19 The Lord founded the earth by wisdom(A)
and established the heavens by understanding.
20 By His knowledge the watery depths broke open,(B)
and the clouds dripped with dew.(C)

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19 By wisdom(A) the Lord laid the earth’s foundations,(B)
    by understanding he set the heavens(C) in place;
20 by his knowledge the watery depths were divided,
    and the clouds let drop the dew.

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22 “The Lord made[a] me
at the beginning of His creation,[b]
before His works of long ago.(A)
23 I was formed before ancient times,
from the beginning, before the earth began.(B)
24 I was born
when there were no watery depths(C)
and no springs filled with water.
25 I was delivered
before the mountains and hills were established,(D)
26 before He made the land, the fields,
or the first soil on earth.
27 I was there when He established the heavens,(E)
when He laid out the horizon on the surface of the ocean,(F)
28 when He placed the skies above,
when the fountains of the ocean gushed out,
29 when He set a limit for the sea
so that the waters would not violate His command,(G)
when He laid out the foundations of the earth.(H)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 8:22 Or possessed, or begot
  2. Proverbs 8:22 Lit way

22 “The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,[a][b]
    before his deeds of old;
23 I was formed long ages ago,
    at the very beginning, when the world came to be.
24 When there were no watery depths, I was given birth,
    when there were no springs overflowing with water;(A)
25 before the mountains were settled in place,(B)
    before the hills, I was given birth,(C)
26 before he made the world or its fields
    or any of the dust of the earth.(D)
27 I was there when he set the heavens in place,(E)
    when he marked out the horizon(F) on the face of the deep,
28 when he established the clouds above(G)
    and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,(H)
29 when he gave the sea its boundary(I)
    so the waters would not overstep his command,(J)
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.(K)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 8:22 Or way; or dominion
  2. Proverbs 8:22 Or The Lord possessed me at the beginning of his work; or The Lord brought me forth at the beginning of his work