Avoid the Path of the Violent

Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction,
and don’t reject your mother’s teaching,(A)

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Wisdom’s Plea

20 Wisdom calls out in the street;
she makes her voice heard in the public squares.(A)
21 She cries out above[a] the commotion;
she speaks at the entrance of the city gates:
22 “How long, inexperienced ones, will you love ignorance?
How long will you mockers(B) enjoy mocking
and you fools hate knowledge?(C)
23 If you respond to my warning,[b](D)
then I will pour out my spirit on you(E)
and teach you my words.
24 Since I called out and you refused,(F)
extended my hand and no one paid attention,(G)
25 since you neglected all my counsel(H)
and did not accept my correction,
26 I, in turn, will laugh at your calamity.(I)
I will mock when terror strikes you,
27 when terror strikes you like a storm
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when trouble and stress overcome you.
28 Then they will call me, but I won’t answer;
they will search for me, but won’t find me.(J)
29 Because they hated knowledge,
didn’t choose to fear the Lord,(K)
30 were not interested in my counsel,
and rejected all my correction,(L)
31 they will eat the fruit of their way(M)
and be glutted with their own schemes.(N)
32 For the apostasy of the inexperienced will kill them,(O)
and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
33 But whoever listens to me will live securely
and be undisturbed by the dread of danger.”(P)

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Footnotes

  1. 1:21 Lit at the head of
  2. 1:23 Lit you turn back to my reprimand

11 Do not despise the Lord’s instruction, my son,
and do not loathe his discipline;(A)
12 for the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
just as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights.(B)

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A Father’s Example

Listen, sons, to a father’s discipline,(A)
and pay attention so that you may gain understanding,

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The one who corrects a mocker
will bring abuse on himself;
the one who rebukes the wicked will get hurt.[a]
Don’t rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you;(A)
rebuke the wise, and he will love you.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. 9:7 Lit man: his blemish

17 The one who follows instruction is on the path to life,
but the one who rejects correction goes astray.(A)

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12 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but one who hates correction is stupid.(A)

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13 A wise son responds to his father’s discipline,
but a mocker doesn’t listen to rebuke.

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18 Poverty and disgrace come to those
who ignore discipline,
but the one who accepts correction will be honored.(A)

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