Proverbs 9
Being Wise or Foolish
1 Wisdom has built her house; she has made its seven columns.
2 She has prepared her food and wine; she has set her table.
3 She has sent out her servant girls, and she calls out from the highest place in the city.
4 She says to those who are uneducated, “Come in here, you foolish people!
5 Come and eat my food and drink the wine I have prepared.
6 Stop your foolish ways, and you will live; take the road of understanding.
7 “If you correct someone who makes fun of wisdom, you will be insulted. If you correct an evil person, you will get hurt.
8 Do not correct those who make fun of wisdom, or they will hate you. But correct the wise, and they will love you.
9 Teach the wise, and they will become even wiser; teach good people, and they will learn even more.
10 “Wisdom begins with respect for the Lord, and understanding begins with knowing the Holy One.
11 If you live wisely, you will live a long time; wisdom will add years to your life.
12 The wise person is rewarded by wisdom, but whoever makes fun of wisdom will suffer for it.”
13 Foolishness is like a loud woman; she does not have wisdom or knowledge.
14 She sits at the door of her house at the highest place in the city.
15 She calls out to those who are passing by, who are going along, minding their own business.
16 She says to those who are uneducated, “Come in here, you foolish people!
17 Stolen water is sweeter, and food eaten in secret tastes better.”
18 But these people don’t know that everyone who goes there dies, that her guests end up deep in the grave.
Proverbs 9
The Consequences of Accepting Wisdom or Folly
1 Wisdom has built her house;
she has carved out its seven pillars.s
2 She has prepared her meat,t she has mixed her wine;
she also has arranged her table.s
3 She has sent out her female servants;
she calls out on the highest placest of the city.
4 “Whoever is naive, let him turn in here,”
she sayst to thoset who lack understanding.t
5 “Come, eatt some of my food,
and drink some of the wine I have mixed.ts
6 Abandon your foolish wayst so that you may live,t
and proceedt in the way of understanding.”
7 Whoever correctst a mocker is asking fort insult;t
whoever reproves a wicked person receivest abuse.
8 Do not reprovet a mocker ort he will hate you;
reprove a wise person and he will love you.
9 Give instructiont to a wise person,s and he will become wiser still;
teacht a righteous person and he will add to hist learning.
10 The beginnings of wisdom is to fear the Lord,t
and acknowledgingt the Holy Onet is understanding.
11 For becauset of me your days will be many,
and years will be addedt to your life.
12 If you are wise, you are wise to your own advantage,t
but if you are a mocker,t you alone mustt bear it.s
13 The woman called Follyt is brash,t
she is naivet and does not knowt anything.s
14 So she sits at the door of her house,
on a seat at the highest point of the city,
15 calling outt to those who are passing by hert in the way,t
who go straightt on their way.
16 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here,”
she says to those who lack understanding.t
17 “Stolen waterss are sweet,
and food obtained in secrett is pleasant!”
18 But they do not realizet that the deads are there,
that her guests are in the depths of the grave.ss