Wisdom’s Invitation
1Wisdom has built her house,
She has hewn out her seven pillars;
2She has prepared her food, she has mixed her wine;
She has also set her table;
3She has sent out her maidens, she calls
From the tops of the heights of the city:
4“Whoever is naive, let him turn in here!”
To him who lacks understanding she says,
5“Come, eat of my food
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
6Forsake your folly and live,
And proceed in the way of understanding.”
7He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself,
And he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself.
8Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you,
Reprove a wise man and he will love you.
9Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser,
Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.
10The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11For by me your days will be multiplied,
And years of life will be added to you.
12If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,
And if you scoff, you alone will bear it.
13The woman of folly is boisterous,
She is naive and knows nothing.
14She sits at the doorway of her house,
On a seat by the high places of the city,
15Calling to those who pass by,
Who are making their paths straight:
16“Whoever is naive, let him turn in here,”
And to him who lacks understanding she says,
17“Stolen water is sweet;
And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18But he does not know that the dead are there,
That her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
Contrast of the Righteous and the Wicked
1The proverbs of Solomon.
A wise son makes a father glad,
But a foolish son is a grief to his mother.
2Ill-gotten gains do not profit,
But righteousness delivers from death.
3The Lord will not allow the righteous to hunger,
But He will reject the craving of the wicked.
4Poor is he who works with a negligent hand,
But the hand of the diligent makes rich.
5He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely,
But he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully.
6Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
7The memory of the righteous is blessed,
But the name of the wicked will rot.
8The wise of heart will receive commands,
But a babbling fool will be ruined.
9He who walks in integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will be found out.
10He who winks the eye causes trouble,
And a babbling fool will be ruined.
11The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
12Hatred stirs up strife,
But love covers all transgressions.
13On the lips of the discerning, wisdom is found,
But a rod is for the back of him who lacks understanding.
14Wise men store up knowledge,
But with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand.
15The rich man’s wealth is his fortress,
The ruin of the poor is their poverty.
16The wages of the righteous is life,
The income of the wicked, punishment.
17He is on the path of life who heeds instruction,
But he who ignores reproof goes astray.
18He who conceals hatred has lying lips,
And he who spreads slander is a fool.
19When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable,
But he who restrains his lips is wise.
20The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver,
The heart of the wicked is worth little.
21The lips of the righteous feed many,
But fools die for lack of understanding.
22It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich,
And He adds no sorrow to it.
23Doing wickedness is like sport to a fool,
And so is wisdom to a man of understanding.
24What the wicked fears will come upon him,
But the desire of the righteous will be granted.
25When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more,
But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.
26Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
So is the lazy one to those who send him.
27The fear of the Lord prolongs life,
But the years of the wicked will be shortened.
28The hope of the righteous is gladness,
But the expectation of the wicked perishes.
29The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the upright,
But ruin to the workers of iniquity.
30The righteous will never be shaken,
But the wicked will not dwell in the land.
31The mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom,
But the perverted tongue will be cut out.
32The lips of the righteous bring forth what is acceptable,
But the mouth of the wicked what is perverted.
Contrast the Upright and the Wicked
1A false balance is an abomination to the Lord,
But a just weight is His delight.
2When pride comes, then comes dishonor,
But with the humble is wisdom.
3The integrity of the upright will guide them,
But the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them.
4Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,
But righteousness delivers from death.
5The righteousness of the blameless will smooth his way,
But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.
6The righteousness of the upright will deliver them,
But the treacherous will be caught by their own greed.
7When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish,
And the hope of strong men perishes.
8The righteous is delivered from trouble,
But the wicked takes his place.
9With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor,
But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.
10When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices,
And when the wicked perish, there is joyful shouting.
11By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
But by the mouth of the wicked it is torn down.
12He who despises his neighbor lacks sense,
But a man of understanding keeps silent.
13He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets,
But he who is trustworthy conceals a matter.
14Where there is no guidance the people fall,
But in abundance of counselors there is victory.
15He who is guarantor for a stranger will surely suffer for it,
But he who hates being a guarantor is secure.
16A gracious woman attains honor,
And ruthless men attain riches.
17The merciful man does himself good,
But the cruel man does himself harm.
18The wicked earns deceptive wages,
But he who sows righteousness gets a true reward.
19He who is steadfast in righteousness will attain to life,
And he who pursues evil will bring about his own death.
20The perverse in heart are an abomination to the Lord,
But the blameless in their walk are His delight.
21Assuredly, the evil man will not go unpunished,
But the descendants of the righteous will be delivered.
22As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout
So is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.
23The desire of the righteous is only good,
But the expectation of the wicked is wrath.
24There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more,
And there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want.
25The generous man will be prosperous,
And he who waters will himself be watered.
26He who withholds grain, the people will curse him,
But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.
27He who diligently seeks good seeks favor,
But he who seeks evil, evil will come to him.
28He who trusts in his riches will fall,
But the righteous will flourish like the green leaf.
29He who troubles his own house will inherit wind,
And the foolish will be servant to the wisehearted.
30The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
And he who is wise wins souls.
31If the righteous will be rewarded in the earth,
How much more the wicked and the sinner!