The Way of Wisdom

¹vWisdom has built her house;

she has hewn her wseven xpillars.

²She has yslaughtered her beasts; she has zmixed her wine;

she has also aset her table.

³She has bsent out her young women to ccall

from dthe highest places in the town,

⁴e“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”

fTo him who lacks sense she says,

⁵“Come, geat of my bread

and hdrink of zthe wine I have mixed.

⁶Leave iyour simple ways,1 and jlive,

kand walk in the way of insight.”

⁷Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,

and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.

⁸lDo not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;

mreprove a wise man, and he will love you.

⁹Give instruction2 to a wise man, and he will be nstill wiser;

teach a righteous man, and he will oincrease in learning.

¹⁰pThe fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,

and qthe knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

¹¹For by me ryour days will be multiplied,

and years will be added to your life.

¹²sIf you are wise, you are wise for yourself;

if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

The Way of Folly

¹³tThe woman Folly is uloud;

she is seductive3 and vknows nothing.

¹⁴She sits at the door of her house;

she takes a seat on wthe highest places of the town,

¹⁵calling to those who pass by,

who are xgoing straight on their way,

¹⁶y“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”

And to him who lacks sense she says,

¹⁷z“Stolen water is sweet,

and abread eaten in secret is pleasant.”

¹⁸But he does not know bthat the dead4 are there,

that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.