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Wisdom’s Warning

20 Out in the open wisdom calls out.
    She raises her voice in a public place.
21 On top of the city wall she cries out.
    Here is what she says near the gate of the city.

22 “How long will you childish people love your childish ways?
    How long will you rude people enjoy making fun of God and others?
    How long will you foolish people hate knowledge?
23 Pay attention to my warning!
    Then I will pour out my thoughts to you.
    I will make known to you my teachings.
24 But you refuse to listen when I call out to you.
    No one pays attention when I reach out my hand.
25 You turn away from all my advice.
    And you do not accept my warning.
26 So I will laugh at you when you are in danger.
    I will make fun of you when hard times come.
27 I will laugh when hard times hit you like a storm.
    I will laugh when danger comes your way like a windstorm.
    I will make fun of you when suffering and trouble come.

28 “Then you will call to me. But I won’t answer.
    You will look for me. But you won’t find me.
29 You hated knowledge.
    You didn’t choose to have respect for the Lord.
30 You wouldn’t accept my advice.
    You turned your backs on my warnings.
31 So you will eat the fruit of the way you have lived.
    You will choke on the fruit of what you have planned.

32 “The wrong path that childish people take will kill them.
    Foolish people will be destroyed by being satisfied with the way they live.
33 But those who listen to me will live in safety.
    They will be at ease and have no fear of being harmed.”

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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