Wisdom’s Feast

¹Wisdom has built herself a palace[#9:1 Lady Wisdom is a poetic personification representing Christ, the Wisdom of God ( 1 Cor. 1:30). This is a classic form of a synecdoche. The Hebrew word chokmah (“wisdom”) can also mean “sacred sense.” It is the understanding and insight given only by God.; #9:1 There is a fascinating word play in the Hebrew text. The verb meaning “to build” and the word translated “son” come from the same root. “Build” is banah and “son” is ben . The house Wisdom is building is a son. You and I are sons of God who are being built into a spiritual house. There is also a verb in the Hebrew for “hewn” (as in stones). We are living stones raised up to be God’s temple. See Ps. 127:1; Matt. 7:24–27; 16:18; Heb. 3:5–6.]

upon seven pillars to keep it secure.

²She has made ready a banquet feast

and the sacrifice has been killed.

She has mingled her wine, and the table’s all set.

³She has sent out her maidens,

crying out from the high place,

inviting everyone to come

and eat until they’re full.

⁴“Whoever wants to know me and receive my wisdom,

⁵come and dine at my table and drink of my wine.

⁶Lay aside your simple thoughts and leave your paths behind.

Agree with my ways, live in my truth,

and you will find righteousness.”

⁷If you try to correct an arrogant cynic,

expect an angry insult in return.

And if you try to confront an evil man,

don’t be surprised if all you get is a slap in the face!

⁸So don’t even bother to correct a mocker,

for he’ll only hate you for it.

But go ahead and correct the wise;

they’ll love you even more.

⁹Teach a wise man what is right

and he’ll grow even wiser.

Instruct the lovers of God

and they’ll learn even more.

¹⁰The starting point for acquiring wisdom

is to be consumed with awe as you worship Yahweh .

To receive the revelation of the Holy One,

you must come to the one who has living-understanding.

¹¹Wisdom will extend your life,

making every year more fruitful than the one before.

¹²So it is to your advantage to be wise.

But to ignore the counsel of wisdom

is to invite trouble into your life.

A Spirit Named Foolish

¹³There is a spirit named Foolish,

who is boisterous and brash;

she’s seductive and restless.

¹⁴And there she sits at the gateway to the high places,

on her throne overlooking the city.

¹⁵She preaches to all who walk by her

who are clueless as to what is happening:

¹⁶“Come home with me.”

She invites those who are easily led astray, saying,

¹⁷“Illicit sex is the best sex of all.

Our secret affair will be sweeter than all others.”

¹⁸Little do they know when they answer her call

that she dwells among the spirits of the dead,

and all her guests soon become citizens of hell!