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Wisdom and Stupidity

¹ Wisdom has built her house and made seven columns for it. ² She has had an animal killed for a feast, mixed spices in the wine, and set the table. ³ She has sent her servant women to call out from the highest place in town: ⁴ "Come in, ignorant people!" And to the foolish she says, ⁵ "Come, eat my food and drink the wine that I have mixed. ⁶ Leave the company of ignorant people, and live. Follow the way of knowledge."

⁷ If you correct conceited people, you will only be insulted. If you reprimand evil people, you will only get hurt. ⁸ Never correct conceited people; they will hate you for it. But if you correct the wise, they will respect you. ⁹ Anything you say to the wise will make them wiser. Whatever you tell the righteous will add to their knowledge.

^10 (a)To be wise you must first have reverence for the Lord. If you know the Holy One, you have understanding. ¹¹ Wisdom will add years to your life. ¹² You are the one who will profit if you have wisdom, and if you reject it, you are the one who will suffer.

¹³ Stupidity is like a loud, ignorant, shameless woman.^{[a] 14} She sits at the door of her house or on a seat in the highest part of town, ¹⁵ and calls out to people passing by, who are minding their own business: ¹⁶ "Come in, ignorant people!" To the foolish she says, ¹⁷ "Stolen water is sweeter. Stolen bread tastes better." ¹⁸ Her victims do not know that the people die who go to her house, that those who have already entered are now deep in the world of the dead.