Wisdom’s Invitation
9 Wisdom has (A)built her house,
She has carved out her seven pillars;
2 She has (B)prepared her food, she has (C)mixed her wine;
She has also (D)set her table;
3 She has (E)sent out her attendants, she (F)calls out
From the (G)tops of the heights of the city:
4 “(H)Whoever is naive, let him turn in here!”
To him who (I)lacks understanding she says,
5 “Come, (J)eat of my food
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 Abandon your foolishness and (K)live,
And (L)proceed in the way of understanding.”
7 One who (M)corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself,
And one who rebukes a wicked person gets insults for himself.
8 (N)Do not rebuke a scoffer, or he will hate you;
(O)Rebuke 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 (P)increase his insight.
10 The (Q)fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For (R)by me your days will be multiplied,
And years of life will be added to you.
12 If you are wise, you are wise (S)for yourself,
And if you (T)scoff, you alone will suffer from it.
13 A woman of foolishness is (U)boisterous,
She has a lack of understanding and (V)knows nothing.
14 She sits at the doorway of her house,
On a seat by (W)the high places of the city,
15 Calling to those who pass by,
Who are going straight on their paths:
16 “(X)Whoever is naive, let him turn in here,”
And to him who lacks understanding she says,
17 “Stolen water is sweet;
And (Y)bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know that the dead are there,
That her guests are in the (Z)depths of Sheol.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 9:2
- Proverbs 9:4
- Proverbs 9:6
- Proverbs 9:7
- Proverbs 9:12
- Proverbs 9:13
- Proverbs 9:16
- Proverbs 9:18
Cross references
- Proverbs 9:1 : 1 Cor 3:9, 10; Eph 2:20-22; 1 Pet 2:5
- Proverbs 9:2 : Matt 22:4
- Proverbs 9:2 : Song 8:2
- Proverbs 9:2 : Luke 14:16, 17
- Proverbs 9:3 : Ps 68:11; Matt 22:3
- Proverbs 9:3 : Prov 8:1, 2
- Proverbs 9:3 : Prov 9:14
- Proverbs 9:4 : Prov 8:5; 9:16
- Proverbs 9:4 : Prov 6:32
- Proverbs 9:5 : Song 5:1; Is 55:1; John 6:27
- Proverbs 9:6 : Prov 8:35; 9:11
- Proverbs 9:6 : Ezek 11:20; 37:24
- Proverbs 9:7 : Prov 23:9
- Proverbs 9:8 : Prov 15:12; Matt 7:6
- Proverbs 9:8 : Ps 141:5; Prov 10:8
- Proverbs 9:9 : Prov 1:5
- Proverbs 9:10 : Job 28:28; Ps 111:10; Prov 1:7
- Proverbs 9:11 : Prov 3:16; 10:27
- Proverbs 9:12 : Job 22:2; Prov 14:14
- Proverbs 9:12 : Prov 19:29
- Proverbs 9:13 : Prov 7:11
- Proverbs 9:13 : Prov 5:6
- Proverbs 9:14 : Prov 9:3
- Proverbs 9:16 : Prov 9:4
- Proverbs 9:17 : Prov 20:17
- Proverbs 9:18 : Prov 7:27
