Proverbs 9:1-18
9 True wisdom+ has built its house;+ it has hewn out its seven pillars.
2 It has organized its meat slaughtering;* it has mixed its wine; more than that, it has set in order its table.+
3 It has sent forth its lady attendants, that it may call out on top of the heights of the town:
4 “Whoever is inexperienced, let him turn aside here.”+ Whoever is in want of heart*+—she has said to him:
5 “Come, feed yourselves with my bread and share in drinking the wine that I have mixed.+
6 Leave the inexperienced ones and keep living,+ and walk straight in the way of understanding.”+
7 He that is correcting the ridiculer is taking to himself dishonor,+ and he that is giving a reproof to someone wicked—a defect in him.+
8 Do not reprove a ridiculer, that he may not hate you.+ Give a reproof to a wise person and he will love you.+
9 Give to a wise person and he will become still wiser.+ Impart knowledge to someone righteous and he will increase in learning.
10 The fear of Jehovah is the start of wisdom,+ and the knowledge of the Most Holy One* is what understanding is.+
11 For by me your days will become many,+ and to you years of life will be added.+
12 If you have become wise, you have become wise in your own behalf;+ and if you have ridiculed, you will bear [it], just you alone.+
13 A woman of stupidity is boisterous.+ She is simplemindedness itself and has come to know nothing whatever.+
14 And she has seated herself at the entrance of her house, upon a seat, [in] the high places of the town,+
15 to call out to those passing along the way, those who are going straight ahead on their paths:+
16 “Whoever is inexperienced, let him turn aside here.”+ And whoever is in want of heart*+—she has also said to him:
17 “Stolen waters themselves are sweet,+ and bread [eaten] in secrecy—it is pleasant.”+
18 But he has not come to know that those impotent in death* are there, that those called in by her are in the low places of Sheʹol.*+
Footnotes
^ Lit., “She slaughtered her slaughtering.”
^ Or, “Whoever is lacking good motive.” Heb., chasar-levʹ.
^ “Most Holy One.” Lit., “the holy ones.” Heb., Qedho·shimʹ, pl. of qa·dhohshʹ, to denote excellence and referring to “Jehovah.” See GK, § 124 h.
^ Or, “And whoever is lacking good motive.” Heb., wa·chasar-levʹ.
^ “Those impotent in death.” Heb., repha·ʼimʹ; TSyVg(Lat., gi·ganʹtes), “the giants”; LXX, “the earthborn ones.” Compare 2:18 ftn.
^ “Sheol.” Heb., sheʼohlʹ; Gr., haiʹdou; Lat., in·ferʹni.
