[1] Lady Wisdom has built her house; she has supported it with seven pillars. [2] She's prepared a feast: She's slaughtered her animals, poured a spiced wine, and set her table. [3] She has sent out her servants with the invitation to come to the party; she, too, calls out from the highest point of the city: [4] Lady Wisdom: Whoever is young and gullible, turn in here. You are welcome in this place! Then, turning to those who are naive, she says: [5] Lady Wisdom: Come in. Come, eat my bread, and drink my spiced wine. [6] Give up your gullible ways, your naive thoughts, for true life. Set your course for understanding. [7] Whoever tries to discipline a scoffer should expect a hail of insults in return. Whoever tries to correct an evildoer is likely to get hurt in the process. [8] So do not correct a scoffer unless you are ready to be hated, but correct the wise and you will be loved. [9] Give instruction to the wise, and they will become wiser. Teach upstanding people, and they will learn even more. [10] Reverence for the Eternal, the one True God, is the beginning of wisdom; true knowledge of the Holy One is the start of understanding. [11] Lady Wisdom: Through me your days will be lengthened, and years will be added to your life. [12] If you are wise, wisdom is its own reward. If you mock what you don't understand, you alone will suffer the consequences. [13] Compared to Wisdom, the Lady Folly is rowdy and loud, naive and ignorant. [14] She sits by the door of her house, on a bench at the highest place in the city, [15] Crooning to passersby who hurry straight on to their destinations: [16] Lady Folly: Whoever is young and gullible, turn in here. You are welcome in this place! Then, she turns to the naive. [17] Lady Folly: Stolen water tastes so much sweeter! Bread secreted away is much more satisfying to eat! [18] But those who pause to listen to Lady Folly do not know death is the next stop, that her guests are walking cadavers.
