« | Proverbs 8 | » |
1 Does not Wisdom call, and Understanding raise her voice?
2 On the top of the heights along the road, at the crossroads she takes her stand;
3 By the gates at the approaches of the city, in the entryways she cries aloud:
4 "To you, O men, I call; my appeal is to the children of men.
5 You simple ones, gain resource, you fools, gain sense.
6 "Give heed! for noble things I speak; honesty opens my lips.
7 Yes, the truth my mouth recounts, but the wickedness my lips abhor.
8 Sincere are all the words of my mouth, no one of them is wily or crooked;
9 All of them are plain to the man of intelligence, and right to those who attain knowledge.
10 Receive my instruction in preference to silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold.
11 (For Wisdom is better than corals, and no choice possessions can compare with her.)
12 "I, Wisdom, dwell with experience, and judicious knowledge I attain.
13 (The fear of the LORD is to hate evil;) Pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverse mouth I hate.
14 Mine are counsel and advice; Mine is strength; I am understanding.
15 By me kings reign, and lawgivers establish justice;
16 By me princes govern, and nobles; all the rulers of earth.
17 "Those who love me I also love, and those who seek me find me.
18 With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity.
19 My fruit is better than gold, yes, than pure gold, and my revenue than choice silver.
20 On the way of duty I walk, along the paths of justice,
21 Granting wealth to those who love me, and filling their treasuries.
22 "The LORD begot me, the first-born of his ways, the forerunner of his prodigies of long ago;
23 From of old I was poured forth, at the first, before the earth.
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no fountains or springs of water;
25 Before the mountains were settled into place, before the hills, I was brought forth;
26 While as yet the earth and the fields were not made, nor the first clods of the world.
27 "When he established the heavens I was there, when he marked out the vault over the face of the deep;
28 When he made firm the skies above, when he fixed fast the foundations of the earth;
29 When he set for the sea its limit, so that the waters should not transgress his command;
30 Then was I beside him as his craftsman, and I was his delight day by day, Playing before him all the while,
31 playing on the surface of his earth; and I found delight in the sons of men.
32 "So now, O children, listen to me;
33 instruction and wisdom do not reject! Happy the man who obeys me, and happy those who keep my ways,
34 Happy the man watching daily at my gates, waiting at my doorposts;
35 For he who finds me finds life, and wins favor from the LORD;
36 But he who misses me harms himself; all who hate me love death."
The New American Standard Updated Version (NASU)
The New American Standard Updated Version (NASU) is a highly respected English translation of the Bible known for its rigorous adherence to the original languages of Scripture. First published in 1995 by the Lockman Foundation, the NASU is an update of the New American Standard Bible (NASB), which was originally completed in 1971. The NASU seeks to improve upon the NASB by enhancing readability and modernizing the language while maintaining the translation’s reputation for being one of the most literal translations available. This makes the NASU a preferred choice for serious Bible study, preaching, and teaching.
A key feature of the NASU is its commitment to formal equivalence, or a word-for-word translation philosophy. The translators aimed to produce a text that is as close as possible to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts. This approach ensures that the NASU captures the precise meaning and structure of the original texts, providing readers with a highly accurate and reliable representation of the Scriptures. The use of formal equivalence makes the NASU particularly valuable for those who desire a deep and detailed understanding of the Bible, including scholars, theologians, and students of the Word.
In updating the NASB, the NASU made several important changes to improve clarity and readability. While maintaining the accuracy and literalness of the translation, the NASU incorporates modern English expressions and smoother sentence structures. This makes the text more accessible to contemporary readers without compromising the precision that the NASB is known for. The NASU also includes updated cross-references and footnotes, which provide additional context and insights, further aiding in the study and understanding of the biblical text.
Despite its many strengths, the NASU has faced some criticism. Some readers and scholars argue that the translation’s emphasis on literalness can sometimes result in a text that feels stiff or less fluid than more dynamic translations. Additionally, while the NASU’s updated language makes it more accessible, some feel that it could go further in adapting to contemporary usage without losing its accuracy. Nevertheless, the New American Standard Updated Version remains a highly esteemed translation, valued for its fidelity to the original texts and its usefulness for in-depth study and precise interpretation of the Bible.