Proverbs 9
1 [It is as though] wisdom [is a woman who] has built a [big] house for herself, and has set up seven columns [to support the roof],
Wisdom hath builded her house; She hath hewn out her seven pillars.
2 and has slaughtered an animal [and cooked the meat], and has mixed [nice spices] in the wine, and has put [the food] on the table.
She hath killed her fatlings; She hath mingled her wine; Yea, she hath furnished her table.
3 [It is as though then] she sent out her servant women to call out from the highest place in the town,
She hath sent forth her maidens; She crieth aloud upon the highest places of the city:
4 “You people who need to understand more, come in!” And to those who are ignorant, [it is as though] she calls out,
“Whoever is simple, let him turn in hither!” To him that is void of understanding she saith,
5 “Come and eat the food that I [have prepared], and drink the [good] wine that I have mixed!
“Come, eat of my bread, And drink of the wine which I have mingled!
6 (Leave/Go away from) [other] foolish people, and [if you do that, you will continue to] live. Walk on the road that will enable you to (have knowledge/know what is true and what is not true).”
Forsake folly, and live! And go forward in the way of understanding!
7 If you rebuke someone who will not allow others to correct him, he will insult you. If you reprove/scold an evil man, he will hurt you.
“He who correcteth a scoffer Bringeth shame upon himself; And he who rebuketh the wicked Bringeth upon himself a stain.
8 Do not rebuke someone who will not allow others to (correct him/tell him what he has done is wrong), because he will hate you for doing that. [But] if you rebuke a wise person, he will respect you.
Rebuke not a scoffer, lest he hate thee; Rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.
9 If you give instruction to wise people, they will become wiser. And if you teach righteous people, they will learn more.
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser; Teach a righteous man, and he will increase his learning.
10 If you want to be wise, you must start by revering Yahweh, and if you know God, the Holy One, you will understand [which teachings are wise/true].
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Most Holy is understanding.
11 If you become wise, you will live many years [DOU].
Yea, through me thy days shall be multiplied, And the years of thy life shall be increased.
12 If you are wise, you are the one who will benefit from it; if you ridicule [becoming wise], you are the one who will suffer.
If thou art wise, thou art wise for thyself; And if thou art a scoffer, thou alone must bear it.”
13 Foolish women talk loudly; they are ignorant and are never ashamed [of the wrong things that they do].
The foolish woman is clamorous; She is very simple, and careth for nothing.
14 They sit at the doors of their houses [or] they sit on the top [of the hills] in the town,
She sitteth at the door of her house, Upon a seat in the high places of the city,
15 and they call out to the men who are passing by, who are trying to be concerned with their own affairs,
To call aloud to those that pass by, Who go straight forward in their ways,
16 “You people who need to understand more, come into [my house]!” And to those who are ignorant, they call out,
“Whoever is simple, let him turn in hither!” And to him that is void of understanding she saith,
17 “[Just as] water which you have stolen tastes very good and food that you eat by yourself tastes the best, [if you have sex secretly with someone to whom you are not married, you will enjoy it very much].”
“Stolen water is sweet, And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But men who go to those women’s houses do not know that those who have gone there are now dead; they have descended down into the deepest parts of the place where dead people are. (Sheol h7585)
But he considereth not that the dead are there, That in the vales of the under-world are her guests. (Sheol h7585)
