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Wisdom Gives a Feast

Wisdom has built her house
    with its seven columns.
She has prepared the meat
and set out the wine.
    Her feast is ready.

She has sent her servant women
to announce her invitation
    from the highest hills:
“Everyone who is ignorant
    or foolish is invited!
All of you are welcome
    to my meat and wine.
If you want to live,
    give up your foolishness
and let understanding
    guide your steps.”

True Wisdom

Correct a worthless bragger,
and all you will get
    are insults and injuries.
Any bragger you correct
    will only hate you.
But if you correct someone
who has common sense,
    you will be loved.
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 (A) Respect and obey the Lord!
This is the beginning
    of wisdom.[a]
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[b] 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.

Footnotes

  1. 9.10 the beginning of wisdom: Or “what wisdom is all about.”
  2. 9.13 Stupidity: Or “A foolish woman.”

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