Proverbs 9:11–18

11 For through wisdom your days will be many,

and years will be added to your life.

12 If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you;

if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer.

13 Folly is an unruly woman;

she is simple and knows nothing.

14 She sits at the door of her house,

on a seat at the highest point of the city,

15 calling out to those who pass by,

who go straight on their way,

16 “Let all who are simple come to my house!”

To those who have no sense she says,

17 “Stolen water is sweet;

food eaten in secret is delicious!”

18 But little do they know that the dead are there,

that her guests are deep in the realm of the dead.

11 For by me thy days shall be multiplied,

And the years of thy life shall be increased.

12 If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself:

But if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.

13 A foolish woman is clamorous:

She is simple, and knoweth nothing.

14 For she sitteth at the door of her house,

On a seat in the high places of the city,

15 To call passengers

Who go right on their ways:

16 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither:

And as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,

17 Stolen waters are sweet,

And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.

18 But he knoweth not that the dead are there;

And that her guests are in the depths of hell.

11 Wisdom will multiply your days

and add years to your life.

12 If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit.

If you scorn wisdom, you will be the one to suffer.

13 The woman named Folly is brash.

She is ignorant and doesn’t know it.

14 She sits in her doorway

on the heights overlooking the city.

15 She calls out to men going by

who are minding their own business.

16 “Come in with me,” she urges the simple.

To those who lack good judgment, she says,

17 “Stolen water is refreshing;

food eaten in secret tastes the best!”

18 But little do they know that the dead are there.

Her guests are in the depths of the grave.

11 For by me your days will be multiplied,

And years of life will be added to you.

12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,

And if you scoff, you will bear it alone.”

13 A foolish woman is clamorous;

She is simple, and knows nothing.

14 For she sits at the door of her house,

On a seat by the highest places of the city,

15 To call to those who pass by,

Who go straight on their way:

16 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here”;

And as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,

17 “Stolen water is sweet,

And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”

18 But he does not know that the dead are there,

That her guests are in the depths of hell.

11 If you live wisely, 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.”

13 Foolishness is like a loud woman;

she does not have wisdom or knowledge.

14 She sits at the door of her house

at the highest place in the city.

15 She calls out to those who are passing by,

who are going along, minding their own business.

16 She says to those who are uneducated,

“Come in here, you foolish 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,

that her guests end up deep in the grave.

11 For by me thy days shall be multiplied,

And the years of thy life shall be increased.

12 If thou art wise, thou art wise for thyself;

And if thou scoffest, thou alone shalt bear it.

13 The foolish woman is clamorous;

She is simple, and knoweth nothing.

14 And she sitteth at the door of her house,

On a seat in the high places of the city,

15 To call to them that pass by,

Who go right on their ways:

16 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither;

And as for him that is void of understanding, she saith to him,

17 Stolen waters are sweet,

And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.

18 But he knoweth not that the dead are there;

That her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

11 For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and years of life shall be added to thee. 12 If thou art wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself; and if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.

13 The foolish woman is clamorous; she is stupid, and knoweth nothing. 14 And she sitteth at the entry of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city, 15 to call passers-by who go right on their ways: 16 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither. And to him that is void of understanding she saith, 17 Stolen waters are sweet, and the bread of secrecy is pleasant. 18 But he knoweth not that the dead are there; that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

11 You will live longer because of me, 

and years will be added to your life. 

12 If you are wise, your wisdom will help you. 

If you mock, you alone will be held responsible. 

13 The woman Stupidity is loud, gullible, and ignorant. 

14 She sits at the doorway of her house. 

She is enthroned on the high ground of the city 

15 and calls to those who pass by, 

those minding their own business, 

16 “Whoever is gullible turn in here!” 

She says to a person without sense, 

17 “Stolen waters are sweet, 

and food eaten in secret is tasty.” 

18 But he does not know 

that the souls of the dead are there, 

that her guests are in the depths of hell. 

11 For by Wisdom your days will be many,

and years will be added to your life.

12 If you are wise, you are wise for your own benefit;

if you mock, you alone will bear the consequences.”

13 The woman Folly is rowdy;

she is gullible and knows nothing.

14 She sits by the doorway of her house,

on a seat at the highest point of the city,

15 calling to those who pass by,

who go straight ahead on their paths:

16 “Whoever is inexperienced, enter here!”

To the one who lacks sense, she says,

17 “Stolen water is sweet,

and bread eaten secretly is tasty!”

18 But he doesn’t know that the departed spirits are there,

that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

11 For by me your days will be multiplied,

and years will be added to your life.

12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself;

if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

13 The foolish woman is loud;

she is ignorant and knows nothing.

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.”

18 But they do not know that the dead are there,

that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

11 For by me your days shall increase,

and years of life shall multiply for you.

12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,

and if you scoff, alone you shall bear it.

13 A woman of foolishness is loud,

simple, and does not know it.

14 She sits at the door of her house,

upon a throne at the high places of town,

15 in order to call to those who pass by the road,

those who go straight on their way:

16 “Whoever is simple, may he turn here!”

As for he who lacks sense, she says to him,

17 “Stolen waters are sweet,

and bread of secrecy is pleasant.”

18 But he does not know that the dead are there,

in the depths of Sheol are her guests.

11 Through me, you will live a long time.

Years will be added to your life.

12 If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you.

If you make fun of others, you alone will suffer.”

13 The woman called Foolishness is loud.

She doesn’t control herself. She doesn’t know anything.

14 She sits at the door of her house.

She sits at the highest point of the city.

15 She calls out to those who pass by.

She calls out to those who go straight on their way.

16 She says, “Let all who are childish come in here!”

She speaks to those who have no sense.

17 She says, “Stolen water is sweet.

Food eaten in secret tastes good!”

18 But they don’t know that dead people are there.

They don’t know that her guests are in the deepest parts of the grave.

11 For by me your days will be multiplied,

And years of life will be added to you.

12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,

And if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

13 The woman of folly is boisterous,

She is naive and knows nothing.

14 She sits at the doorway of her house,

On a seat by the high places of the city,

15 Calling to those who pass by,

Who are making their paths straight:

16 “Whoever is naive, let him turn in here,”

And to him who lacks understanding she says,

17 “Stolen water is sweet;

And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”

18 But he does not know that the dead are there,

That her guests are in the depths of Sheol.