(A)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
    fools despise wisdom and instruction.

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The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
    fools despise wisdom and instruction.(A)

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22 “How long, O (A)simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will (B)scoffers delight in their scoffing
    and fools (C)hate knowledge?

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22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
    and fools hate knowledge?(A)

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32 For the simple are killed by (A)their turning away,
    and (B)the complacency of fools destroys them;

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32 For waywardness kills the simple,
    and the complacency of fools destroys them;(A)

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O (A)simple ones, learn (B)prudence;
    O (C)fools, learn sense.

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O simple ones, learn prudence;
    acquire intelligence, you who lack it.(A)

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The Way of Folly

13 (A)The woman Folly is (B)loud;
    she is seductive[a] and (C)knows nothing.
14 She sits at the door of her house;
    she takes a seat on (D)the highest places of the town,
15 calling to those who pass by,
    who are (E)going straight on their way,
16 (F)“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
    And to him who lacks sense she says,
17 (G)“Stolen water is sweet,
    and (H)bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know (I)that the dead[b] are there,
    that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 9:13 Or full of simpleness
  2. Proverbs 9:18 Hebrew Rephaim

Folly’s Invitation and Promise

13 The foolish woman is loud;
    she is ignorant and knows nothing.(A)
14 She sits at the door of her house,
    on a seat at the high places of the town,
15 calling to those who pass by,
    who are going straight on their way,
16 “You who are simple, turn in here!”
    And to those without sense she says,
17 “Stolen water is sweet,
    and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”(B)
18 But they do not know that the dead[a] are there,
    that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. 9.18 Heb shades

(A)The wise of heart will receive commandments,
    but a babbling fool will come to ruin.

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The wise of heart will heed commandments,
    but one with foolish lips will come to ruin.(A)

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18 The one who conceals hatred has lying lips,
    and whoever utters slander is a fool.

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18 Lying lips conceal hatred,
    and whoever utters slander is a fool.

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23 Doing wrong is (A)like a joke to a fool,
    but (B)wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding.

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23 Doing wrong is like sport to a fool,
    but wise conduct is pleasure to a person of understanding.(A)

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29 Whoever (A)troubles his own household will (B)inherit the wind,
    and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.

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29 Those who trouble their households will inherit wind,
    and the fool will be servant to the wise.

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15 (A)The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
    but a wise man listens to advice.
16 (B)The vexation of a fool is known at once,
    but the prudent ignores an insult.

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15 Fools think their own way is right,
    but the wise listen to advice.(A)
16 Fools show their anger at once,
    but the prudent ignore an insult.(B)

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23 (A)A prudent man conceals knowledge,
    (B)but the heart of fools proclaims folly.

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23 One who is clever conceals knowledge,
    but the mind of a fool[a] broadcasts folly.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 12.23 Heb the heart of fools

16 (A)Every prudent man acts with knowledge,
    (B)but a fool flaunts his folly.

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16 The clever do all things intelligently,
    but the fool displays folly.(A)

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