Proverbs 9

1 Ἡ σοφία ᾠκοδόμησεν ἑαυτῇ οἶκον, καὶ ὑπήρεισε στύλους ἑπτά.

2 Ἔσφαξε τὰ ἑαυτῆς θύματα, ἐκέρασεν εἰς κρατῆρα τὸν ἑαυτῆς οἶνον, καὶ ἡτοιμάσατο τὴν ἑαυτῆς τράπεζαν.

3 Ἀπέστειλε τοὺς ἑαυτῆς δούλους, συγκαλοῦσα μετὰ ὑψηλοῦ κηρύγματος ἐπὶ κρατῆρα, λέγουσα,

4 Ὅς ἐστιν ἄφρων, ἐκκλινάτω πρὸς μέ· καὶ τοῖς ἐνδεέσι φρενῶν εἶπεν,

5 ἔλθατε, φάγετε τῶν ἐμῶν ἄρτων, καὶ πίετε οἶνον ὃν ἐκέρασα ὑμῖν.

6 Ἀπολείπετε ἀφροσύνην, ἵνα εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα βασιλεύσητε· καὶ ζητήσατε φρόνησιν, καὶ κατορθώσατε ἐν γνώσει σύνεσιν.

7 Ὁ παιδεύων κακοὺς λήψεται ἑαυτῷ ἀτιμίαν· ἐλέγχων δὲ τὸν ἀσεβῆ μωμήσεται ἑαυτόν.

8 Μὴ ἔλεγχε κακοὺς, ἵνα μὴ μισήσωσί σε· ἔλεγχε σοφὸν, καὶ ἀγαπήσει σε.

9 Δίδου σοφῷ ἀφορμὴν, καὶ σοφώτερος ἔσται· γνώριζε δικαίῳ, καὶ προσθήσει τοῦ δέχεσθαι.

10 Ἀρχὴ σοφίας φόβος Κυρίου, καὶ βουλὴ ἁγίων σύνεσις·

10a τὸ γὰρ γνῶναι νόμον, διανοίας ἐστὶν ἀγαθῆς.

11 Τούτῳ γὰρ τῷ τρόπῳ πολὺν ζήσεις χρόνον, καὶ προστεθήσεταί σοι ἔτη ζωῆς σου.

12 Υἱὲ ἐὰν σοφὸς γένῃ σεαυτῷ, σοφὸς ἔσῃ καὶ τοῖς πλησίον· ἐὰν δὲ κακὸς ἀποβῇς, μόνος ἂν ἀντλήσεις κακά·

12a ὃς ἐρείδεται ἐπὶ ψεύδεσιν, οὗτος ποιμαίνει ἀνέμους, ὁ δʼ αὐτὸς διώξεται ὄρνεα πετόμενα·

12b ἀπέλιπε γὰρ ὁδοὺς τοῦ ἑαυτοῦ ἀμπελῶνος, τοὺς δὲ ἄξονας τοῦ ἰδίου γεωργίου πεπλάνηται·

12c διαπορεύεται δὲ διʼ ἀνύδρου ἐρήμου, καὶ γῆν διατεταγμένην ἐν διψώδεσι, συνάγει δὲ χερσὶν ἀκαρπίαν.

13 Γυνὴ ἄφρων καὶ θρασεῖα ἐνδεὴς ψωμοῦ γίνεται, ἣ οὐκ ἐπίσταται αἰσχύνην.

14 Ἐκάθισεν ἐπὶ θύραις τοῦ ἑαυτῆς οἴκου, ἐπὶ δίφρου ἐμφανῶς ἐν πλατείαις,

15 προσκαλουμένη τοὺς παριόντας καὶ κατευθύνοντας ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν·

16 Ὅς ἐστιν ὑμῶν ἀφρονέστατος, ἐκκλινάτω πρὸς μέ· καὶ τοῖς ἐνδεέσι φρονήσεως παρακελεύομαι, λέγουσα,

17 ἄρτων κρυφίων ἡδέως ἅψασθε, καὶ ὕδατος κλοπῆς γλυκεροῦ.

18 Ὁ δὲ οὐκ οἶδεν ὅτι γηγενεῖς παρʼ αὐτῇ ὄλλυνται, καὶ ἐπὶ πέταυρον ᾅδου συναντᾷ·

18a ἀλλὰ ἀποπήδησον, μὴ χρονίσῃς ἐν τῷ τόπῳ, μηδὲ ἐπιστήσῃς τὸ σὸν ὄμμα πρὸς αὐτὴν,

18b οὕτως γὰρ διαβήσῃ ὕδωρ ἀλλότριον·

18c ἀπὸ δὲ ὕδατος ἀλλοτρίου ἀπόσχου, καὶ ἀπὸ πηγῆς ἀλλοτρίας μὴ πίῃς

18d ἵνα πολὺν ζησῃς χρόνον, προστεθῇ δέ σοι ἔτη ζωῆς.

1 Wisdom has built a house for herself, and set up seven pillars.

2 She has killed her beasts; she has mingled her wine in a bowl, and prepared her table.

3 She has sent forth her servants, calling with a loud proclamation to the feast, saying,

4 Whoso is foolish, let him turn aside to me: and to them that want understanding she says,

5 Come, eat of my bread, and drink wine which I have mingled for you.

6 Leave folly, that ye may reign for ever; and seek wisdom, and improve understanding by knowledge.

+ 'that ye may live.'

7 He that reproves evil men shall get dishonour to himself; and he that rebukes an ungodly man shall disgrace himself.

8 Rebuke not evil men , lest they should hate thee: rebuke a wise man , and he will love thee.

9 Give an opportunity to a wise man , and he will be wiser: instruct a just man, and he will receive more instruction .

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the counsel of saints is understanding:

summit.

10a for to know the law is the character of a sound mind.

11 For in this way thou shalt live long, and years of thy life shall be added to thee.

12 Son, if thou be wise for thyself, thou shalt also be wise for thy neighbours; and if thou shouldest prove wicked, thou alone wilt bear the evil.

12a He that stays himself upon falsehoods, attempts to rule the winds, and the same will pursue birds in their flight:

— to beginning of verse 13.

12b for he has forsaken the ways of his own vineyard, and he has caused the axles of his own husbandry to go astray;

12c and he goes through a dry desert, and a land appointed to drought, and he gathers barrenness with his hands.

13 A foolish and bold woman, who knows not modesty, comes to want a morsel.

14 She sits at the doors of her house, on a seat openly in the streets,

15 calling to passers by, and to those that are going right on their ways;

16 saying , Whoso is most senseless of you, let him turn aside to me; and I exhort those that want prudence, saying,

17 Take and enjoy secret bread, and the sweet water of theft.

18 But he knows that mighty men die by her, and he falls in with a snare of hell.

18a But hasten away, delay not in the place, neither fix thine eye upon her:

18b for thus shalt thou go through strange water;

18c but do thou abstain from strange water, and drink not of a strange fountain,

18d that thou mayest live long, and years of life may be added to thee.