Chronological
The Woman of Adultery
7 My son, ·remember what I say [guard my speech], and ·treasure [store/hide in you] my commands.
2 ·Obey [Guard] my commands, and you will live.
Guard my ·teachings [instructions] ·as you would your own [L like the apple of your] eyes.
3 ·Remind yourself of them [L Bind them on your fingers];
write them on your heart as if on a tablet.
4 ·Treat wisdom as a sister [L Say to Wisdom, “You are my sister”; 1:20–33; 8:1—9:6],
and ·make understanding your closest friend [L call Understanding “Friend”].
5 ·Wisdom and understanding [L She] will ·keep you away [guard you] from ·adultery [L the strange woman],
away from the ·unfaithful wife [L foreign woman] and her ·pleasing [flattering] words.
6 Once while I was at the window of my house
I looked out through the ·shutters [lattice; curtains]
7 and saw some ·foolish [simpleminded; immature; naive], young men.
I noticed one of them ·had no wisdom [had no sense; L lacked heart].
8 He was ·walking down [crossing] the street near the corner
on the road leading to her house.
9 It was the twilight of the evening;
the darkness of the night was just beginning.
10 Then the woman ·approached [or propositioned] him,
dressed like a prostitute
and ·planning to trick him [L with a guarded heart].
11 She was ·loud [boisterous; noisy] and ·stubborn [defiant]
and ·never stayed at [L her feet do not rest in her own] home.
12 ·She was always out [L A foot] in the streets ·or in [L a foot in] the city squares,
·waiting around [lurking] on the corners of the streets.
13 She grabbed him and kissed him.
·Without shame [L Her face was brazen as] she said to him,
14 “I made my fellowship offering [Lev. 3; 7:11–21; C the offerer ate the meat of the offering].
Today I have ·kept [paid back] my ·special promises [vows].
15 So I have come out to meet you;
I have been ·looking for you [L seeking your face] and have found you.
16 I have ·covered [ornamented] my bed
with colored sheets from Egypt.
17 I have ·made my bed smell sweet [L sprinkled my bed]
with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let’s ·make [be intoxicated with] love until morning.
Let’s ·enjoy each other’s [rejoice in] love.
19 My husband is not home;
he has gone on a ·long [faraway] trip.
20 He took a ·lot of money with him [L pouch of money in his hand]
and won’t be home ·for weeks [L until the new moon].”
21 By her clever words she ·made him give in [seduces him];
by ·her pleasing words [L the flattery of her lips] she ·led him into doing wrong [persuades/compels him].
22 All at once he followed her,
like an ox led to the ·butcher [slaughter],
like a ·deer caught in a trap [or fool to the stocks]
23 ·and shot through the liver with an arrow [until an arrow pierces his liver].
Like a bird ·caught in [L hurrying to] a trap,
he didn’t know ·what he did would kill him [it would cost him his life].
24 Now, my sons, listen to me;
pay attention to ·what I say [L the speech of my mouth].
25 Don’t ·let yourself be tricked by such a woman [L turn your heart to her paths];
don’t ·go where she leads you [wander onto her paths].
26 She has ·ruined many good men [L caused many corpses to fall],
and many ·have died because of her [are those she has killed].
27 Her house is on the ·road [path] to ·death [L Sheol; C the grave or the underworld],
·the road that leads down to the grave [L going down to the chambers of death].
Listen to Wisdom
8 ·Wisdom calls to you like someone shouting [L Does not Wisdom call out?];
·understanding raises [Does not Understanding raise…?] her voice.
2 On the ·hilltops [L top of the high places] along the road
and at the crossroads, she ·stands calling [takes her stand].
3 Beside the city gates,
at the entrances into the city, she calls out:
4 “Listen, ·everyone [men], I’m calling out to you;
·I am shouting [my voice goes out] to all ·people [L the sons of humanity].
5 You who are ·uneducated [simpleminded; immature; naive], ·seek wisdom [understand prudence].
You who are foolish, ·get understanding [L take this to heart].
6 Listen, because I have ·important [noble] things to say,
and what I tell you is ·right [virtuous].
7 ·What I say is true [L My mouth utters the truth],
·I refuse to speak evil [L my lips despise wickedness].
8 ·Everything I say is honest [L All the speeches of my mouth are righteous];
nothing I say is ·crooked [twisted] or ·false [perverse].
9 People ·with good sense [who understand] know what I say is ·true [straightforward];
and those ·with [L who seek] knowledge know my words are ·right [virtuous].
10 ·Choose [Take] my ·teachings [instructions; discipline] instead of silver,
and knowledge rather than ·the finest [choice] gold.
11 Wisdom is more precious than ·rubies [or pearls].
Nothing ·you could want is equal to [is more delightful than] it.
12 “I am Wisdom, and I ·have good judgment [dwell with prudence].
I also have knowledge and ·good sense [discretion].
13 ·If you respect the Lord, you will also [L Those who fear/have awe for the Lord] hate evil.
I hate pride and ·bragging [arrogance],
·evil ways [L the path of evil] and ·lies [L a perverse mouth].
14 I have advice and ·good sense [resourcefulness; ability],
and I have understanding and ·power [strength].
15 ·I help kings to govern [L By me kings reign]
and ·rulers [princes] ·to make fair laws [issue just decrees].
16 ·Princes use me to lead [L By me rulers rule],
and ·so do all important people who [nobles] judge fairly [Deut. 34:9; 1 Kin. 3:1–15; Ezra 7:25; Col. 1:16].
17 I love those who love me,
and those who seek me find me.
18 Riches and honor are mine to give.
So are lasting wealth and ·success [or righteousness].
19 What I give is better than gold, even the finest gold,
my ·results [yield] better than the purest silver.
20 I ·do what is right [L walk on the way of righteousness]
·and follow [L in the midst of] the path of justice.
21 I ·give wealth to those who love me [L cause those who love me to inherit substance],
filling their houses with treasures.
22 “The Lord ·begot [or acquired; possessed] me ·when he began his work [L at the beginning of his path],
long before he made anything else.
23 I was ·created [formed; woven; or appointed] in the very beginning,
even before the world began.
24 I was ·born [brought forth] ·before there were oceans [L when there were no deeps],
or springs ·overflowing [heavy] with water,
25 before the hills were ·there [L settled],
before the mountains I was ·born [brought forth].
26 God had not made the earth or ·fields [open country],
not even the first ·dust [mud clods; soil] of the earth.
27 I was there when God ·put the skies in place [established the heavens],
when he ·stretched [decreed] the horizon over the ·oceans [deep],
28 when he ·made [thickened; strengthened] the clouds above
and put the deep underground springs in place.
29 I was there when he ·ordered [decreed] the sea
not to go beyond the borders he had set.
I was there when he ·laid [decreed] the earth’s foundation.
30 I was like a ·child [nursling; or craftsman; architect] by his side.
I was ·delighted [playing] every day,
·enjoying [laughing in] his presence all the time,
31 ·enjoying [laughing with the inhabitants of] the whole world,
and ·delighted [playing] with all its people [John 1:1–3; Col. 1:15; C Jesus is associated with personified Wisdom in that both were present with God during creation].
32 “Now, my ·children [L sons], listen to me,
because those who ·follow my ways [guard my path] are happy.
33 Listen to my ·teaching [instruction], and you will be wise;
do not ·ignore [avoid] it.
34 Happy are those who listen to me,
watching at my door every day,
·waiting at my open doorway [L guarding my doorposts].
35 Those who find me find life,
and ·the Lord will be pleased with them [they gain favor from the Lord].
36 Those who ·do not find [miss; or offend] me hurt themselves.
Those who hate me love death.”
Being Wise or Foolish
9 Wisdom has built her house;
she has made its seven ·columns [pillars; C a large house].
2 She has ·prepared her food [L slaughtered her slaughter] and prepared [mixed] her wine;
she has set her table.
3 She has sent out her servant girls,
and she calls out from the highest place in the city [C the location of the Temple, indicating she symbolizes God].
4 She says to those who are ·uneducated [naive; immature; simpleminded],
“·Come in [Turn aside] here, you ·foolish people [who lack sense]!
5 Come and eat my food
and drink the wine I have ·prepared [mixed].
6 Stop your ·foolish [naive; immature; simpleminded] ways, and you will live;
take the road of understanding.
7 “If you ·correct [instruct; discipline] ·someone who makes fun of wisdom [a mocker], you will be insulted.
If you correct an evil person, you will ·get hurt [L be blemished].
8 Do not correct ·those who make fun of wisdom [mockers], or they will hate you.
But correct the wise, and they will love you.
9 ·Teach [L Give to] the wise, and they will become even wiser;
·teach [inform] ·good people [the righteous], and they will ·learn even more [L add to their learning].
10 “Wisdom begins with ·respect [fear; awe] for the Lord,
and understanding begins with knowing the Holy One.
11 ·If you live wisely [L Through/By me], you will live a long time;
wisdom will add years to your life.
12 The wise person is rewarded by wisdom,
but ·whoever makes fun of wisdom will suffer for it [L mockers will bear it alone].”
13 ·Foolishness is like a loud woman [Woman Folly is boisterous/noisy];
she ·does not have wisdom or knowledge [L is ignorant and does not even know it].
14 She sits at the door of her house
at the highest place in the city [9:3; C her house is built on the highest point of the city, indicating she symbolizes false gods].
15 She ·calls out to [invites] those who are passing by,
who are going along, minding their own business.
16 She says to those who ·are uneducated [lack sense/heart],
“·Come in [Turn aside] here, you ·foolish [naive; immature; simpleminded] people!
17 Stolen water is sweeter,
and food eaten in secret tastes better.”
18 But these people don’t know that ·everyone who goes there dies [the dead/departed/shades are there],
that her guests ·end up deep in the grave [L are in the depths of Sheol].
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