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Sunday, December 21st, 2025
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Read the Bible

Wycliffe Bible

Proverbs 9:16

Who is a litil man `of wit; bowe he to me. And sche spak to a coward,

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Adultery;   Fool;   Harlot (Prostitute);   Hell;   Ignorance;   Lasciviousness;   Temptation;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Fool, Foolishness, Folly;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Proverbs, Book of;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Proverbs book of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Proverbs, Book of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Chastity;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Whoever is inexperienced, enter here!”To the one who lacks sense, she says,
Hebrew Names Version
"Whoever is simple, let him turn in here." As for him who is void of understanding, she says to him,
King James Version
Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,
English Standard Version
"Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!" And to him who lacks sense she says,
New American Standard Bible
"Whoever is naive, let him turn in here," And to him who lacks understanding she says,
New Century Version
She says to those who are uneducated, "Come in here, you foolish people!
New English Translation
"Whoever is simple, let him turn in here," she says to those who lack understanding.
Amplified Bible
"Whoever is naive or inexperienced, let him turn in here!" And to him who lacks understanding (common sense), she says,
World English Bible
"Whoever is simple, let him turn in here." As for him who is void of understanding, she says to him,
Geneva Bible (1587)
Who so is simple, let him come hither, and to him that is destitute of wisedome, shee sayth also,
Legacy Standard Bible
"Whoever is simple, let him turn in here,"And to him who lacks a heart of wisdom she says,
Berean Standard Bible
"Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!" To him who lacks judgment she says:
Contemporary English Version
"If you are stupid, come on inside!" And to every fool she says,
Complete Jewish Bible
"Whoever is unsure of himself, turn in here!" To someone weak-willed she says,
Darby Translation
Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither. And to him that is void of understanding she saith,
Easy-to-Read Version
"Whoever needs instruction, come." She invites all the simple people and says,
George Lamsa Translation
She says, He who is simple, let him come to me; and as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
Good News Translation
"Come in, ignorant people!" To the foolish she says,
Lexham English Bible
"Whoever is simple, may he turn here!" As for he who lacks sense, she says to him,
Literal Translation
The simple one, let him turn in here; and to the one lacking heart, she says to him,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Who so is ignoraunt (sayeth she) let him come hither, and to the vnwyse she sayeth:
American Standard Version
Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither; And as for him that is void of understanding, she saith to him,
Bible in Basic English
Whoever is simple, let him come in here: and to him who is without sense, she says:
JPS Old Testament (1917)
'Whoso is thoughtless, let him turn in hither'; and as for him that lacketh understanding, she saith to him:
King James Version (1611)
Who so is simple, let him turne in hither: and as for him that wanteth vnderstanding, she saith to him;
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Who so is ignoraunt [sayeth she] let hym come hyther: and to the vnwyse she saith,
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
saying, Whoso is most senseless of you, let him turn aside to me; and I exhort those that want prudence, saying,
English Revised Version
Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that is void of understanding, she saith to him,
Update Bible Version
Whoever is simple, let him turn in here; And as for him that is void of understanding, she says to him,
Webster's Bible Translation
Whoever [is] simple, let him turn in hither: and [as for] him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,
New King James Version
"Whoever is simple, let him turn in here"; And as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
New Living Translation
"Come in with me," she urges the simple. To those who lack good judgment, she says,
New Life Bible
"Whoever is easy to fool, let him turn in here!" She says to the one without understanding,
New Revised Standard
"You who are simple, turn in here!" And to those without sense she says,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Whoso is simple, let him turn aside hither, and, as for him that lacketh sense, she saith to him:
Douay-Rheims Bible
He that is a little one, let him turn to me. And to the fool she said:
Revised Standard Version
"Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!" And to him who is without sense she says,
Young's Literal Translation
`Who [is] simple? let him turn aside hither.' And whoso lacketh heart -- she said to him,
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Whoever is naive, let him turn in here," And to him who lacks understanding she says,

Contextual Overview

13 A fonned womman, and ful of cry, and ful of vnleueful lustis, and that kan no thing outirli, 14 sittith in the doris of hir hous, on a seete, in an hiy place of the cite; 15 to clepe men passinge bi the weie, and men goynge in her iournei. 16 Who is a litil man `of wit; bowe he to me. And sche spak to a coward, 17 Watris of thefte ben swettere, and breed hid is swettere. 18 And wiste not that giauntis ben there; and the gestis `of hir ben in the depthis of helle. Sotheli he that schal be applied, ether fastned, to hir; schal go doun to hellis. For whi he that goith awei fro hir; schal be saued.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Proverbs 9:4

Reciprocal: Genesis 39:10 - as she spake Psalms 14:2 - any Proverbs 1:22 - ye simple Proverbs 6:32 - destroyeth Proverbs 7:7 - void Proverbs 12:11 - he that followeth Proverbs 22:3 - the simple John 2:10 - but 1 Corinthians 6:18 - Flee

Cross-References

Genesis 9:3
And al thing which is moued and lyueth schal be to you in to mete; Y have youe to you alle thingis as greene wortis,
Genesis 9:4
outakun that ye schulen not ete fleisch with blood,
Genesis 9:8
and to his sones with him, Lo!
Genesis 9:9
Y schal make my couenaunt with you, and with your seed after you,
Genesis 9:10
and to ech lyuynge soule which is with you, as wel in briddis as in werk beestis and smale beestis of erthe, and to alle thingis that yeden out of the schip, and to alle vnresonable beestis of erthe.
Genesis 9:11
Y schal make my couenaunt with you, and ech fleisch schal no more be slayn of the watris of the greet flood, nethir the greet flood distriynge al erthe schal be more.
Genesis 9:21
and he drank wyn, and was drunkun; and he was nakid, and lay in his tabernacle.
Genesis 9:22
And whanne Cham, the fadir of Chanaan, hadde seien this thing, that is, that the schameful membris of his fadir weren maad nakid, he telde to hise tweye britheren with out forth.
Genesis 17:7
and Y schal make my couenaunt bitwixe me and thee, and bitwixe thi seed after thee, in her generaciouns, bi euerlastynge bond of pees, that Y be thi God, and of thi seed after thee;
Genesis 17:13
and my couenaunt schal be in youre fleisch in to euerlastynge boond of pees.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Whoso [is] simple, let him turn in hither,.... The harlot's house, Popish chapels and churches. She uses the same form of words that Wisdom does, Proverbs 9:4; having a form of godliness, a show of religion, but without the power of it; her priests are wolves in sheep's clothing, and speak lies in hypocrisy: and such that she fixes upon as proper persons to work on are the simple, the credulous and unwary; who are not on their guard, and are easily persuaded and imposed on;

and [as for] him that wanteth understanding; is not well grounded in the principles of Christianity he professes; has not a spiritual and experimental understanding of them:

she saith to him; addresses him in such language as follows:

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 9:16. Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither — FOLLY or PLEASURE here personified, uses the very same expressions as employed by Wisdom, Proverbs 9:4. Wisdom says, "Let the simple turn in to me." No, says Folly, "Let the simple turn in to me." If he turn in to Wisdom, his folly shall be taken away and he shall become wise; if he turn in to Folly, his darkness will be thickened, and his folly will remain.

Wisdom sets up her school to instruct the ignorant:

Folly sets her school up next door, to defeat the designs of Wisdom.

Thus the saying of the satirist appears to be verified: -


"Wherever God erects a house of prayer,

The devil surely builds a chapel there.

And it is found upon examination,

The latter has the larger congregation."

DE FOE.


 
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