14 And God said, “Let there be lights(A) in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night,(B) and let them serve as signs(C) to mark sacred times,(D) and days and years,(E) 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so.(F) 16 God made two great lights—the greater light(G) to govern(H) the day and the lesser light to govern(I) the night.(J) He also made the stars.(K) 17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night,(L) and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.(M) 19 And there was evening, and there was morning(N)—the fourth day.

20 And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures,(O) and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.”(P) 21 So God created(Q) the great creatures of the sea(R) and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it,(S) according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind.(T) And God saw that it was good.(U) 22 God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.”(V) 23 And there was evening, and there was morning(W)—the fifth day.

Read full chapter

Wisdom’s Rebuke

20 Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,(A)
    she raises her voice in the public square;
21 on top of the wall[a] she cries out,
    at the city gate she makes her speech:

22 “How long will you who are simple(B) love your simple ways?
    How long will mockers delight in mockery
    and fools hate(C) knowledge?
23 Repent at my rebuke!
    Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
    I will make known to you my teachings.
24 But since you refuse(D) to listen when I call(E)
    and no one pays attention(F) when I stretch out my hand,
25 since you disregard all my advice
    and do not accept my rebuke,
26 I in turn will laugh(G) when disaster(H) strikes you;
    I will mock(I) when calamity overtakes you(J)
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
    when disaster(K) sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
    when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

28 “Then they will call to me but I will not answer;(L)
    they will look for me but will not find me,(M)
29 since they hated knowledge
    and did not choose to fear the Lord.(N)
30 Since they would not accept my advice
    and spurned my rebuke,(O)
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways
    and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.(P)
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
    and the complacency of fools will destroy them;(Q)
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety(R)
    and be at ease, without fear of harm.”(S)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:21 Septuagint; Hebrew / at noisy street corners

Bible Gateway Recommends