκα ἡτοίμαζε τὸν οὐρανόν, συμπαρήμην αὐτῷ, καὶ ὅτε ἀφώριζε τὸν ἑαυτοῦ θρόνον ἐπ᾿ ἀνέμων·
and when he strengthened the clouds above; and when he secured the fountains of the earth:
ἡνίκα ἰσχυρὰ ἐποίει τὰ ἄνω νέφη, καὶ ὡς ἀσφαλεῖς ἐτίθει πηγὰς τῆς ὑπ᾿ οὐρανὸν
[see Appendix] and when he strengthened the foundations of the earth:
καὶ ἰσχυρὰ ἐποίει τὰ θεμέλια τῆς γῆς,
I was by him, suiting [myself to him], I was that wherein he took delight; and daily I rejoiced in his presence continually.
ἤμην παρ᾿ αὐτῷ ἁρμόζουσα. ἐγὼ ἤμην ᾗ προσέχαιρε, καθ᾿ ἡμέραν δὲ εὐφραινόμην ἐν προσώπῳ αὐτοῦ ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ,
For he rejoiced when he had completed the world, and rejoiced among the children of men.
ὅτε ἐνευφραίνετο τὴν οἰκουμένην συντελέσας, καὶ ἐνευφραίνετο ἐν υἱοῖς ἀνθρώπων.
Now then, [my] son, hear me: blessed is the man who shall hearken to me, and the mortal who shall keep my ways; [See Appendix ]
νῦν οὖν, υἱέ, ἄκουέ μου καὶ μακάριοι, οἳ ὁδούς μου φυλάσσοντες,
Blessed is the man heareth me and the man who shall guard my ways, watching daily at my doors, waiting at the posts of my entrances.
μακάριος ἀνήρ, ὃς εἰσακούεταί μου, καὶ ἄνθρωπος, ὃς τὰς ἐμὰς ὁδοὺς φυλάξει ἀγρυπνῶν ἐπ᾿ ἐμαῖς θύραις καθ᾿ ἡμέραν, τηρῶν σταθμοὺς ἐμῶν εἰσόδων·
For my outgoings are the outgoings of life, and [in them] is prepared favour from the Lord.
αἱ γὰρ ἔξοδοί μου ἔξοδοι ζωῆς, καὶ ἑτοιμάζεται θέλησις παρὰ Κυρίου.
But they that sin against me act wickedly against their own souls: and they that hate me love death.
οἱ δὲ ἁμαρτάνοντες εἰς ἐμὲ ἀσεβοῦσιν εἰς τὰ ἑαυτῶν ψυχάς, καὶ οἱ μισοῦντές με ἀγαπῶσι θάνατον. * For the uses of ἄκακος and πανοῦργος in this book, see Appendix Cf. a note on emphasis with personal pronoun and article