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The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:(A)

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Purpose of Proverbs

The proverbs of Solomon, King David’s son, from Israel:

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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?(A)
23 Give heed to my reproof;
I will pour out my thoughts to you;
    I will make my words known to you.(B)
24 Because I have called and you refused,
    have stretched out my hand and no one heeded,(C)
25 and because you have ignored all my counsel
    and would have none of my reproof,(D)
26 I also will laugh at your calamity;
    I will mock when panic strikes you,(E)
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.(F)
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,(G)
31 therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way
    and be sated with their own devices.(H)
32 For waywardness kills the simple,
    and the complacency of fools destroys them;(I)
33 but those who listen to me will be secure
    and will live at ease without dread of disaster.”(J)

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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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