Proverbs 9
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Wisdom versus Foolishness
9 Wisdom has built her house;(A)
she has carved out her seven pillars.
2 She has prepared her meat;(B) she has mixed her wine;(C)
she has also set her table.(D)
3 She has sent out her female servants;(E)
she calls out from the highest points of the city:(F)
4 “Whoever is inexperienced, enter here!”
To the one who lacks sense,(G) she says,
5 “Come, eat my bread,(H)
and drink the wine I have mixed.
6 Leave inexperience behind, and you will live;
pursue the way of understanding.
7 The one who corrects a mocker
will bring dishonor on himself;
the one who rebukes a wicked man will get hurt.[a]
8 Don’t rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you;(I)
rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.(J)
9 Instruct a wise man, and he will be wiser still;
teach a righteous man, and he will learn more.(K)
10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,(L)
and the knowledge of the Holy One(M) is understanding.
11 For by Wisdom your days will be many,
and years will be added to your life.
12 If you are wise, you are wise for your own benefit;(N)
if you mock, you alone will bear the consequences.”
13 The woman Folly is rowdy;(O)
she is gullible and knows nothing.(P)
14 She sits by the doorway of her house,
on a seat at the highest point of the city,
15 calling to those who pass by,
who go straight ahead on their paths:(Q)
16 “Whoever is inexperienced, enter here!”
To the one who lacks sense, she says,
17 “Stolen water is sweet,
and bread eaten secretly is tasty!”(R)
18 But he doesn’t know that the departed spirits are there,(S)
that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.(T)
Footnotes
- Proverbs 9:7 Lit man his blemish
Proverbs 9
Contemporary English Version
Wisdom Gives a Feast
9 Wisdom has built her house
with its seven columns.
2 She has prepared the meat
and set out the wine.
Her feast is ready.
3 She has sent her servant women
to announce her invitation
from the highest hills:
4 “Everyone who is ignorant
or foolish is invited!
5 All of you are welcome
to my meat and wine.
6 If you want to live,
give up your foolishness
and let understanding
guide your steps.”
True Wisdom
7 Correct a worthless bragger,
and all you will get
are insults and injuries.
8 Any bragger you correct
will only hate you.
But if you correct someone
who has common sense,
you will be loved.
9 If you have good sense,
instruction will help you
to have even better sense.
And if you live right,
education will help you
to know even more.
10 (A) Respect and obey the Lord!
This is the beginning
of wisdom.[a]
To have understanding,
you must know the Holy God.
11 I am Wisdom. If you follow me,
you will live a long time.
12 Good sense is good for you,
but if you brag,
you hurt yourself.
A Foolish Invitation
13 Stupidity[b] is reckless,
senseless, and foolish.
14 She sits in front of her house
and on the highest hills
in the town.
15 She shouts to everyone
who passes by,
16 “If you are stupid,
come on inside!”
And to every fool she says,
17 “Stolen water tastes best,
and the food you eat in secret
tastes best of all.”
18 None who listen to Stupidity
understand that her guests
are as good as dead.
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