Wisdom’s Invitation
9 Wisdom has (A)built her house,
She has hewn 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 maidens, she (F)calls
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 “Forsake your folly and (K)live,
And (L)proceed in the way of understanding.”
7 He who (M)corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself,
And he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself.
8 (N)Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you,
(O)Reprove a wise man and he will love you.
9 Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser,
Teach a righteous man and he will (P)increase his learning.
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 bear it.
13 The woman of folly is (U)boisterous,
She is naive 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 making their paths straight:
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 9:4
- Proverbs 9:6
- Proverbs 9:7
- Proverbs 9:13
- Proverbs 9:13
- Proverbs 9:16
- 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
