Historical
7 1 An exhortation to wisdom and to the word of God. 5 Which will preserve us from the harlot, 6 Whose manners are described.
1 My son keep my words, and hide my commandments with thee.
2 Keep my commandments, and thou shalt live, and mine instruction, as the [a]apple of thine eyes.
3 Bind them upon thy fingers, and write them upon the table of thine heart.
4 Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister, and call understanding thy kinswoman,
5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman, even from the strange that is smooth in her words.
6 ¶ [b]As I was in the window of mine house, I looked through my window,
7 And I saw among the fools, and considered among the children a young man destitute of understanding,
8 Who passed through the street by her corner, and went toward her house,
9 In the twilight in the evening, when the night began to be [c]black and dark.
10 And behold, there met him a woman with an harlot’s [d]behavior, and [e]subtle in heart.
11 (She [f]is babbling and loud, whose feet cannot abide in her house.
12 Now she is without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner)
13 So she caught him and kissed him, and [g]with an impudent face said unto him,
14 I have [h]peace offerings: this [i]day have I paid my vows.
15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, that I might seek thy face: and I have found thee.
16 I have decked my bed with ornaments, [j]carpets and laces of Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us take our pleasure in dalliance.
19 For mine husband is not at home: he is gone a journey far off.
20 He hath taken [k]with him a bag of silver, and will come home at the day appointed.
21 Thus with her great craft she caused him to yield, and with her flattering lips she enticed him.
22 And he followed her straightway, as an [l]ox that goeth to the slaughter, and [m]as a fool to the stocks for correction,
23 Till a dart strike through his liver, as a bird hasteth to the snare, not knowing that [n]he is in danger.
24 ¶ Hear me now therefore, O children, and hearken to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not thine heart decline to her ways: wander thou not in her paths.
26 For she hath caused many to fall down wounded, and the [o]strong men are all slain by her.
27 Her house is the way (A)unto the grave, which goeth down to the chambers of death.
8 1 Wisdom declareth her excellency, 11 riches, 15 power, 22 eternity. 32 She exhorteth all to love and follow her.
1 Doth (B)not [p]wisdom cry? and understanding utter her voice?
2 She standeth in the top of the high places, by the way in the place of the paths.
3 She crieth besides [q]the gates before the city at the entry of the doors,
4 O men, I call unto you, and utter my voice to the children of men.
5 O ye foolish men, understand wisdom, and ye, O fools, be wise in heart.
6 Give ear, for I will speak of excellent things, and the opening of my lips shall teach things that be right.
7 For my mouth shall speak the truth, and my lips abhor wickedness.
8 All the words of my mouth are righteous: there is no lewdness, nor frowardness in them.
9 They are all [r]plain to them that will understand, and straight to them that would find knowledge.
10 Receive mine instruction, and not silver, and knowledge rather than fine gold.
11 For wisdom is better than precious stones: and all pleasures are not to be compared unto her.
12 I wisdom dwell with [s]prudence, and I find forth knowledge and counsels.
13 The fear of the Lord is to hate [t]evil, as pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way: and a mouth that speaketh lewd things I do hate.
14 I have counsel and wisdom: I am understanding, and I have strength.
15 By me [u]kings reign, and princes decree justice.
16 By me princes rule, and the nobles, and all the judges of the earth.
17 I love them that love me: and they that seek me [v]early shall find me.
18 Riches and honor are with me: [w]even durable riches and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than gold, even than fine gold, and my revenues better than fine silver.
20 I cause to walk in the way of righteousness, and in the midst of the paths of [x]judgment,
21 That I may cause them that love me, to inherit substance, and I will fill their treasures.
22 The Lord hath possessed me in the beginning of his way: I was [y]before his works of old.
23 [z]I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, and before the earth.
24 When there were no depths, was I begotten, when there were no fountains abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains were settled: and before the hills, was I begotten.
26 He had not yet made the earth, nor the open places, nor the height of the dust in the world.
27 When he prepared the heavens, I was there, when he set the compass upon the deep:
28 When he established the clouds above: when he confirmed the fountains of the deep:
29 When he gave his decree to the sea, that the waters should not pass his commandment, when he appointed the foundations of the earth.
30 Then was I with him [aa]as a nourisher, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him,
31 And took my [ab]solace in the compass of [ac]his earth: and my delight is with the children of men.
32 Therefore now hearken, O children, unto me: for blessed are they that keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction, and be ye wise, and refuse it not: blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, and giving attendance at the posts of my doors.
34 For he that findeth me, findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the Lord.
35 But he that sinneth against me, hurteth his own soul: and all that hate me, love death.
9 2 Wisdom calleth all to her feast. 7 The scorner will not be corrected. 10 The fear of God. 13 The conditions of the harlot.
1 Wisdom hath built her [ad]house, and hewn out her [ae]seven pillars.
2 She hath killed her victuals, drawn her wine, and [af]prepared her table.
3 She hath sent forth her [ag]maidens, and crieth upon the highest places of the city, saying,
4 Who so is [ah]simple, let him come hither, and to him that is destitute of wisdom, she saith,
5 Come, and eat of my [ai]meat, and drink of the wine that I have drawn.
6 Forsake your way, ye foolish, and ye shall live: and walk in the way of understanding.
7 He that reproveth a scorner, purchaseth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh the wicked, getteth himself a [aj]blot.
8 Rebuke not a [ak]scorner, lest he hate thee: but rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.
9 Give admonition to the wise, and he will be the wiser: teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
10 The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and the knowledge of holy things, is [al]understanding.
11 For thy days shall be multiplied by me, and the years of thy life shall be augmented.
12 If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for [am]thyself, and if thou be a scorner, thou alone shalt suffer.
13 ¶ A [an]foolish woman is troublesome; she is ignorant and knoweth nothing.
14 But she sitteth at the door of her house on a seat in the high places of the city,
15 To call them that pass by the way, that go right on their way, saying,
16 Who so is simple let him come hither, and to him that is destitute of wisdom, she saith also,
17 Stolen waters are sweet, and hid bread is pleasant.
18 But he knoweth not, that the dead are there, and that her guests are in the depth of hell.
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