The Excellence and Eternity of Wisdom

8¹ Doesn’t wisdom cry out?
Doesn’t understanding raise her voice? ² On the top of high places by the way,
where the paths meet, she stands. ³ Beside the gates, at the entry of the city,
at the entry doors, she cries aloud: ⁴ “To you men, I call!
I send my voice to the sons of mankind. ⁵ You simple, understand prudence.
You fools, be of an understanding heart. ⁶ Hear, for I will speak excellent things.
The opening of my lips is for right things. 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 crooked or perverse in them. ⁹ They are all plain to him who understands,
right to those who find knowledge. ¹⁰ Receive my instruction rather than silver;
knowledge rather than choice gold. ¹¹ For wisdom is better than rubies.
All the things that may be desired can’t be compared to it.

¹² “I, wisdom, have made prudence my dwelling.
Find out knowledge and discretion. ¹³ The fear of Yahweh is to hate evil.
I hate pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverse mouth. ¹⁴ Counsel and sound knowledge are mine.
I have understanding and power. ¹⁵ By me kings reign,
and princes decree justice. ¹⁶ By me princes rule;
nobles, and all the righteous rulers of the earth. ¹⁷ I love those who love me.
Those who seek me diligently will find me. ¹⁸ With me are riches, honor,
enduring wealth, and prosperity. ¹⁹ My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold;
my yield than choice silver. ²⁰ I walk in the way of righteousness,
in the midst of the paths of justice; ²¹ That I may give wealth to those who love me.
I fill their treasuries.

²² “Yahweh possessed me in the beginning of his work,
before his deeds of old. ²³ I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning,
before the earth existed. ²⁴ When there were no depths, I was brought forth,
when there were no springs abounding with water. ²⁵ Before the mountains were settled in place,
before the hills, I was 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 on the surface of the deep, ²⁸ when he established the clouds above,
when the springs of the deep became strong, 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 then I was the craftsman by his side.
I was a delight day by day,
always rejoicing before him, ³¹ Rejoicing in his whole world.
My delight was with the sons of men.

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 Blessed is the man who hears me,
watching daily at my gates,
waiting at my door posts. ³⁵ For whoever finds me, finds life,
and will obtain favor from Yahweh. ³⁶ But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul.
All those who hate me love death.”

Wisdom and the Foolish Woman

9¹ Wisdom has built her house.
She has carved out her seven pillars. ² She has prepared her meat.
She has mixed her wine.
She has also set her table. ³ She has sent out her maidens.
She cries from the highest places of the city: ⁴ “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
As for him who is void of understanding, she says to him, ⁵ “Come, eat some of my bread,
Drink some of the wine which I have mixed! ⁶ Leave your simple ways, and live.
Walk in the way of understanding.” ⁷ He who corrects a mocker invites insult.
He who reproves a wicked man invites abuse. ⁸ Don’t reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you.
Reprove a wise man, and he will love you. ⁹ Instruct a wise man, and he will be still wiser.
Teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. ¹⁰ The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom.
The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. ¹¹ For by me your days will be multiplied.
The years of your life will be increased. ¹² If you are wise, you are wise for yourself.
If you mock, you alone will bear it.

¹³ The foolish woman is loud,
Undisciplined, and knows nothing. ¹⁴ She sits at the door of her house,
on a seat in the high places of the city, ¹⁵ To call to those who pass by,
who go straight on their ways, ¹⁶ “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here.”
as for him who is void of understanding, she says to him, ¹⁷ “Stolen water is sweet.
Food eaten in secret is pleasant.” ¹⁸ But he doesn’t know that the dead are there,
that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

Ministers of the New Covenant

3¹ Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as do some, letters of commendation to you or from you? ² You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; ³ being revealed that you are a letter of Christ, served by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone, but in tablets that are hearts of flesh. ⁴ Such confidence we have through Christ toward God; ⁵ not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God;

⁶ who also made us sufficient as servants of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. ⁷ But if the service of death, written engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look steadfastly on the face of Moses for the glory of his face; which was passing away: ⁸ won’t service of the Spirit be with much more glory? ⁹ For if the service of condemnation has glory, the service of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. ¹⁰ For most certainly that which has been made glorious has not been made glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasses. ¹¹ For if that which passes away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.

¹² Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness of speech, ¹³ and not as Moses, who put a veil on his face, that the children of Israel wouldn’t look steadfastly on the end of that which was passing away. ¹⁴ But their minds were hardened, for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains, because in Christ it passes away. ¹⁵ But to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. ¹⁶ But whenever one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. ¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. ¹⁸ But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit.