Invitations of Wisdom and Folly

Wisdom has built(A) her house;
    she has set up[a] its seven pillars.
She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine;(B)
    she has also set her table.(C)
She has sent out her servants, and she calls(D)
    from the highest point of the city,(E)
    “Let all who are simple(F) come to my house!”
To those who have no sense(G) she says,
    “Come,(H) eat my food
    and drink the wine I have mixed.(I)
Leave your simple ways and you will live;(J)
    walk in the way of insight.”(K)

Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults;
    whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse.(L)
Do not rebuke mockers(M) or they will hate you;
    rebuke the wise and they will love you.(N)
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

  1. Proverbs 9:1 Septuagint, Syriac and Targum; Hebrew has hewn out
  2. Proverbs 9:11 Septuagint, Syriac and Targum; Hebrew me

The Way of Wisdom

(A)Wisdom has built her house;
    she has hewn her (B)seven (C)pillars.
She has (D)slaughtered her beasts; she has (E)mixed her wine;
    she has also (F)set her table.
She has (G)sent out her young women to (H)call
    from (I)the highest places in the town,
(J)“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
    (K)To him who lacks sense she says,
“Come, (L)eat of my bread
    and (M)drink of (N)the wine I have mixed.
Leave (O)your simple ways,[a] and (P)live,
    (Q)and walk in the way of insight.”

Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,
    and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
(R)Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
    (S)reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
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

  1. Proverbs 9:6 Or Leave the company of the simple
  2. Proverbs 9:9 Hebrew lacks instruction
  3. Proverbs 9:13 Or full of simpleness
  4. Proverbs 9:18 Hebrew Rephaim

The Way of Wisdom

Wisdom has (A)built her house,
She has hewn out her seven pillars;
(B)She has slaughtered her meat,
(C)She has mixed her wine,
She has also [a]furnished her table.
She has sent out her maidens,
She cries out from the highest places of the city,
“Whoever(D) is simple, let him turn in here!”
As for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
“Come,(E) eat of my bread
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
Forsake foolishness and live,
And go in the way of understanding.

“He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself,
And he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself.
(F)Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you;
(G)Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.
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

  1. Proverbs 9:2 arranged
  2. Proverbs 9:13 boisterous
  3. Proverbs 9:16 naive
  4. Proverbs 9:18 Or Sheol

Ang Karunungan at ang Kamangmangan

Ang karunungan ay katulad ng isang taong nagtayo ng kanyang bahay na may pitong haligi. Pagkatapos, nagkaroon siya ng malaking handaan. Naghanda siya ng mga pagkain at mga inumin. At saka inutusan niya ang mga katulong niyang babae na pumunta sa pinakamataas na lugar ng bayan para ipaalam ang ganito: “Kayong mga kulang sa karunungan at pang-unawa, inaanyayahan kayo sa isang malaking handaan. Halikayo, kumain kayo at uminom ng aking inihanda. Iwanan na ninyo ang kamangmangan upang mabuhay kayo nang matagal at may pang-unawa.”

Kung sasawayin mo ang taong nangungutya, iinsultuhin ka niya. Kung sasawayin mo ang taong masama, sasaktan ka niya. Kaya huwag mong sasawayin ang taong nangungutya, sapagkat magagalit siya sa iyo. Sawayin mo ang taong marunong at mamahalin ka niya. Kapag tinuruan mo ang isang taong marunong, lalo siyang magiging marunong. At kapag tinuruan mo ang isang taong matuwid, lalo pang lalawak ang kanyang kaalaman.

10 Ang paggalang sa Panginoon ang pasimula ng karunungan. At ang pagkilala sa Banal na Dios ay nagpapahiwatig ng pagkaunawa. 11 Sa pamamagitan ng karunungan, hahaba ang iyong buhay. 12 Kung may karunungan ka, magdudulot ito sa iyo ng kabutihan, ngunit magdurusa ka kung itoʼy iyong tatanggihan.

13 Ang kamangmangan ay katulad ng isang babaeng maingay, hindi marunong at walang nalalaman. 14 Nakaupo siya sa pintuan ng kanyang bahay o sa upuan sa mataas na lugar sa lungsod, 15 at tinatawag ang mga dumadaan na papunta sa kanilang trabaho. 16 Sabi niya, “Halikayo rito, kayong mga walang karunungan.” At sinabi pa niya sa walang pang-unawa, 17 “Mas masarap ang tubig na ninakaw at mas masarap ang pagkain na kinakain ng lihim.” 18 Ngunit hindi alam ng mga taong pumupunta sa kanya na sila ay mamamatay. Ang mga nakapunta na sa kanya ay naroon na sa libingan.