Wisdom Gives a Feast
1 Wisdom has built her house
with its seven columns.
2 She has prepared the meat
and set out the wine.
Her feast is ready.
3 She has sent her servant women
to announce her invitation
from the highest hills:
4 “Everyone who is ignorant
or foolish is invited!
5 All of you are welcome
to my meat and wine.
6 If you want to live,
give up your foolishness
and let understanding
guide your steps.”
True Wisdom
7 Correct a worthless bragger,
and all you will get
are insults and injuries.
8 Any bragger you correct
will only hate you.
But if you correct someone
who has common sense,
you will be loved.
9 If you have good sense,
instruction will help you
to have even better sense.
And if you live right,
education will help you
to know even more.
10 Respect and obey the Lord!
This is the beginning
of wisdom.
To have understanding,
you must know the Holy God.
11 I am Wisdom. If you follow me,
you will live a long time.
12 Good sense is good for you,
but if you brag,
you hurt yourself.
A Foolish Invitation
13 Stupidity is reckless,
senseless, and foolish.
14 She sits in front of her house
and on the highest hills
in the town.
15 She shouts to everyone
who passes by,
16 “If you are stupid,
come on inside!”
And to every fool she says,
17 “Stolen water tastes best,
and the food you eat in secret
tastes best of all.”
18 None who listen to Stupidity
understand that her guests
are as good as dead.
1 Wisedome hath built her house, and hewen out her seuen pillars. 2 She hath killed her vitailes, drawen her wine, and prepared her table. 3 She hath sent forth her maydens and cryeth vpon the highest places of the citie, saying, 4 Who so is simple, let him come hither, and to him that is destitute of wisedome, she sayth, 5 Come, and eate of my meate, and drinke of the wine that I haue drawen. 6 Forsake your way, ye foolish, and ye shall liue: and walke in the way of vnderstanding. 7 He that reproueth a scorner, purchaseth to himselfe shame: and he that rebuketh the wicked, getteth himselfe a blot. 8 Rebuke not a scorner, least he hate thee: but rebuke a wise man, and he will loue thee. 9 Giue admonition to the wise, and he will be the wiser: teache a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. 10 The beginning of wisedome is the feare of the Lord, and the knowledge of holy things, is vnderstanding. 11 For thy dayes shalbe multiplied by me, and the yeeres of thy life shalbe augmented. 12 If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thy selfe, and if thou be a scorner, thou alone shalt suffer. 13 A foolish woman is troublesome: she is ignorant, and knoweth nothing. 14 But she sitteth at the doore of her house on a seate in the hie places of the citie, 15 To call them that passe by the way, that go right on their way, saying, 16 Who so is simple, let him come hither, and to him that is destitute of wisedome, shee sayth also, 17 Stollen waters are sweete, and hid bread is pleasant. 18 But he knoweth not, that ye dead are there, and that her ghestes are in the depth of hell.