Proverbs 8:14

Counsel and sound wisdom belong to me; ¹  I possess understanding and might.

Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have understanding and power.

"Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding, power is mine.

Good advice and success belong to me. Insight and strength are mine.

Good counsel and common sense are my characteristics; I am both Insight and the Virtue to live it out.

Wise design and good sense are mine; reason and strength are mine.

I have good advice and sound wisdom; I have insight, I have strength.

Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength.

Counsel and sound wisdom belong to me; ¹  I possess understanding and might.

¹ tc In the second half of v. 14 instead of אֲנִי (’ani) the editors propose reading simply לִי (li) as the renderings in the LXX, Latin, and Syriac suggest. Then, in place of the לִי that comes in the same colon, read וְלִי (vÿli). While the MT is a difficult reading, it can be translated as it is. It would be difficult to know exactly what the ancient versions were reading, because their translations could have been derived from either text. They represent an effort to smooth out the text.

tn Heb “To me [belong] counsel and sound wisdom.” The second colon in the verse has: “I, understanding, to me and might.”

sn In vv. 14-17 the pronouns come first and should receive greater prominence – although it is not always easy to do this with English.