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Warnings against Evil Companions

Hear, my child, your father’s instruction,
    and do not reject your mother’s teaching,(A)

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Avoid evil associations

Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction;
    don’t neglect your mother’s teaching;

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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 Call of Wisdom

20 Wisdom cries out in the street;
    in the squares she raises her voice.(A)
21 At the busiest corner she cries out;
    at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
    and fools hate knowledge?(B)
23 Give heed to my reproof;
I will pour out my thoughts to you;
    I will make my words known to you.(C)
24 Because I have called and you refused,
    have stretched out my hand and no one heeded,(D)
25 and because you have ignored all my counsel
    and would have none of my reproof,(E)
26 I also will laugh at your calamity;
    I will mock when panic strikes you,(F)
27 when panic strikes you like a storm
    and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
    when distress and anguish come upon you.
28 Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
    they will seek me diligently but will not find me.(G)
29 Because they hated knowledge
    and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 would have none of my counsel
    and despised all my reproof,(H)
31 therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way
    and be sated with their own devices.(I)
32 For waywardness kills the simple,
    and the complacency of fools destroys them;(J)
33 but those who listen to me will be secure
    and will live at ease without dread of disaster.”(K)

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Listen to “Woman Wisdom”

20 Wisdom shouts in the street;
    in the public square she raises her voice.
21 Above the noisy crowd, she calls out.
    At the entrances of the city gates, she has her say:
22 “How long will you clueless people love your naïveté,
    mockers hold their mocking dear,
    and fools hate knowledge?
23 You should respond when I correct you.
    Look, I’ll pour out my spirit on you.
    I’ll reveal my words to you.
24 I invited you, but you rejected me;
    I stretched out my hand to you,
    but you paid no attention.
25 You ignored all my advice,
    and you didn’t want me to correct you.
26 So I’ll laugh at your disaster;
    I’ll make fun of you when dread comes over you,
27         when terror hits you like a hurricane,
        and your disaster comes in like a tornado,
        when distress and oppression overcome you.
28 Then they will call me, but I won’t answer;
    they will seek me, but won’t find me
29         because they hated knowledge
        and didn’t choose the fear of the Lord.
30 They didn’t want my advice;
    they rejected all my corrections.
31 They will eat from the fruit of their way,
    and they’ll be full of their own schemes.
32 The immature will die because they turn away;
    smugness will destroy fools.
33 Those who obey me will dwell securely,
    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

11 My child, do not despise the Lord’s discipline
    or be weary of his reproof,(A)
12 for the Lord reproves the one he loves,
    as a father the son in whom he delights.(B)

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11 Don’t reject the instruction of the Lord, my son;
    don’t despise his correction.
12 The Lord loves those he corrects,
    just like a father who treats his son with favor.

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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

Parental Advice

Listen, children, to a father’s instruction,
    and be attentive, that you may gain[a] insight,(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 4.1 Heb know

Love wisdom

Hear, children, fatherly instruction;
    pay attention to gain understanding.

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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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General Maxims

Whoever corrects a scoffer wins abuse;
    whoever rebukes the wicked gets hurt.(A)
Do not rebuke a scoffer, lest he hate you;
    rebuke the wise, and he will love you.(B)

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Wise advice

Whoever instructs the cynic gets insulted;
    whoever corrects the wicked gets hurt.
Don’t correct the impudent, or they will hate you;
    correct the wise, and they will love you.

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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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17 Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life,
    but one who rejects a rebuke goes astray.

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17 Those who heed instruction are on the way to life,
    but those who ignore correction lose their way.

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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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12 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
    but those who hate to be rebuked are stupid.(A)

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12 Those who love discipline love knowledge,
    and those who hate correction are stupid.

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

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13 A wise child loves discipline,[a]
    but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 13.1 Cn: Heb A wise child the discipline of his father

13 A wise son listens to[a] the discipline of his father,
    but a mocker doesn’t listen to correction.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 13:1 Heb lacks listens to.

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

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18 Poverty and disgrace are for the one who ignores instruction,
    but one who heeds reproof is honored.(A)

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18 Poverty and shame come to those who don’t care about instruction;
    honor belongs to those who heed correction.

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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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