Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you…….12b) If you scoff, you alone will bear it. The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing.
She sits at the door of her house; she takes a seat on the highest places of the town, calling to those who pass by, who are going straight on their way,
“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” And to him who lacks sense she says,
“Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
But he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
Comment: As the Rabbis likened Wisdom to the Messiah and as Christians liken it to Jesus, so both groups liken Folly, the simple and the scoffer to those who reject God’s wisdom. Many of the scoffers and the simple are very knowledgable and even sometimes ‘wise’ in the eyes of ‘the world’. But it is never wise to reject the Wisdom of the Holy One, the Creator, Jehovah – the only God! There are many ‘gods’, some of them stupid because as God says in the prophets they can’t see, hear, speak, walk or do anything! Some of these. ‘gods’ bring great temporary satisfaction and happiness – sport, money, sex, writing, interesting jobs, travel etc. ‘The dead’ is a future situation described in the present – for the temporary satisfaction and happiness doesn’t stop you ending up in hell!
Prayer: Help me please to listen to the call of Wisdom and have deaf ears to the cries which temptingly call out “Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
As I read it! 