Proverbs 9

Wisdom versus Foolishness

9Wisdom has built her house; ^g

she has carved out her seven pillars.

²She has prepared her meat; ^hshe has mixed her wine; ⁱ

she has also set her table. ^j

³She has sent out her female servants; ^k

she calls out from the highest points of the city: ^l

⁴“Whoever is inexperienced, enter here!”

To the one who lacks sense, ^mshe says,

⁵“Come, eat my bread, ⁿ

and drink the wine I have mixed.

⁶Leave inexperience behind, and you will live;

pursue the way of understanding.

⁷The one who corrects a mocker

will bring dishonor on himself;

the one who rebukes a wicked man will get hurt. ^o

⁸Don’t rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you; ^p

rebuke a wise man, and he will love you. ^q

⁹Instruct a wise man, and he will be wiser still;

teach a righteous man, and he will learn more. ^r

¹⁰“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, ^s

and the knowledge of the Holy One ^tis understanding.

¹¹For by Wisdom your days will be many,

and years will be added to your life.

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

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

¹³The woman Folly is rowdy; ^v

she is gullible and knows nothing. ^w

¹⁴She sits by the doorway of her house,

on a seat at the highest point of the city,

¹⁵calling to those who pass by,

who go straight ahead on their paths: ^x

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!” ^y

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

that her guests are in the depths of Sheol. ^a