Thou shalt proclaim wisdom, that understanding may be obedient to thee.
Σὺ τὴν σοφίαν κηρύξεις, ἵνα φρόνησίς σοι ὑπακούσῃ.
The Old Testament
ΠΑΡΟΙΜΙΑΙ ΣΟΛΟΜΩΝΤΟΣ · 8
36 Brenton verses
Thou shalt proclaim wisdom, that understanding may be obedient to thee.
Σὺ 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 ἐστὶν, ἀναμέσον 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.
Ὑμᾶς 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 ἐαυτοῖς 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 βουλὴν 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.
Διʼ ἐμοῦ βασιλεῖς βασιλεύουσι, καὶ οἱ δυνάσται γράφουσιν δικαιοσύνην.
By me nobles become great, and monarchs by me rule over the earth.
Διʼ ἐμοῦ μεγιστᾶνες μεγαλύνονται, καὶ τύραννοι διʼ 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 εὑρήσουσιν.
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 ἀναμέσον τρίβων δικαιώματος ἀναστρέφομαι·
that I may divide substance to them that love me, and may fill their treasures with good things.
ἵνα μερίσω τοῖς ἐμὲ ἀγαπῶσιν ὕπαρξιν, καὶ τοὺς θησαυροὺς αὐτῶν ἐμπλήσω ἀγαθῶν·
If I declare to you the things that daily happen, I will remember also to recount the things of old.
ἐὰν ἀναγγείλω ὑμῖν τὰ καθʼ 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 ἀβύσσους 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 tracts, and the highest inhabited parts of the world.
Κύριος ἐποίησε χώρας καὶ ἀοικήτους, καὶ ἄκρα οἰκούμενα τῆς ὑπʼ οὐρανῶν.
When he prepared the heaven, I was present with him; and when he prepared his throne upon the winds:
Ἡνίκα ἡτοίμαζε τὸν οὐρανὸν, συμπαρήμην αὐτῷ, καὶ ὅτε ἀφώριζε τὸν ἑαυτοῦ θρόνον ἐπʼ ἀνέμων,
and when he strengthened the clouds above; and when he secured the fountains of the earth:
καὶ ὡς ἰσχυρὰ ἐποίει τὰ ἄνω νέφη, καὶ ὡς ἀσφαλεῖς ἐτίθει πηγὰς τῆς ὑπʼ οὐρανὸν,
and when he strengthened the foundations of the earth:
καὶ ὡς 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 παρʼ αὐτῷ ἁρμόζουσα· ἐγὼ ἤμην ᾗ προσέχαιρε· καθʼ 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;
Νῦν οὖν υἱὲ ἄκουέ μου,
watching daily at my doors, waiting at the posts of my entrances.
μακάριος ἀνὴρ ὃς εἰσακούσεταί μου, καὶ ἄνθρωπος ὃς τὰς ἐμὰς ὁδοὺς φυλάξει, ἀγρυπνῶν ἐπʼ ἐμαῖς θύραις καθʼ 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 τὰς ἑαυτῶν ψυχὰς, καὶ οἱ μισοῦντές με ἀγαπῶσι θάνατον.
Brenton supplied wording, small capitals, translation notes, Greek wording, and edition-specific verse identifiers are retained. Parallel passages keep each edition's own references. Editions and sources.