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
Tree of Life Version
Wisdom and Folly Invite
9 Wisdom has built her house.
She has carved out her seven pillars.
2 She has slaughtered her meat,
she has mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.
3 She has sent out her servant girls.
She calls from the city’s heights:
4 “Whoever is naïve, turn in here!”
To those who lack understanding, she says:
5 “Come, eat my bread
and drink the wine I have mixed.
6 Abandon your foolish ways and live!
Walk in the way of understanding.”
7 Whoever corrects a scoffer is asking for insult.
Whoever reproves a wicked man gets abuse.
8 Do not correct a scoffer or he will hate you.
Rebuke a wise man and he will love you.
9 Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still.
Teach a righteous man and he will increase in learning.
10 The fear of Adonai is the beginning of wisdom
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For through me your days will be many
and years will be added to your life.
12 If you are wise, you are wise to your own advantage,
but if you scoff, you bear it alone.
13 The foolish woman is rowdy.
She is naïve and knows nothing.
14 So she sits at the door of her house,
on a seat in the heights of the city,
15 calling to those who pass by,
who go straight on their way:
16 “Whoever is naïve, let him turn in here.”
To those who lack understanding, she says:
17 “Stolen water is sweet
and bread eaten in secret is delicious!”
18 But he does not know that the dead are there—
her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.