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Proverbs chapter 9 in Hebrew and English

18 verses, about 1 minute to read aloud. The Hebrew has its vowel points and the English stands under each verse.

The whole chapter is here, a verse to a line.

חָכְמוֹת בָּנְתָה בֵיתָהּ חָצְבָה עַמּוּדֶיהָ שִׁבְעָֽה׃

Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars;

טָבְחָה טִבְחָהּ מָסְכָה יֵינָהּ אַף עָרְכָה שֻׁלְחָנָֽהּ׃

She hath prepared her meat, she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table.

שָׁלְחָה נַעֲרֹתֶיהָ תִקְרָא עַל־גַּפֵּי מְרֹמֵי קָֽרֶת׃

She hath sent forth her maidens, she calleth, upon the highest places of the city:

מִי־פֶתִי יָסֻר הֵנָּה חֲסַר־לֵב אָמְרָה לּֽוֹ׃

’Whoso is thoughtless, let him turn in hither’; as for him that lacketh understanding, she saith to him:

לְכוּ לַחֲמוּ בְלַחֲמִי וּשְׁתוּ בְּיַיִן מָסָֽכְתִּי׃

'Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.

עִזְבוּ פְתָאיִם וִחְיוּ וְאִשְׁרוּ בְּדֶרֶךְ בִּינָֽה׃

Forsake all thoughtlessness, and live; and walk in the way of understanding.

יֹסֵר לֵץ לֹקֵחַ לוֹ קָלוֹן וּמוֹכִיחַ לְרָשָׁע מוּמֽוֹ׃

He that correcteth a scorner getteth to himself shame, and he that reproveth a wicked man, it becometh unto him a blot.

אַל־תּוֹכַח לֵץ פֶּן־יִשְׂנָאֶךָּ הוֹכַח לְחָכָם וְיֶאֱהָבֶֽךָּ׃

Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee; reprove a wise man, and he will love thee.

תֵּן לְחָכָם וְיֶחְכַּם־עוֹד הוֹדַע לְצַדִּיק וְיוֹסֶף לֶֽקַח׃

Give to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

תְּחִלַּת חָכְמָה יִרְאַת יְהוָה וְדַעַת קְדֹשִׁים בִּינָֽה׃

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the All-holy is understanding.

כִּי־בִי יִרְבּוּ יָמֶיךָ וְיוֹסִיפוּ לְּךָ שְׁנוֹת חַיִּֽים׃

For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.

אִם־חָכַמְתָּ חָכַמְתָּ לָּךְ וְלַצְתָּ לְבַדְּךָ תִשָּֽׂא׃

If thou art wise, thou art wise for thyself; And if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.’

אֵשֶׁת כְּסִילוּת הֹמִיָּה פְּתַיּוּת וּבַל־יָדְעָה מָּֽה׃

The woman Folly is riotous; She is thoughtless, and knoweth nothing.

וְיָשְׁבָה לְפֶתַח בֵּיתָהּ עַל־כִּסֵּא מְרֹמֵי קָֽרֶת׃

And she sitteth at the door of her house, On a seat in the high places of the city,

לִקְרֹא לְעֹבְרֵי־דָרֶךְ הַמְיַשְּׁרִים אֹֽרְחוֹתָֽם׃

To call to them that pass by, Who go right on their ways:

מִי־פֶתִי יָסֻר הֵנָּה וַחֲסַר־לֵב וְאָמְרָה לּֽוֹ׃

’Whoso is thoughtless, let him turn in hither’; And as for him that lacketh understanding, she saith to him:

מַיִם־גְּנוּבִים יִמְתָּקוּ וְלֶחֶם סְתָרִים יִנְעָֽם׃

’Stolen waters are sweet, And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.’

וְלֹא־יָדַע כִּי־רְפָאִים שָׁם בְּעִמְקֵי שְׁאוֹל קְרֻאֶֽיהָ׃

But he knoweth not that the shades are there; that her guests are in the depths of the nether-world.

The Hebrew is the Leningrad Codex, free to view and copy, compared letter by letter with a second edition, Miqra according to the Masorah, under the CC BY-SA licence. The English is the Jewish Publication Society translation of 1917, in the public domain.

Where this chapter stands in the Tanakh.

  • Chapter 9 of the 31 chapters of Proverbs
  • Proverbs is one of the Writings
  • 18 verses, 127 words, about 1 minute to read

Proverbs has 31 chapters, and each one has its own page.

All of Proverbs·All the books of the Tanakh·Psalms and prayers

Questions about this chapter

How many verses does Proverbs chapter 9 have?

Proverbs chapter 9 has 18 verses and 127 words.

How does Proverbs chapter 9 begin?

The first verse begins in Hebrew with the words חכמות בנתה ביתה חצבה.

Where does Proverbs chapter 9 stand in the Tanakh?

It is chapter 9 of the 31 chapters of Proverbs, which is one of the Writings.

How long does it take to read Proverbs chapter 9?

About 1 minute, at a steady pace.