Proverbs 9 Contemporary English Version

Wisdom Gives a Feast

9 Wisdom has built her house
with its seven columns.
²She has prepared the meat
and set out the wine.
Her feast is ready.

³She has sent her servant women
to announce her invitation
    from the highest hills:
⁴“Everyone who is ignorant
    or foolish is invited!
⁵All of you are welcome
    to my meat and wine.
⁶If you want to live,
    give up your foolishness
and let understanding
    guide your steps.”

True Wisdom

⁷Correct a worthless bragger,
and all you will get
    are insults and injuries.
⁸Any bragger you correct
    will only hate you.
But if you correct someone
who has common sense,
    you will be loved.
⁹If 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.
¹¹I am Wisdom. If you follow me,
    you will live a long time.
¹²Good sense is good for you,
but if you brag,
    you hurt yourself.

A Foolish Invitation

¹³Stupidity^[b] is reckless,
    senseless, and foolish.
¹⁴She sits in front of her house
and on the highest hills
    in the town.
¹⁵She 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.”
¹⁸None who listen to Stupidity
understand that her guests
    are as good as dead.