Proverbs · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
Proverbs 8 Updated Brenton English Septuagint
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Same Septuagint text as Brenton, with modernised spelling.
1 Thou shalt proclaim wisdom, That understanding may be obedient to thee.
1 Doesn’t wisdom cry out? Doesn’t understanding raise her voice?
2 For she is on lofty eminences, And stands in the midst of the ways.
2 On the top of high places by the way, where the paths meet, she stands.
3 For she sits by the gates of princes, And sings in the entrances, [saying],
3 Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, at the entry doors, she cries aloud:
4 You, O men, I exhort; And utter my voice to the sons of men.
4 “I call to you men! I send my voice to the sons of mankind.
5 O ye simple, understand subtlety, And ye that are untaught, imbibe knowledge.
5 You simple, understand prudence! You fools, be of an understanding heart!
6 Hearken to me; for I will speak solemn [truths]; And will produce right [sayings] from my lips.
6 Hear, for I will speak excellent things. The opening of my lips is for right things.
7 For my throat shall meditate truth; And false lips are an abomination before me.
7 For my mouth speaks truth. Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; There is nothing in them wrong or perverse.
8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness. There is nothing crooked or perverse in them.
9 They are all evident to those that understand, And right to those that find knowledge.
9 They are all plain to him who understands, right to those who find knowledge.
10 Receive instruction, and not silver; And knowledge rather than tried gold.
10 Receive my instruction rather than silver, knowledge rather than choice gold.
11 For wisdom is better than precious stones; And no valuable substance is of equal worth with it.
11 For wisdom is better than rubies. All the things that may be desired can’t be compared to it.
12 I wisdom have dwelt [with] counsel and knowledge, And I have called upon understanding.
12 “I, wisdom, have made prudence my dwelling. Find out knowledge and discretion.
13 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.
13 The fear of Yahweh is to hate evil. I hate pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverse mouth.
14 Counsel and safety are mine: Prudence is mine, and strength is mine.
14 Counsel and sound knowledge are mine. I have understanding and power.
15 By me kings reign, And princes decree justice.
15 By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.
16 By me nobles become great, And monarchs by me rule over the earth.
16 By me princes rule, nobles, and all the righteous rulers of the earth.
17 I love those that love me; And they that seek me shall find [me].
17 I love those who love me. Those who seek me diligently will find me.
18 Wealth and glory belong to me; Yea, abundant possessions and righteousness.
18 With me are riches, honor, enduring wealth, and prosperity.
19 [It is] better to have my fruit than [to have] gold and precious stones; And my produce is better than choice silver.
19 My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold, my yield than choice silver.
20 I walk in ways of righteousness, And [am] conversant with the paths of judgment;
20 I walk in the way of righteousness, in the middle of the paths of justice,
21 That I may divide substance to them that love me, And may fill their treasures with good things.
21 that I may give wealth to those who love me. I fill their treasuries.
21a If I declare to you the things that daily happen, I will remember [also] to recount the things of old.
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22 The Lord made me the beginning of his ways for his works.
22 “Yahweh possessed me in the beginning of his work, before his deeds of old.
23 He established me before time [was] in the beginning, Before he made the earth:
23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, before the earth existed.
24 even before he made the depths; Before the fountains of water came forth:
24 When there were no depths, I was born, when there were no springs abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains were settled, And before all hills, he begets me.
25 Before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was born;
26 The Lord made countries and uninhabited [tracts], And the highest inhabited parts of the world.
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 prepared the heaven, I was present with him; And when he prepared his throne upon the winds:
27 When he established the heavens, I was there. When he set a circle on the surface of the deep,
28 And when he strengthened the clouds above; And when he secured the fountains of the earth:
28 when he established the clouds above, when the springs of the deep became strong,
29 And when he strengthened the foundations of the earth:
29 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,
30 I was by him, suiting [myself to him], I was that wherein he took delight; And daily I rejoiced in his presence continually.
30 then I was the craftsman by his side. I was a delight day by day, always rejoicing before him,
31 For he rejoiced when he had completed the world, And rejoiced among the children of men.
31 rejoicing in his whole world. My delight was with the sons of men.
32 Now then, [my] son, hear me: Blessed is the man who shall hearken to me, And the mortal who shall keep my ways;
32 “Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, for blessed are those who keep my ways. 33 Hear instruction, and be wise. Don’t refuse it.
34 Watching daily at my doors, Waiting at the posts of my entrances.
34 Blessed is the man who hears me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at my door posts.
35 For my outgoings are the outgoings of life, And [in them] is prepared favor from the Lord.
35 For whoever finds me finds life, and will obtain favor from Yahweh.
36 But they that sin against me act wickedly against their own souls: And they that hate me love death.
36 But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul. All those who hate me love death.”
Cross references (34)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Proverbs 1:20–21; Matthew 3:3; John 7:37; Proverbs 9:1–3; Acts 1:8
- 2 Proverbs 9:14; Proverbs 9:3
- 3 Job 29:7; Luke 14:21–23; Matthew 22:9; Acts 5:20; John 18:20
- 4 Matthew 11:15; Psalm 50:1; John 3:16; Psalm 49:1–3; Revelation 22:17
- 5 Proverbs 1:22; Acts 26:18; Proverbs 9:4; Revelation 3:17–18; 1 Corinthians 6:9–11
- 6 Colossians 1:26; Matthew 7:28–29; Matthew 13:35; Proverbs 4:2; Proverbs 23:16
- 7 Psalm 37:30; John 8:14; John 17:17; Proverbs 12:22; Job 36:4
- 8 John 7:46; Proverbs 8:13; Psalm 12:6; Deuteronomy 32:5; Isaiah 45:23
- 9 Proverbs 14:6; James 1:5; John 7:17; Psalm 25:12–14; John 6:45
- 10 Proverbs 2:4–5; Psalm 119:127; Psalm 119:72; Proverbs 23:23; Proverbs 3:13–15
- 11 Proverbs 3:14–15; Proverbs 4:5–7; Proverbs 16:16; Psalm 119:127; Psalm 19:10
- 12 Isaiah 28:26; Exodus 35:30–36:4; Exodus 31:3–6; Romans 11:33; Proverbs 1:4
- 13 Psalm 97:10; Proverbs 16:6; 1 Samuel 2:3; Proverbs 4:24; 1 Thessalonians 5:22
- 14 Ecclesiastes 7:19; Isaiah 9:6; Romans 11:33–34; Isaiah 40:14; Ecclesiastes 9:16–18
- 15 Romans 13:1; Daniel 2:21; Matthew 28:18; Revelation 19:16; Daniel 7:13–14
- 17 John 14:23; John 14:21; Psalm 91:14; Isaiah 55:6; 1 John 4:19
- 18 Proverbs 3:16; Matthew 6:33; Luke 16:11–12; Philippians 4:19; Ephesians 3:8
- 19 Proverbs 3:14; Proverbs 10:20; Ecclesiastes 7:12; Proverbs 8:10
- 20 John 10:27–28; Psalm 32:8; Deuteronomy 5:32; Proverbs 4:11–12; Proverbs 6:22
- 21 1 Peter 1:4; Proverbs 24:4; Genesis 15:14; Matthew 25:46; Hebrews 10:34
- 22 Colossians 1:17; John 1:1–2; Proverbs 3:19; Psalm 104:24; Job 28:26–28
- 23 John 17:24; John 17:5; Genesis 1:26; Micah 5:2; Psalm 2:6
- 24 Proverbs 3:20; 1 John 4:9; Genesis 1:2; Hebrews 1:5; John 5:20
- 25 Psalm 90:2; Job 15:7–8; Job 38:4–11; Psalm 102:25–28; Hebrews 1:10
- 26 Genesis 1:1–31
- 27 Isaiah 40:22; Job 26:10; Proverbs 3:19; Psalm 136:5; Colossians 1:16
- 29 Psalm 104:9; Jeremiah 5:22; Genesis 1:9–10; Psalm 33:7; Psalm 104:5
- 30 John 1:1–3; John 1:18; Matthew 3:17; John 16:28; Isaiah 42:1
- 31 Psalm 16:3; John 13:1; Psalm 40:6–8; 2 Corinthians 8:9; John 4:34
- 32 Luke 11:28; Psalm 119:1–2; Psalm 128:1; Psalm 1:1–4; Proverbs 5:7
- 34 Matthew 7:24; Luke 11:28; Proverbs 3:13; Psalm 27:4; Acts 2:42
- 35 John 3:36; 1 John 5:11–12; Proverbs 12:2; Philippians 3:8; John 17:3
- 36 Proverbs 15:32; Proverbs 1:31; John 15:23–24; 1 Corinthians 16:22; Proverbs 12:1
- 21a 1 Peter 1:4; Proverbs 24:4; Genesis 15:14; Matthew 25:46; Hebrews 10:34
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… in His work: He set me up from everlasting, in the beginning, before He made the earth, before He established the depths, and before the fountains of waters gushed forth; before the mountains were made strong, and before all the hills, He brought me forth." And again: "When He prepared the heaven, I was with Him, and when He established …
"Who shall deliver him from the body of this death," but Thy grace only, "through Jesus Christ our Lord,'" whom Thou hast begotten co-eternal, and createdst in the beginning of Thy ways, in whom the Prince of this world found nothing worthy of death, yet killed he Him, and the handwriting which was contrary to us was blotted out?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
In their eyes the following is only too ready to hand "The Lord created me at the beginning of His ways with a view to His works." How shall we meet this?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
But others, though future, are put in the past tense, as, for instance, This is our God: Therefore He was seen upon the earth and dwelt among men, and The Lord created me in the beginning of His ways for His works, and Wherefore God, thy God, anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows, and such …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 9 (1899)
I was He in whom He rejoiced, and throughout all time I was daily glad before His face, when He rejoiced at the completion of the world, and was delighted in the sons of men."