Psalm 14

English Standard Version

The Fool Says, There Is No God

To the choirmaster. Of David.

14 ^(A)The ^(B)fool says in his heart, ^(C)“There is no God.”
They are ^(D)corrupt, they do abominable deeds;
^(E)there is none who does good.

²The Lord ^(F)looks down from heaven on the children of man,
to see if there are any who understand,^[a]
who ^(G)seek after God.

³They have all turned aside; together they have become ^(H)corrupt;
there is none who does good,
not even one.

⁴Have they no ^(I)knowledge, all the evildoers
who ^(J)eat up my people as they eat bread
and ^(K)do not call upon the Lord?

⁵There they are in great terror,
for God is with ^(L)the generation of the righteous.
⁶You would shame the plans of the poor,
but^[b] the Lord is his ^(M)refuge.

⁷Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When the Lord ^(N)restores the fortunes of his people,
let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

Footnotes

Psalm 14:2 Or that act wisely
Psalm 14:6 Or for

Proverbs 9

English Standard Version

The Way of Wisdom

9 ^(A)Wisdom has built her house;
    she has hewn her ^(B)seven ^(C)pillars.
²She has ^(D)slaughtered her beasts; she has ^(E)mixed her wine;
    she has also ^(F)set her table.
³She 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.
⁶Leave ^(O)your simple ways,^[a] and ^(P)live,
    ^(Q)and walk in the way of insight.”

⁷Whoever 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.
⁹Give 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.
¹¹For 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.
¹⁴She sits at the door of her house;
    she takes a seat on ^(AC)the highest places of the town,
¹⁵calling 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.”
¹⁸But he does not know ^(AH)that the dead^[d] are there,
    that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.