Proverbs 8 Clementine Vulgate
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 [Numquid non sapientia clamitat, et prudentia dat vocem suam?
1 Doesn’t wisdom cry out? Doesn’t understanding raise her voice?
2 In summis excelsisque verticibus supra viam, in mediis semitis stans,
2 On the top of high places by the way, where the paths meet, she stands.
3 juxta portas civitatis, in ipsis foribus loquitur, dicens:
3 Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, at the entry doors, she cries aloud:
4 O viri, ad vos clamito, et vox mea ad filios hominum.
4 “I call to you men! I send my voice to the sons of mankind.
5 Intelligite, parvuli, astutiam, et insipientes, animadvertite.
5 You simple, understand prudence! You fools, be of an understanding heart!
6 Audite, quoniam de rebus magnis locutura sum, et aperientur labia mea ut recta prædicent.
6 Hear, for I will speak excellent things. The opening of my lips is for right things.
7 Veritatem meditabitur guttur meum, et labia mea detestabuntur impium.
7 For my mouth speaks truth. Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 Justi sunt omnes sermones mei: non est in eis pravum quid, neque perversum;
8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness. There is nothing crooked or perverse in them.
9 recti sunt intelligentibus, et æqui invenientibus scientiam.
9 They are all plain to him who understands, right to those who find knowledge.
10 Accipite disciplinam meam, et non pecuniam; doctrinam magis quam aurum eligite:
10 Receive my instruction rather than silver, knowledge rather than choice gold.
11 melior est enim sapientia cunctis pretiosissimis, et omne desiderabile ei non potest comparari.]
11 For wisdom is better than rubies. All the things that may be desired can’t be compared to it.
12 [Ego sapientia, habito in consilio, et eruditis intersum cogitationibus.
12 “I, wisdom, have made prudence my dwelling. Find out knowledge and discretion.
13 Timor Domini odit malum: arrogantiam, et superbiam, et viam pravam, et os bilingue, detestor.
13 The fear of Yahweh is to hate evil. I hate pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverse mouth.
14 Meum est consilium et æquitas; mea est prudentia, mea est fortitudo.
14 Counsel and sound knowledge are mine. I have understanding and power.
15 Per me reges regnant, et legum conditores justa decernunt;
15 By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.
16 per me principes imperant, et potentes decernunt justitiam.
16 By me princes rule, nobles, and all the righteous rulers of the earth.
17 Ego diligentes me diligo, et qui mane vigilant ad me, invenient me.
17 I love those who love me. Those who seek me diligently will find me.
18 Mecum sunt divitiæ et gloria, opes superbæ et justitia.
18 With me are riches, honor, enduring wealth, and prosperity.
19 Melior est enim fructus meus auro et lapide pretioso, et genimina me argento electo.
19 My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold, my yield than choice silver.
20 In viis justitiæ ambulo, in medio semitarum judicii:
20 I walk in the way of righteousness, in the middle of the paths of justice,
21 ut ditem diligentes me, et thesauros eorum repleam.]
21 that I may give wealth to those who love me. I fill their treasuries.
22 [Dominus possedit me in initio viarum suarum antequam quidquam faceret a principio.
22 “Yahweh possessed me in the beginning of his work, before his deeds of old.
23 Ab æterno ordinata sum, et ex antiquis antequam terra fieret.
23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, before the earth existed.
24 Nondum erant abyssi, et ego jam concepta eram: necdum fontes aquarum eruperant,
24 When there were no depths, I was born, when there were no springs abounding with water.
25 necdum montes gravi mole constiterant: ante colles ego parturiebar.
25 Before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was born;
26 Adhuc terram non fecerat, et flumina, et cardines orbis terræ.
26 while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the beginning of the dust of the world.
27 Quando præparabat cælos, aderam; quando certa lege et gyro vallabat abyssos;
27 When he established the heavens, I was there. When he set a circle on the surface of the deep,
28 quando æthera firmabat sursum, et librabat fontes aquarum;
28 when he established the clouds above, when the springs of the deep became strong,
29 quando circumdabat mari terminum suum, et legem ponebat aquis, ne transirent fines suos; quando appendebat fundamenta terræ:
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 cum eo eram, cuncta componens. Et delectabar per singulos dies, ludens coram eo omni tempore,
30 then I was the craftsman by his side. I was a delight day by day, always rejoicing before him,
31 ludens in orbe terrarum; et deliciæ meæ esse cum filiis hominum.
31 rejoicing in his whole world. My delight was with the sons of men.
32 Nunc ergo, filii, audite me: beati qui custodiunt vias meas.
32 “Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, for blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Audite disciplinam, et estote sapientes, et nolite abjicere eam.
33 Hear instruction, and be wise. Don’t refuse it.
34 Beatus homo qui audit me, et qui vigilat ad fores meas quotidie, et observat ad postes ostii mei.
34 Blessed is the man who hears me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at my door posts.
35 Qui me invenerit, inveniet vitam, et hauriet salutem a Domino.
35 For whoever finds me finds life, and will obtain favor from Yahweh.
36 Qui autem in me peccaverit, lædet animam suam; omnes qui me oderunt diligunt mortem.]
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
- 33 Proverbs 4:1; Psalm 81:11–12; Proverbs 1:8; Proverbs 5:1; Proverbs 1:2–3
- 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
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."