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Wisdom Speaks

20 Wisdom [C the personification of God’s wisdom; 8:1–36; 9:1–6] ·is like a woman shouting [L shouts] in the street;
    she ·raises her voice [yells out] in the city squares [C the hub for business, government, and social interaction].
21 She cries out ·in the noisy street [L at the top of the noisy throng]
    and shouts at the [L entrances of] city gates:
22 “You ·fools [simpletons; immature ones], how long will you be ·foolish [immature]?
    How long will you make ·fun of wisdom [mocking so dear to you]
    and hate knowledge?
23 If only you had ·listened [responded] when I corrected you,
    I would have ·told you what’s in my heart [L poured forth my spirit to you];
    I would have ·told you what I am thinking [L revealed my words to you].
24 I called, but you ·refused to listen [rejected me];
    I held out my hand, but you paid no attention.
25 You ·did not follow [ignored] my advice
    and did not ·listen when I corrected [want me to correct] you.
26 So I will laugh ·when you are in trouble [L at your calamity].
    I will ·make fun [ridicule you] when disaster strikes you,
27 when ·disaster [dread] comes over you like a ·storm [tempest],
    when trouble strikes you like a whirlwind,
when ·pain [distress] and ·trouble [oppression] overwhelm you.

28 “Then you will call to me,
    but I will not answer.
You will ·look for [seek] me,
    but you will not find me.
29 It is because you ·rejected [hated] knowledge
    and did not choose to ·respect [fear; hold in awe] the Lord.
30 You did not ·accept [want] my advice,
    and you rejected my correction.
31 So you will ·get what you deserve [L eat from the fruit of your path];
    you will ·get what you planned for others [or be satisfied with your own counsel].
32 ·Fools [The simple/immature] will die because they ·refuse to listen [L turn away];
    ·they [L fools] will be destroyed because ·they do not care [of complacency].
33 But those who ·listen to [obey] me will live in safety
    ·and be at peace, without fear of injury [untroubled by the dread of harm].”

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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)

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Footnotes

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

20 Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:

21 She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,

22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?

23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;

25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:

26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.

28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:

29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord:

30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

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