Proverbs 9
1 Wisdom has built her own house; she has carved seven pillars out of rocks.
Wisdom has built her house, She has hewn out her pillars—seven.
2 She has slaughtered her animals; she has mixed her wine; and she has set her table.
She has slaughtered her slaughter, She has mingled her wine, Indeed, she has arranged her table.
3 She has sent out her maids; she calls out from the highest points of the city,
She has sent forth her girls, She cries on the tops of the high places of the city:
4 “Who is naive? Let him turn aside here!” To the one lacking good sense she speaks.
“Who [is] simple? Let him turn aside here.” Whoever lacks heart: she has said to him,
5 “Come, eat my food, and drink the wine I have mixed.
“Come, eat of my bread, And drink of the wine I have mingled.
6 Leave your naive actions and live; walk in the path of understanding.
Forsake the simple and live, And be blessed in the way of understanding.”
7 Whoever disciplines a mocker receives abuse, and whoever rebukes a wicked person receives insults.
The instructor of a scorner Is receiving for it—shame, And a reprover of the wicked—his blemish.
8 Do not reprove a mocker, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
Do not reprove a scorner, lest he hate you, Give reproof to the wise, and he loves you.
9 Give to a wise person, and he will become even wiser; teach a righteous person, and he will add to his learning.
Give to the wise, and he is wiser still, Make known to the righteous, And he increases learning.
10 The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
The commencement of wisdom [is] the fear of YHWH, And a knowledge of the Holy Ones [is] understanding.
11 For through me your days will be multiplied, and years of life will be added to you.
For by me your days multiply, And years of life are added to you.
12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself, and if you mock, you will carry it by yourself.”
If you have been wise, you have been wise for yourself, And you have scorned—you bear [it] alone.
13 The woman of foolishness is ignorant; she is untaught and knows nothing.
A foolish woman [is] noisy, Simple, and has not known what.
14 She sits at the door of her house, on a seat in the highest places of the town.
And she has sat at the opening of her house, On a throne—the high places of the city,
15 She is calling out to those who pass by in the streets, to people walking straight on their way.
To call to those passing by the way, Who are going straight [on] their paths.
16 “Let anyone who is naive turn aside here,” she says to those who have no sense.
“Who [is] simple? Let him turn aside here.” And whoever lacks heart—she said to him,
17 “Stolen waters are sweet, and bread of secrecy is delicious.”
“Stolen waters are sweet, And hidden bread is pleasant.”
