Created Friday 20 September 2013
(30) Spreuke 8:12-36
"12 Ek, Wysheid, is vertroud met die skranderheid, en ek vind kennis van regte oorleg. 13 Die vrees van die HERE is om te haat wat sleg is; hoogmoed en trotsheid en 'n slegte wandel en 'n huigelagtige mond haat ek. 14 Raad en beleid is myne, ek is die insig, sterkte is myne. 15 Deur my regeer die konings en stel die maghebbers vas wat reg is; 16 deur my heers die vorste en die edeles, al die regters van die aarde. 17 Ék het lief die wat my liefhet, en die wat my soek, sal my vind. 18 Rykdom en eer is by my, duursame goed en geregtigheid. 19 My vrug is beter as goud en as fyn goud, en my opbrings as uitgesoekte silwer. 20 Ek wandel op die weg van geregtigheid, in die middel van die paaie van reg, 21 om die wat my liefhet, 'n besitting te laat erwe, en hulle skatkamers maak ek vol. 22 Die HERE het my berei as eersteling van sy weg, voor sy werke, van ouds af. 23 Van ewigheid af is ek geformeer, van die begin af, van die voortyd van die aarde af. 24 Toe daar nog geen wêreldvloede was nie, is ek gebore; toe fonteine, swaar van water, nog nie daar was nie; 25 voordat die berge ingesink het, voor die heuwels is ek gebore; 26 toe Hy die aarde en die velde en al die stoffies van die wêreld nog nie gemaak het nie. 27 Toe Hy die hemele berei het, was ek daar; toe Hy 'n kring afgetrek het op die oppervlakte van die wêreldvloed; 28 toe Hy die wolke daarbo bevestig het, toe die bronne van die wêreldvloed sterk geword het; 29 toe Hy vir die see sy grens gestel het, dat die waters sy bevel nie sou oortree nie; toe Hy die fondamente van die aarde vasgelê het — 30 toe was ek 'n kunstenaar naas Hom, en ek was dag vir dag vol verlustiging en het gespeel voor sy aangesig altyd, 31 en het gespeel op sy wêreldrond, en my verlustiginge was met die mensekinders. 32 Luister dan nou na my, seuns; want gelukkig is hulle wat my weë bewaar. 33 Luister na tug en word wys, en verwerp dit nie. 34 Gelukkig is die mens wat na my luister, om dag vir dag te waak aan my deure, by die syposte van my poorte die wag te hou. 35 Want hy wat my vind, het die lewe gevind en verkry 'n welbehae van die HERE. 36 Maar hy wat my mis, benadeel sy eie lewe; almal wat my haat, het die dood lief."
"I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
and I find knowledge and discretion.
The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.
Pride and arrogance and the way of evil
and perverted speech I hate.
I have counsel and sound wisdom;
I have insight; I have strength.
By me kings reign,
and rulers decree what is just;
by me princes rule,
and nobles, all who govern justly.
I love those who love me,
and those who seek me diligently find me.
Riches and honor are with me,
enduring wealth and righteousness.
My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold,
and my yield than choice silver.
I walk in the way of righteousness,
in the paths of justice,
granting an inheritance to those who love me,
and filling their treasuries.
The Lord possessed me at the beginning of his work,
the first of his acts of old.
Ages ago I was set up,
at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
When there were no depths I was brought forth,
when there were no springs abounding with water.
Before the mountains had been shaped,
before the hills, I was brought forth,
before he had made the earth with its fields,
or the first of the dust of the world.
When he established the heavens, I was there;
when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
when he made firm the skies above,
when he established the fountains of the deep,
when he assigned to the sea its limit,
so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
then I was beside him, like a master workman,
and I was daily his delight,
rejoicing before him always,
rejoicing in his inhabited world
and delighting in the children of man.
And now, O sons, listen to me:
blessed are those who keep my ways.
Hear instruction and be wise,
and do not neglect it.
Blessed is the one who listens to me,
watching daily at my gates,
waiting beside my doors.
For whoever finds me finds life
and obtains favor from the Lord,
but he who fails to find me injures himself;
all who hate me love death."
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