Proverbs 9-12
New American Standard Bible
Wisdom’s Invitation
9 Wisdom has (A)built her house,
She has carved out her seven pillars;
2 She has [a](B)prepared her food, she has (C)mixed her wine;
She has also (D)set her table;
3 She has (E)sent out her attendants, she (F)calls out
From the (G)tops of the heights of the city:
4 “(H)Whoever is naive, let him turn in here!”
To him who (I)lacks [b]understanding she says,
5 “Come, (J)eat of my food
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 [c]Abandon your foolishness and (K)live,
And (L)proceed in the way of understanding.”
7 One who (M)corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself,
And one who rebukes a wicked person gets [d]insults for himself.
8 (N)Do not rebuke a scoffer, or he will hate you;
(O)Rebuke a wise person and he will love you.
9 Give instruction to a wise person and he will become still wiser;
Teach a righteous person and he will (P)increase his insight.
10 The (Q)fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For (R)by me your days will be multiplied,
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 [e]suffer from it.
13 [f]A woman of foolishness is (U)boisterous,
She has a lack of understanding and (V)knows nothing.
14 She sits at the doorway of her house,
On a seat by (W)the high places of the city,
15 Calling to those who pass by,
Who are going straight on their paths:
16 “(X)Whoever is naive, let him turn in here,”
And to him who lacks [g]understanding she says,
17 “Stolen water is sweet;
And (Y)bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know that the [h]dead are there,
That her guests are in the (Z)depths of Sheol.
Contrast of the Righteous and the Wicked
10 The (AA)proverbs of Solomon.
(AB)A wise son makes a father glad,
But (AC)a foolish son is a grief to his mother.
2 [i](AD)Ill-gotten gains do not benefit,
But righteousness rescues from death.
3 The Lord (AE)will not allow the [j]righteous to hunger,
But He (AF)will [k]reject the craving of the wicked.
4 Poor is one who works with [l]a lazy hand,
But the (AG)hand of the diligent makes rich.
5 He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely,
But he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully.
6 (AH)Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
But (AI)the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
7 The (AJ)mentioning of the righteous is a blessing,
But (AK)the name of the wicked will rot.
8 The (AL)wise of heart will receive commands,
But [m]a babbling fool will come to ruin.
9 One (AM)who walks in integrity walks securely,
But (AN)one who perverts his ways will be found out.
10 He (AO)who winks the eye causes trouble,
And [n](AP)a babbling fool will come to ruin.
11 The (AQ)mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
But (AR)the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
12 Hatred stirs up strife,
But (AS)love covers all offenses.
13 On (AT)the lips of the discerning, wisdom is found,
But (AU)a rod is for the back of him who has no [o]sense.
14 Wise people (AV)store up knowledge,
But with (AW)the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand.
15 The (AX)rich person’s wealth is his [p]fortress,
The (AY)ruin of the poor is their poverty.
16 The [q](AZ)wages of the righteous is life,
The income of the wicked, punishment.
17 One who (BA)is on the path of life follows instruction,
But one who ignores a rebuke goes astray.
18 One (BB)who conceals hatred has lying lips,
And one who spreads slander is a fool.
19 When there are (BC)many words, wrongdoing is unavoidable,
But (BD)one who restrains his lips is wise.
20 The tongue of the righteous is like (BE)choice silver,
The heart of the wicked is worth little.
21 The (BF)lips of the righteous feed many,
But fools (BG)die for lack of [r]understanding.
22 It is the (BH)blessing of the Lord that makes rich,
And He adds no sorrow to it.
23 Doing wickedness is like (BI)sport to a fool,
And so is wisdom to a person of understanding.
24 What (BJ)the wicked fears will come upon him,
But the (BK)desire of the righteous will be granted.
25 When the (BL)whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more,
But the (BM)righteous has an everlasting foundation.
26 Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
So is the [s](BN)lazy one to those who send him.
27 The (BO)fear of the Lord prolongs [t]life,
But the (BP)years of the wicked will be shortened.
28 The (BQ)hope of the righteous is gladness,
But the (BR)expectation of the wicked perishes.
29 The (BS)way of the Lord is a stronghold for the upright,
But (BT)ruin to the workers of injustice.
30 The (BU)righteous will never be shaken,
But (BV)the wicked will not live in the land.
31 The (BW)mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom,
But the (BX)perverted tongue will be cut out.
32 The lips of the righteous know (BY)what is acceptable,
But the (BZ)mouth of the wicked, what is perverted.
Contrast of the Upright and the Wicked
11 A (CA)false balance is an abomination to the Lord,
But a (CB)just weight is His delight.
2 When (CC)pride comes, then comes dishonor;
But with the humble there is wisdom.
3 The (CD)integrity of the upright will guide them,
But the (CE)perversity of the treacherous will destroy them.
4 (CF)Riches do not benefit on the day of wrath,
But (CG)righteousness rescues from death.
5 The (CH)righteousness of the blameless will smooth his way,
But (CI)the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.
6 The righteousness of the upright will rescue them,
But the treacherous will (CJ)be caught by their own greed.
7 When a wicked person dies, his (CK)expectation will perish,
And the (CL)hope of strong people perishes.
8 The righteous is rescued from trouble,
But the wicked [u]takes his place.
9 With his (CM)mouth the godless person destroys his neighbor,
But through knowledge the (CN)righteous will be rescued.
10 When things (CO)go well for the righteous, the city rejoices,
And when the wicked perish, there is joyful shouting.
11 By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
But by the mouth of the wicked, it is torn down.
12 One who despises his neighbor lacks [v]sense,
But a person of understanding keeps silent.
13 One (CP)who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets,
But one who is [w]trustworthy (CQ)conceals a matter.
14 Where there is no (CR)guidance the people fall,
But in an abundance of counselors there is [x]victory.
15 One who is a (CS)guarantor for a stranger will certainly suffer for it,
But one who hates [y]being a guarantor is secure.
16 A (CT)gracious woman attains honor,
And ruthless men attain riches.
17 A (CU)merciful person does [z]himself good,
But the cruel person [aa]does himself harm.
18 A wicked person earns deceptive wages,
But one who (CV)sows righteousness gets a true reward.
19 One who is steadfast in (CW)righteousness attains life,
But (CX)one who pursues evil attains his own death.
20 The perverse in heart are an abomination to the Lord,
But the (CY)blameless in their [ab]walk are His (CZ)delight.
21 [ac]Be assured, the evil person will not go unpunished,
But the [ad]descendants of the righteous will be rescued.
22 As a (DA)ring of gold in a pig’s snout
So is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.
23 The desire of the righteous is only good,
But the (DB)expectation of the wicked is wrath.
24 There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more,
And there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in poverty.
25 A [ae](DC)generous person will be [af]prosperous,
And one who (DD)gives others plenty of water will himself be given plenty.
26 One who withholds grain, the (DE)people will curse him,
But (DF)blessing will be on the head of him who (DG)sells it.
27 One who diligently seeks good seeks favor,
But (DH)one who seeks evil, evil will come to him.
28 One who (DI)trusts in his riches will fall,
But (DJ)the righteous will flourish like the green leaf.
29 One who (DK)troubles his own house will (DL)inherit wind,
And (DM)the foolish will be servant to the wise-hearted.
30 The fruit of the righteous is (DN)a tree of life,
And (DO)one who is wise [ag]gains souls.
31 If (DP)the righteous will be repaid on the earth,
How much more the wicked and the sinner!
Contrast of the Upright and the Wicked
12 One who loves [ah]discipline loves knowledge,
But one who hates rebuke is stupid.
2 A (DQ)good person will obtain favor from the Lord,
But He will condemn a person [ai]who devises evil.
3 A person will (DR)not be established by wickedness,
But the root of the (DS)righteous will not be moved.
4 An [aj](DT)excellent wife is the crown of her husband,
But she who shames him is like (DU)rottenness in his bones.
5 The thoughts of the righteous are just,
But the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.
6 The (DV)words of the wicked wait in ambush for blood,
But the (DW)mouth of the upright will rescue them.
7 The (DX)wicked are overthrown and are no more,
But the (DY)house of the righteous will stand.
8 A person will be praised according to his insight,
But one of perverse [ak]mind will be despised.
9 Better is one who is lightly esteemed and has a servant,
Than one who honors himself and lacks bread.
10 A (DZ)righteous person has regard for the life of his animal,
But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.
11 One (EA)who works his land will have plenty of bread,
But one who pursues worthless things lacks [al]sense.
12 The (EB)wicked person desires the [am]plunder of evil people,
But the root of the righteous (EC)yields fruit.
13 [an]An evil person is ensnared by the offense of his lips,
But the (ED)righteous will escape from trouble.
14 A person will be (EE)satisfied with good by the fruit of his [ao]words,
And the (EF)deeds of a person’s hands will return to him.
15 The (EG)way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
But a person who listens to advice is wise.
16 A (EH)fool’s anger is known at once,
But a prudent person conceals dishonor.
17 One who declares truth tells what is right,
But a false witness, deceit.
18 There is one who (EI)speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword,
But the (EJ)tongue of the wise brings healing.
19 Truthful lips will endure forever,
But a (EK)lying tongue is only for a moment.
20 Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil,
But counselors of peace have joy.
21 (EL)No harm happens to the righteous,
But the wicked are filled with trouble.
22 (EM)Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord,
But those who deal faithfully are His delight.
23 A (EN)prudent person conceals knowledge,
But the heart of fools proclaims foolishness.
24 The hand of the diligent will rule,
But the [ap]lazy hand will be (EO)put to forced labor.
25 (EP)Anxiety in a person’s heart weighs it down,
But a (EQ)good word makes it glad.
26 The righteous person is a guide to his neighbor,
But the way of the wicked leads them astray.
27 [aq]A lazy person does not [ar]roast his prey,
But the (ER)precious possession of a person is diligence.
28 (ES)In the way of righteousness there is life,
And in its pathway there is no death.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 9:2 Lit slaughtered her slaughter
- Proverbs 9:4 Lit heart
- Proverbs 9:6 Or Abandon the naive
- Proverbs 9:7 Lit a blemish
- Proverbs 9:12 Lit bear
- Proverbs 9:13 Or A foolish woman
- Proverbs 9:16 Lit heart
- Proverbs 9:18 Lit departed spirits
- Proverbs 10:2 Lit Treasures of wickedness
- Proverbs 10:3 Lit soul of the righteous
- Proverbs 10:3 Lit thrust away
- Proverbs 10:4 Lit an idle hand
- Proverbs 10:8 Lit the foolish of lips
- Proverbs 10:10 Lit the foolish of lips
- Proverbs 10:13 Lit heart
- Proverbs 10:15 Lit strong city
- Proverbs 10:16 Or work
- Proverbs 10:21 Lit heart
- Proverbs 10:26 Lit idle one
- Proverbs 10:27 Lit days
- Proverbs 11:8 Lit enters
- Proverbs 11:12 Lit heart
- Proverbs 11:13 Lit faithful of spirit
- Proverbs 11:14 Lit deliverance
- Proverbs 11:15 Lit those who strike hands
- Proverbs 11:17 Lit his soul
- Proverbs 11:17 Lit ruins his flesh
- Proverbs 11:20 Lit way
- Proverbs 11:21 Lit Hand to hand
- Proverbs 11:21 Lit seed
- Proverbs 11:25 Lit soul of blessing
- Proverbs 11:25 Lit made fat
- Proverbs 11:30 Lit takes
- Proverbs 12:1 Or instruction
- Proverbs 12:2 Lit of evil devices
- Proverbs 12:4 Or virtuous
- Proverbs 12:8 Lit heart
- Proverbs 12:11 Lit heart
- Proverbs 12:12 Lit net (for trapping prey); another reading is mountain stronghold
- Proverbs 12:13 Lit In the offense of the lips is an evil snare
- Proverbs 12:14 Lit mouth
- Proverbs 12:24 Lit idle
- Proverbs 12:27 Lit An indolent
- Proverbs 12:27 Or catch
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