1 Wisdom has made her house, putting up her seven pillars. 2 She has put her fat beasts to death; her wine is mixed, her table is ready. 3 She has sent out her women-servants; her voice goes out to the highest places of the town, saying, 4 Whoever is simple, let him come in here; and to him who has no sense, she says: 5 Come, take of my bread, and of my wine which is mixed. 6 Give up the simple ones and have life, and go in the way of knowledge. 7 He who gives teaching to a man of pride gets shame for himself; he who says sharp words to a sinner gets a bad name. 8 Do not say sharp words to a man of pride, or he will have hate for you; make them clear to a wise man, and you will be dear to him. 9 Give teaching to a wise man, and he will become wiser; give training to an upright man, and his learning will be increased. 10 The fear of the Lord is the start of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One gives a wise mind 11 For by me your days will be increased, and the years of your life will be long. 12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if your heart is full of pride, you only will have the pain of it. 13 The foolish woman is full of noise; she has no sense at all. 14 Seated at the door of her house, in the high places of the town, 15 Crying out to those who go by, going straight on their way, she says: 16 Whoever is simple, let him come in here: and to him who is without sense, she says: 17 Drink taken without right is sweet, and food in secret is pleasing. 18 But he does not see that the dead are there, that her guests are in the deep places of the underworld.
Proverbs · Bible in Basic English
Proverbs 9 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Cross references (18)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Matthew 16:18; Revelation 3:12; Galatians 2:9; 1 Peter 2:5–6; Ephesians 2:20–22
- 2 Matthew 22:3–14; Isaiah 25:6; Luke 14:16–17; Proverbs 9:5; Proverbs 23:30
- 3 Proverbs 9:14; Proverbs 8:1–3; Matthew 22:3–4; Psalm 68:11; Proverbs 1:20–23
- 4 Proverbs 6:32; Matthew 11:25; Proverbs 8:5; Proverbs 9:16; Revelation 22:17
- 5 John 6:27; Song of Songs 5:1; Proverbs 9:17; Jeremiah 31:12–14; Matthew 26:26–28
- 6 Proverbs 13:20; Proverbs 4:11; Luke 13:24; 2 Corinthians 6:17; Proverbs 4:14–15
- 7 Proverbs 15:12; Proverbs 23:9; 2 Chronicles 36:16; 2 Chronicles 25:15–16; 2 Chronicles 24:20–22
- 8 Proverbs 13:18; Psalm 141:5; Proverbs 23:9; Proverbs 15:12; Proverbs 29:1
- 9 Proverbs 1:5; 1 John 5:13; Matthew 13:11–12; Proverbs 25:12; 1 John 2:20–21
- 10 Psalm 111:10; Job 28:28; Proverbs 1:7; Ecclesiastes 12:13; Proverbs 2:5
- 11 Proverbs 10:27; Proverbs 3:2; Proverbs 3:16; Deuteronomy 6:2
- 12 Job 22:2–3; Ezekiel 18:20; 2 Peter 3:3–4; Job 22:21; Proverbs 16:26
- 13 Proverbs 7:11; Proverbs 5:6; Proverbs 21:19; 1 Timothy 6:4; Proverbs 21:9
- 14 Proverbs 9:3; Proverbs 7:10–12
- 15 Proverbs 7:25–27; Proverbs 23:27–28; Proverbs 7:13–15
- 16 Proverbs 9:4
- 17 Proverbs 20:17; Proverbs 23:31–32; Proverbs 30:20; James 1:14–15; Genesis 3:6
- 18 Proverbs 7:27; Proverbs 2:18–19; Proverbs 5:5; Psalm 82:5; Proverbs 1:7
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Now, "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;" the sense of sin leads to repentance, and God bestows His compassion upon those who are penitent.
Woe, woe, by what steps was I dragged down "to the depths of hell!" --toiling and turmoiling through want of Truth, when I sought after Thee, my God,--to Thee I confess it, who hadst mercy on me when I had not yet confessed,--sought after Thee not according to the understanding of the mind, in which Thou desiredst that I should …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
With respect to the star, we have said these things, and yet more perhaps may be said by you; for, it is said, "Give occasion to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser:" but we must now come to the beginning of what hath been read.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
Again, we call "beginning" the essential and first part from which a thing proceeds, such as the foundation of a house, the keel of a vessel; it is in this sense that it is said, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," that is to say that piety is, as it were, the groundwork and foundation of …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 8 (1895)
I came upon that bold woman, who "is simple, and knoweth nothing," the enigma of Solomon, sitting "at the door of the house on a seat," and saying, "Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant." This woman seduced me, because she found my soul beyond its portals, dwelling in the eye of my flesh, and thinking …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)