Pro 9 | HCSB | STEP | Wisdom has built her house ; she has carved out her seven pillars .

Proverbs 9

Wisdom versus Foolishness

1 Wisdom has built her house; ^a
she has carved out her seven pillars.
2 She has prepared her meat; ^b she has mixed her wine; ^c
she has also set her table. ^d
3 She has sent out her female servants; ^e
she calls out from the highest points of the city: ^f
4 “Whoever is inexperienced, enter here!”
To the one who lacks sense, ^g she says,
5 “Come, eat my bread, ^h
and drink the wine I have mixed.
6 Leave inexperience behind, and you will live;
pursue the way of understanding.
7 The one who corrects a mocker
will bring dishonor on himself;
the one who rebukes a wicked man will get hurt. ^{▼▼Lit man his blemish}
8 Don’t rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you; ^j
rebuke a wise man, and he will love you. ^k
9 Instruct a wise man, and he will be wiser still;
teach a righteous man, and he will learn more. ^l

10 “The ^{▼▼fear(s) God or the Lord/ the fear of the Lord: No single English word conveys every aspect of the word fear in this phrase. The meaning includes worshipful submission, reverential awe, and obedient respect to the covenant-keeping God of Israel.}fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, ⁿ
and the knowledge of the Holy One ^o is understanding.
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; ^p
if you mock, you alone will bear the consequences.”
13 The woman Folly is rowdy; ^q
she is gullible and knows nothing. ^r
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: ^s
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!” ^t
18 But he doesn’t know that the departed spirits are there, ^u
that her guests are in the depths of ^{▼▼Sheol: A Hebrew word for either the grave or the realm of the dead}Sheol. ^w