²¹ At the head of the noisy streets she calls out;
At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings:
²² “How long, O ^(A)simple ones, will you love simplicity?
And ^(B)scoffers delight in scoffing
And ^[a]fools ^(C)hate knowledge?
²³ Turn to my reproof,
Behold, I will ^(D)pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
²⁴ Because ^(E)I called and you ^(F)refused,
I ^(G)stretched out my hand and no one paid attention;
²⁵ And you ^(H)neglected all my counsel
And were not ^(I)willing to accept my reproof;
²⁶ I will also ^(J)laugh at your ^(K)disaster;
I will mock when your ^(L)dread comes,
²⁷ When your dread comes like a storm
And your disaster comes like a ^(M)whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
²⁸ Then they will ^(N)call on me, but I will not answer;
They will ^(O)seek me earnestly but they will not find me,
²⁹ Because they ^(P)hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of Yahweh.
³⁰ They ^(Q)were not willing to accept my counsel,
They spurned all my reproof.
³¹ So they shall ^(R)eat of the fruit of their way
And be ^(S)satisfied with their own devices.
³² For the ^(T)turning away of the simple will kill them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them.
³³ But ^(U)he who listens to me shall dwell securely
And will be at ease from the dread of evil.”