Proverbs 9

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Wisdom has built herself a house, she has hewn her seven pil ars,	1 Wisdom has built a house for herself. She has hewn seven columns.
2 she has slaughtered her beasts, drawn her wine, she has laid her table.	2 She has immolated her victims. She has mixed her wine and set forth her table.
3 She has despatched her maidservants and proclaimed from the heights above the city,	3 She has sent her maids to call out to the tower and to the fortified walls of the city,
4 'Who is simple? Let him come this way.' To the fool she says,	4 “If anyone is little, let him come to me.” And to the unwise, she has said:
5 'Come and eat my bread, drink the wine which I have drawn!	5 “Approach. Eat my bread, and drink the wine that I have mixed for you.
6 Leave foolishness behind and you wil live, go forwards in the ways of perception.'	6 Leave behind childishness. And live and walk by the ways of prudence.”
7 Reprove a mocker and you attract contempt, rebuke the wicked and you attract dishonour.	7 Whoever teaches a mocker causes injury to himself. And whoever argues with the impious produces a blemish on himself.
8 Do not rebuke the mocker, he wil hate you. Rebuke the wise and he wil love you for it.	8 Do not be willing to argue with a mocker, lest he hate you. Dispute with the wise, and he will love you.
9 Be open with the wise, he grows wiser stil , teach the upright, he wil gain yet more.	9 Present an opportunity to the wise, and wisdom shall be added to him. Teach the just, and he will hurry to receive it.
10 The first principle of wisdom is the fear of Yahweh, What God's holy ones know -- this isunderstanding.	10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of holiness is prudence.
11 For by me your days wil be multiplied, and your years of life increased.	11 For by me, your days will be multiplied and years of life will be added to you.
12 Are you wise? You are wise to your own good. A mocker? The burden is yours alone.	12 If you would be wise, you will be so for yourself. But if you would be one who ridicules, you alone shall carry the evil.
13 A silly woman acts on impulse, is foolish and knows nothing.	13 A foolish and loud woman, who is full of enticements and who knows nothing at all,
14 She sits at the door of her house, on a throne high up in the city,	14 sat at the entrance of her house on a seat, in a high place of the city,
15 cal ing to the passers-by, who are walking straight past on their way,	15 so as to call to those who were passing by the way and continuing on their journey:
16 'Who is simple? Turn aside, come over here.' To the fool she says,	16 “Whoever is little, let him turn aside to me.” And to the frenzied, she said,
17 'Stolen waters are sweet, and bread tastes better when eaten in secret.'	17 “Stolen waters are more soothing, and secret bread is more pleasant.”
18 But the fool does not know that this is where the Shades are and that her guests are already in thevales of Sheol.	18 And he did not know that giants are there, and that her companions are in the depths of Hell.