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
Lexham English Bible
Wisdom’s Banquet
9 Wisdom has built her house;
she has hewn her seven pillars.
2 She has slaughtered her slaughtering, mixed her wine,
and also set her table.
3 She has sent her servant girls,[a] she calls
upon the wings of the high places of town,
4 “Whoever is simple, let him turn here.”
As for the one who lacks sense,[b] she says to him,
5 “Come, eat with my bread;
drink with the wine I have mixed.
6 Lay aside simplicity and live;
walk in the way of understanding.”
7 He who corrects a scoffer gains abuse for himself,
and he who rebukes the wicked gets hurt.[c]
8 Do not rebuke a scoffer, lest he hate you;
rebuke the wise and he will love you.
9 Give to a wise one and he will become more wise;
teach[d] a righteous one and he will increase learning.
Foolishness’ Banquet
10 The start of wisdom is fear of Yahweh,
and knowledge of the Holy One,[e] insight.
11 For by me your days shall increase,
and years of life shall multiply for you.
12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,
and if you scoff, alone you shall bear it.
13 A woman of foolishness is loud,
simple, and does not know it.[f]
14 She sits at the door of her house,
upon a throne at the high places of town,
15 in order to call to those who pass by the road,
those who go straight on their way:
16 “Whoever is simple, may he turn here!”
As for he who lacks sense,[g] she says to him,
17 “Stolen waters are sweet,
and bread of secrecy is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know that the dead[h] are there,
in the depths of Sheol[i] are her guests.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 9:3 Or “young maidens”
- Proverbs 9:4 Literally “heart”
- Proverbs 9:7 Literally “abuse him”
- Proverbs 9:9 Literally “make known to”
- Proverbs 9:10 Or “holy ones”
- Proverbs 9:13 Literally “what”
- Proverbs 9:16 Literally “heart”
- Proverbs 9:18 Or “Rephaim”
- Proverbs 9:18 A term for the place where the dead reside, i.e., the Underworld
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