Prologue: Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom

Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men

Listen, my son,(A) to your father’s(B) instruction
    and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.(C)

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The Minor Theme

My son, listen to your father’s instruction,
    and do not let go of your mother’s teaching.

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My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

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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

The Benefits of Choosing Wisdom

20 Wisdom cries out in the street;
    she raises her voice in the public squares.
21 She calls out at the busiest part[a] of the noisy streets,[b]
    and at the entrance to the gates of the city she utters her words:
22 “You naïve ones, how long will you love naiveté?
    And how long will scoffers delight in scoffing
        or fools hate knowledge?”
23 Return to my correction!
    Look, I will pour out my spirit on you,
        and I will make my words known to you.

The Consequences of Refusing Wisdom

24 “Because I called out to you and you refused to respond—[c]
    I appealed,[d] but no one paid attention—
25 because[e] you neglected all my advice
    and did not want my correction,
26 I will laugh at your calamity.
    I will mock when what you fear[f] comes,
27 when what you dread comes like a storm,
    and your calamity comes on like a whirlwind,
        when distress and anguish come upon you.

28 “Then they will call out to me,
    but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently,
    but they will not find me.

29 “Because they hated knowledge
    and did not choose the fear of the Lord;
30 they did not want my advice,
    and they rejected all my correction.
31 They will eat the fruit[g] of their way,
    and they will be filled with their own devices.
32 Indeed, the waywardness[h] of the naïve will kill them,
    and the complacency of fools will destroy them.

33 “But the person who listens to me will live safely
    and will be secure from the fear of evil.”

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:21 Lit. head
  2. Proverbs 1:21 So MT; LXX Syr Targ read and on top of the walls
  3. Proverbs 1:24 Lit. you refused
  4. Proverbs 1:24 Lit. I stretched out my hand
  5. Proverbs 1:25 The Heb. lacks because
  6. Proverbs 1:26 Lit. when your fear
  7. Proverbs 1:31 I.e. experience the consequences
  8. Proverbs 1:32 So MT; DSS 4QProva reads narrow-mindedness; lit. the pull of; LXX reads Because they would wrong the naïve, they will be murdered

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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11 My son,(A) do not despise the Lord’s discipline,(B)
    and do not resent his rebuke,
12 because the Lord disciplines those he loves,(C)
    as a father the son he delights in.[a](D)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 3:12 Hebrew; Septuagint loves, / and he chastens everyone he accepts as his child

11 My son, do not reject the Lord’s discipline,
    and do not despise his correction,
12 because the Lord corrects the person he loves,
    just as a father corrects[a] the son he delights in.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 3:12 The Heb. lacks corrects
  2. Proverbs 3:12 So MT; LXX reads loves, and he punishes every son he accepts

11 My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction:

12 For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

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Get Wisdom at Any Cost

Listen, my sons,(A) to a father’s instruction;(B)
    pay attention and gain understanding.(C)

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Diligently Pursue Wisdom

Listen, children,[a] to your father’s instruction,
and pay attention in order to gain understanding.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 4:1 Lit. sons

Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

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Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults;
    whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse.(A)
Do not rebuke mockers(B) or they will hate you;
    rebuke the wise and they will love you.(C)

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Wisdom Extends Life

Whoever corrects a mocker invites only insult,[a]
    and whoever rebukes the wicked will himself become stained.
Don’t rebuke a mocker or he will hate you.
    Rebuke a wise person, and he will love you.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 9:7 Lit. insult to himself

He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot.

Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.

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17 Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life,(A)
    but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.

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17 Whoever heeds correction is on the pathway to life,
    but someone who ignores exhortation goes astray.

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17 He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth.

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

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Wisdom and Wickedness Contrasted

12 The person who loves correction loves knowledge,
but anyone who hates a rebuke is stupid.

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12 Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.

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13 A wise son heeds his father’s instruction,
    but a mocker does not respond to rebukes.(A)

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Who is a Wise Son?

13 A wise son heeds[a] a father’s correction,
but a mocker does not listen to rebuke.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 13:1 The Heb. lacks heeds

13 A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke.

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18 Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame,(A)
    but whoever heeds correction is honored.(B)

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18 Poverty and shame are for those who ignore correction,
    but whoever listens to instruction gains honor.

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18 Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured.

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