Proverbs 9
Legacy Standard Bible
Wisdom and Foolishness Call Out
9 Wisdom has (A)built her house,
She has hewn out her seven pillars;
2 She has [a](B)slaughtered her cattle, she has (C)mixed her wine;
She has also (D)prepared her table;
3 She has (E)sent out her maidens, she (F)calls
From the (G)tops of the heights of the city:
4 “(H)Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
To him who (I)lacks a heart of wisdom she says,
5 “Come, (J)eat of my bread
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 [b]Forsake your simplicity and (K)live,
And (L)step into the way of understanding.”
7 He who (M)disciplines a scoffer receives disgrace for himself,
And he who reproves a wicked man receives injury for himself.
8 (N)Do not reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you,
(O)Reprove a wise man and he will love you.
9 Give knowledge to a wise man and he will be still wiser,
Make a righteous man know it and he will (P)increase his learning.
10 The (Q)fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For (R)by me your days will become many,
And years of life will be added to you.
12 If you are wise, you are wise (S)for yourself,
And if you (T)scoff, you alone will bear it.
13 The woman of [c]foolishness is (U)boisterous,
A woman of simplicity, and (V)does not know anything.
14 She sits at the doorway of her house,
On a seat by (W)the high places of the city,
15 To call to those who pass by that way,
Who are making their paths straight:
16 “(X)Whoever is simple, let him turn in here,”
And to him who lacks a heart of wisdom she says,
17 “Stolen water is sweet;
And (Y)bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know that the [d]dead are there,
That those she called are in the (Z)depths of Sheol.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 9:2 Lit slaughtered her slaughter
- Proverbs 9:6 Or Forsake the simple ones
- Proverbs 9:13 Insolent foolishness of one who fails in wisdom due to willful sin
- Proverbs 9:18 Lit departed spirits
Proverbs 9
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 abuse on himself;
the one who rebukes the wicked will get hurt.[a]
8 Don’t rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you;(I)
rebuke the wise, and he will love you.(J)
9 Instruct the wise, and he will be wiser still;
teach the righteous, 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 me 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 Folly is a rowdy woman;(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
- 9:7 Lit man: his blemish
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