1  Wisdom has built her house;

she has hewn her seven pillars.

2  She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine;

she has also set her table.

3  She has sent out her young women to ^pcall

from the highest places in the town,

4  ^q“Whoever is ^rsimple, let him turn in here!”

To him who lacks sense she says,

5  “Come, eat of my bread

and drink of the wine I have mixed.

6  Leave your simple ways,¹ and live,

and walk in the way of ^sinsight.”

7  ^tWhoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,

and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.

8  Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;

^ureprove a wise man, and he will love you.

9  Give instruction² to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;

teach a righteous man, and he will ^vincrease in learning.

10  ^wThe fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,

and the ^xknowledge of the Holy One is ^yinsight.

11  For by me your days will be ^zmultiplied,

and years will be added to your life.

12  If you are wise, you are wise for yourself;

if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

13  The woman Folly is ^aloud;

she is seductive³ and knows nothing.

14  She sits at the door of ^bher house;

she takes a seat ^con the highest places of the town,

15  calling to those who pass by,

who are going straight on their way,

16  ^d“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”

And to him who lacks sense she says,

17  “Stolen ^ewater is sweet,

and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”

18  ^fBut he does not know that the dead⁴ are there,

that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.