Wisdom and Foolishness Call Out
Wisdom has abuilt her house,
She has hewn out her seven pillars;
2 She has aslaughtered her cattle, she has bmixed her wine;
She has also cprepared her table;
3 She has asent out her maidens, she bcalls
From the ctops of the heights of the city:
4 “aWhoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
To him who blacks a heart of wisdom she says,
5 “Come, aeat of my bread
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 Forsake your simplicity and alive,
And bstep into the way of understanding.”
7 He who adisciplines a scoffer receives disgrace for himself,
And he who reproves a wicked man receives injury for himself.
8 aDo not reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you,
bReprove a wise man and he will love you.
9 Give knowledge to a wise man and he will be still wiser,
Make a righteous man know it and he will aincrease his learning.
10 The afear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For aby me your days will become many,
And years of life will be added to you.
12 If you are wise, you are wise afor yourself,
And if you bscoff, you alone will bear it.
13 The woman of foolishness is aboisterous,
A woman of simplicity, and bdoes not know anything.
14 She sits at the doorway of her house,
On a seat by athe high places of the city,
15 To call to those who pass by that way,
Who are making their paths straight:
16 “aWhoever is simple, let him turn in here,”
And to him who lacks a heart of wisdom she says,
17 “Stolen water is sweet;
And abread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know that the dead are there,
That those she called are in the adepths of Sheol.