1 Wisdom has built her own house; she has carved seven pillars out of rocks. 2 She has slaughtered her animals; she has mixed her wine; and she has set her table. 3 She has sent out her maids; she calls out from the highest points of the city, 4 “Who is naive? Let him turn aside here!” To the one lacking good sense she speaks. 5 “Come, eat my food, and drink the wine I have mixed. 6 Leave your naive actions and live; walk in the path of understanding. 7 Whoever disciplines a mocker receives abuse, and whoever rebukes a wicked person receives insults. 8 Do not reprove a mocker, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. 9 Give to a wise person, and he will become even wiser; teach a righteous person, and he will add to his learning. 10 The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. 11 For through me your days will be multiplied, and years of life will be added to you. 12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself, and if you mock, you will carry it by yourself.” 13 The woman of foolishness is ignorant; she is untaught and knows nothing. 14 She sits at the door of her house, on a seat in the highest places of the town. 15 She is calling out to those who pass by in the streets, to people walking straight on their way. 16 “Let anyone who is naive turn aside here,” she says to those who have no sense. 17 “Stolen waters are sweet, and bread of secrecy is delicious.” 18 But he does not know that the dead are there, that her invited guests are in the depths of Sheol.
Proverbs · Unlocked Literal Bible
Proverbs 9 Unlocked Literal Bible
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)