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Proverbs 9
The Message
Proverbs 9
The Message
Lady Wisdom Gives a Dinner Party
9 1-6 Lady Wisdom has built and furnished her home;
it’s supported by seven hewn timbers.
The banquet meal is ready to be served: lamb roasted,
wine poured out, table set with silver and flowers.
Having dismissed her serving maids,
Lady Wisdom goes to town, stands in a prominent place,
and invites everyone within sound of her voice:
“Are you confused about life, don’t know what’s going on?
Come with me, oh come, have dinner with me!
I’ve prepared a wonderful spread—fresh-baked bread,
roast lamb, carefully selected wines.
Leave your impoverished confusion and live!
Walk up the street to a life with meaning.”
* * *
7-12 If you reason with an arrogant cynic, you’ll get slapped in the face;
confront bad behavior and get a kick in the shins.
So don’t waste your time on a scoffer;
all you’ll get for your pains is abuse.
But if you correct those who care about life,
that’s different—they’ll love you for it!
Save your breath for the wise—they’ll be wiser for it;
tell good people what you know—they’ll profit from it.
Skilled living gets its start in the Fear-of-God,
insight into life from knowing a Holy God.
It’s through me, Lady Wisdom, that your life deepens,
and the years of your life ripen.
Live wisely and wisdom will permeate your life;
mock life and life will mock you.
Madame Prostitute Calls Out, Too
13-18 Then there’s this other woman, Madame Prostitute—
brazen, empty-headed, frivolous.
She sits on the front porch
of her house on Main Street,
And as people walk by minding
their own business, calls out,
“Are you confused about life, don’t know what’s going on?
Steal off with me, I’ll show you a good time!
No one will ever know—I’ll give you the time of your life.”
But they don’t know about all the skeletons in her closet,
that all her guests end up in hell.
Proverbs 9
New King James Version
Proverbs 9
New King James Version
The Way of Wisdom
9 Wisdom has (A)built her house,
She has hewn out her seven pillars;
2 (B)She has slaughtered her meat,
(C)She has mixed her wine,
She has also [a]furnished her table.
3 She has sent out her maidens,
She cries out from the highest places of the city,
4 “Whoever(D) is simple, let him turn in here!”
As for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
5 “Come,(E) eat of my bread
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 Forsake foolishness and live,
And go in the way of understanding.
7 “He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself,
And he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself.
8 (F)Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you;
(G)Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.
9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
Teach a just man, (H)and he will increase in learning.
10 “The(I) fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 (J)For by me your days will be multiplied,
And years of life will be added to you.
12 (K)If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,
And if you scoff, you will bear it alone.”
The Way of Folly
13 (L)A foolish woman is [b]clamorous;
She is simple, and knows nothing.
14 For she sits at the door of her house,
On a seat (M)by the highest places of the city,
15 To call to those who pass by,
Who go straight on their way:
16 “Whoever(N) is [c]simple, let him turn in here”;
And as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
17 “Stolen(O) water is sweet,
And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know that (P)the dead are there,
That her guests are in the depths of [d]hell.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 9:2 arranged
- Proverbs 9:13 boisterous
- Proverbs 9:16 naive
- Proverbs 9:18 Or Sheol
Proverbs 9
English Standard Version
Proverbs 9
English Standard Version
The Way of Wisdom
9 (A)Wisdom has built her house;
she has hewn her (B)seven (C)pillars.
2 She has (D)slaughtered her beasts; she has (E)mixed her wine;
she has also (F)set her table.
3 She has (G)sent out her young women to (H)call
from (I)the highest places in the town,
4 (J)“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
(K)To him who lacks sense she says,
5 “Come, (L)eat of my bread
and (M)drink of (N)the wine I have mixed.
6 Leave (O)your simple ways,[a] and (P)live,
(Q)and walk in the way of insight.”
7 Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,
and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
8 (R)Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
(S)reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
9 Give instruction[b] to a wise man, and he will be (T)still wiser;
teach a righteous man, and he will (U)increase in learning.
10 (V)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and (W)the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
11 For by me (X)your days will be multiplied,
and years will be added to your life.
12 (Y)If you are wise, you are wise for yourself;
if you scoff, you alone will bear it.
The Way of Folly
13 (Z)The woman Folly is (AA)loud;
she is seductive[c] and (AB)knows nothing.
14 She sits at the door of her house;
she takes a seat on (AC)the highest places of the town,
15 calling to those who pass by,
who are (AD)going straight on their way,
16 (AE)“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
And to him who lacks sense she says,
17 (AF)“Stolen water is sweet,
and (AG)bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know (AH)that the dead[d] are there,
that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 9:6 Or Leave the company of the simple
- Proverbs 9:9 Hebrew lacks instruction
- Proverbs 9:13 Or full of simpleness
- Proverbs 9:18 Hebrew Rephaim
Proverbs 9
New International Version
Proverbs 9
New International Version
Invitations of Wisdom and Folly
9 Wisdom has built(A) her house;
she has set up[a] its seven pillars.
2 She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine;(B)
she has also set her table.(C)
3 She has sent out her servants, and she calls(D)
from the highest point of the city,(E)
4 “Let all who are simple(F) come to my house!”
To those who have no sense(G) she says,
5 “Come,(H) eat my food
and drink the wine I have mixed.(I)
6 Leave your simple ways and you will live;(J)
walk in the way of insight.”(K)
7 Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults;
whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse.(L)
8 Do not rebuke mockers(M) or they will hate you;
rebuke the wise and they will love you.(N)
9 Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still;
teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.(O)
10 The fear of the Lord(P) is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One(Q) is understanding.(R)
11 For through wisdom[b] your days will be many,
and years will be added to your life.(S)
12 If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you;
if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer.
13 Folly is an unruly woman;(T)
she is simple and knows nothing.(U)
14 She sits at the door of her house,
on a seat at the highest point of the city,(V)
15 calling out(W) to those who pass by,
who go straight on their way,
16 “Let all who are simple come to my house!”
To those who have no sense(X) she says,
17 “Stolen water is sweet;
food eaten in secret is delicious!(Y)”
18 But little do they know that the dead are there,
that her guests are deep in the realm of the dead.(Z)
Footnotes
- Proverbs 9:1 Septuagint, Syriac and Targum; Hebrew has hewn out
- Proverbs 9:11 Septuagint, Syriac and Targum; Hebrew me
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.