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
New Living Translation
9 Wisdom has built her house;
she has carved its seven columns.
2 She has prepared a great banquet,
mixed the wines, and set the table.
3 She has sent her servants to invite everyone to come.
She calls out from the heights overlooking the city.
4 “Come in with me,” she urges the simple.
To those who lack good judgment, she says,
5 “Come, eat my food,
and drink the wine I have mixed.
6 Leave your simple ways behind, and begin to live;
learn to use good judgment.”
7 Anyone who rebukes a mocker will get an insult in return.
Anyone who corrects the wicked will get hurt.
8 So don’t bother correcting mockers;
they will only hate you.
But correct the wise,
and they will love you.
9 Instruct the wise,
and they will be even wiser.
Teach the righteous,
and they will learn even more.
10 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom.
Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.
11 Wisdom will multiply your days
and add years to your life.
12 If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit.
If you scorn wisdom, you will be the one to suffer.
Folly Calls for a Hearing
13 The woman named Folly is brash.
She is ignorant and doesn’t know it.
14 She sits in her doorway
on the heights overlooking the city.
15 She calls out to men going by
who are minding their own business.
16 “Come in with me,” she urges the simple.
To those who lack good judgment, she says,
17 “Stolen water is refreshing;
food eaten in secret tastes the best!”
18 But little do they know that the dead are there.
Her guests are in the depths of the grave.[a]
Footnotes
- 9:18 Hebrew in Sheol.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
