Proverbs 9

Wisdom’s Invitation

1 Wisdom has ^abuilt her house,
She has carved out her seven pillars;
2 She has ▼

▼Lit slaughtered her slaughter

, ^cprepared her food, she has ^dmixed her wine;
She has also ^eset her table;
3 She has ^fsent out her attendants, she ^gcalls out
From the ^htops of the heights of the city:
4 “ ⁱWhoever is naive, let him turn in here!”
To him who ^jlacks ▼

▼Lit heart

understanding she says,
5 “Come, ^leat of my food
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 “ ▼

▼Or Abandon the naive

Abandon your foolishness and ⁿlive,
And ^oproceed in the way of understanding.”

7 One who ^pcorrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself,
And one who rebukes a wicked person gets ▼

▼Lit a blemish

insults for himself.
8 ^rDo not rebuke a scoffer, or he will hate you;
^sRebuke a wise person and he will love you.
9 Give instruction to a wise person and he will become still wiser;
Teach a righteous person and he will ^tincrease his insight.
10 The ^ufear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For ^vby me your days will be multiplied,
And years of life will be added to you.
12 If you are wise, you are wise ^wfor yourself,
And if you ^xscoff, you alone will ▼

▼Lit bear

suffer from it.

13 ▼

▼Or A foolish woman

A woman of foolishness is ^aaboisterous,
She has a lack of understanding and ^abknows nothing.
14 She sits at the doorway of her house,
On a seat by ^acthe high places of the city,
15 Calling to those who pass by,
Who are going straight on their paths:
16 “ ^adWhoever is naive, let him turn in here,”
And to him who lacks ▼

▼Lit heart

understanding she says,
17 “Stolen water is sweet;
And ^afbread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know that the ▼

▼Lit departed spirits

dead are there,
That her guests are in the ^ahdepths of Sheol.