Proverbs 9:16–17
The NET BibleOther versions
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9:16“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here,”
she says to those who lack understanding.42
9:17“Stolen waters43 are sweet,
and food obtained in secret44 is pleasant!”
Footnotes
- 42 This expression is almost identical to v. 4, with the exception of the addition of conjunctions in the second colon: “and the lacking of understanding and she says to him.” The parallel is deliberate, of course, showing the competing appeals for those passing by.
- 43 The offer is not wine and meat (which represented wisdom), but water that is stolen. The “water” will seem sweeter than wine because it is stolen—the idea of getting away with something exciting appeals to the baser instincts. In Proverbs the water imagery was introduced earlier in 5:15–19 as sexual activity with the adulteress, which would seem at the moment more enjoyable than learning wisdom. Likewise bread will be drawn into this analogy in 30:20. So the “calling out” is similar to that of wisdom, but what is being offered is very different.
- 44 Heb “bread of secrecies.” It could mean “bread [eaten in] secret places,” a genitive of location; or it could mean “bread [gained through] secrets,” a genitive of source, the secrecies being metonymical for theft. The latter makes a better parallelism in this verse, for bread (= sexually immoral behavior) gained secretly would be like stolen water.
The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press
In other versions
ESVEnglish Standard Version
“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
And to him who lacks sense she says,
“Stolen water is sweet,
and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles
NIVNew International Version (2011)
“Let all who are simple come to my house!”
To those who have no sense she says,
“Stolen water is sweet;
food eaten in secret is delicious!”
Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.
CSBChristian Standard Bible
“Whoever is inexperienced, enter here!”
To the one who lacks sense, she says,
“Stolen water is sweet,
and bread eaten secretly is tasty!”
Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
NLTNew Living Translation
“Come in with me,” she urges the simple.
To those who lack good judgment, she says,
“Stolen water is refreshing;
food eaten in secret tastes the best!”
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.
LEBThe Lexham English Bible
“Whoever is simple, may he turn here!”
As for he who lacks sense, she says to him,
“Stolen waters are sweet,
and bread of secrecy is pleasant.”
Copyright 2012 Lexham Press
KJV 1900King James Version
Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither:
And as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,
Stolen waters are sweet,
And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.
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