Wisdom Warns

20 (A)Wisdom shouts in the street,
She [a]raises her voice in the public square;
21 At the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
At the entrance of the gates in the city she declares her sayings:
22 “How long, you (B)naive ones, will you love simplistic thinking?
And how long will (C)scoffers delight themselves in scoffing
And fools (D)hate knowledge?
23 Turn to my rebuke,
Behold, I will (E)pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 Because (F)I called and you (G)refused,
I (H)stretched out my hand and no one paid attention;
25 And you (I)neglected all my advice
And did not (J)want my rebuke;
26 I will also (K)laugh at your (L)disaster;
I will mock when your (M)dread comes,
27 When your dread comes like a storm
And your disaster comes like a (N)whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 Then they will (O)call on me, but I will not answer;
They will (P)seek me diligently but will not find me,
29 Because they (Q)hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord.
30 They (R)did not accept my advice,
They disdainfully rejected every rebuke from me.
31 So they shall (S)eat of the fruit of their own way,
And be (T)filled with their own schemes.
32 For the (U)faithlessness of the naive will kill them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them.
33 But (V)whoever listens to me will live securely
And will be at ease from the dread of evil.”

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:20 Lit gives

20 Wisdom crieth aloud in the street;
She uttereth her voice in the broad places;
21 She crieth [a]in the chief place of concourse;
At the entrance of the gates,
In the city, she uttereth her words:
22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity?
And scoffers delight them in scoffing,
And fools hate knowledge?
23 Turn you at my reproof:
Behold, I will pour out my spirit upon you;
I will make known my words unto you.
24 Because I have called, and ye have refused;
I have stretched out my hand, and no man hath regarded;
25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel,
And would none of my reproof:
26 I also will laugh in the day of your calamity;
I will mock when your fear cometh;
27 When your fear cometh as [b]a storm,
And your calamity cometh on as a whirlwind;
When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 Then will they call upon me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me [c]diligently, but they shall not find me:
29 For that they hated knowledge,
And did not choose the fear of Jehovah,
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 backsliding of the simple shall slay them,
And the careless ease of fools shall destroy them.
33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell securely,
And shall be quiet without fear of evil.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:21 Hebrew at the head of the noisy streets.
  2. Proverbs 1:27 Or, desolation
  3. Proverbs 1:28 Or, early

Pitfalls of Immorality

My son, (A)pay attention to my wisdom,
(B)Incline your ear to my understanding,
So that you may (C)maintain discretion
And your (D)lips may comply with knowledge.

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My son, attend unto my wisdom;
Incline thine ear to my understanding:
That thou mayest preserve discretion,
And that thy lips may keep knowledge.

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20 (A)My son, comply with the commandment of your father,
And do not ignore the [a]teaching of your mother;
21 (B)Bind them continually on your heart;
Tie them around your neck.
22 When you (C)walk, [b]they will guide you;
When you sleep, [c]they will watch over you;
And when you awake, [d]they will talk to you.
23 For (D)the commandment is a lamp and the [e]teaching is light;
And rebukes for discipline are the way of life

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 6:20 Or law
  2. Proverbs 6:22 Lit she
  3. Proverbs 6:22 Lit she
  4. Proverbs 6:22 Lit she
  5. Proverbs 6:23 Or law

20 My son, keep the commandment of thy father,
And forsake not the [a]law of thy mother:
21 Bind them continually upon thy heart;
Tie them about thy neck.
22 When thou walkest, it shall lead thee;
When thou [b]sleepest, it shall watch over thee;
And when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.
23 For [c]the commandment is a lamp; and [d]the law is light;
And reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 6:20 Or, teaching
  2. Proverbs 6:22 Hebrew liest down.
  3. Proverbs 6:23 Or, their commandment
  4. Proverbs 6:23 Or, their teaching

The Lures of the Prostitute

My son, (A)keep my words
And treasure my commandments within you.
(B)Keep my commandments and live,
And my [a]teaching (C)as the [b]apple of your eye.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 7:2 Or law
  2. Proverbs 7:2 Lit pupil

My son, keep my words,
And lay up my commandments with thee.
Keep my commandments and live;
And my law as the apple of thine eye.

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31 The (A)mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom,
But the (B)perverted tongue will be cut out.

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31 The mouth of the righteous [a]bringeth forth wisdom;
But the perverse tongue shall be cut off.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:31 Or, buddeth with

14 Where there is no (A)guidance the people fall,
But in an abundance of counselors there is [a]victory.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 11:14 Lit deliverance

14 Where no wise guidance is, the people falleth;
But in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.

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The thoughts of the righteous are just,
But the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.

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The thoughts of the righteous are just;
But the counsels of the wicked are deceit.

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26 The righteous person is a guide to his neighbor,
But the way of the wicked leads them astray.

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26 The righteous is a guide to his neighbor;
But the way of the wicked causeth them to err.

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13 One who (A)despises the word will do badly,
But one who fears the commandment will be (B)rewarded.

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13 Whoso despiseth the word [a]bringeth destruction on himself;
But he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 13:13 Or, maketh himself a debtor thereto

The lips of the wise spread knowledge,
But the hearts of fools are not so.

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The lips of the wise disperse knowledge;
But the heart of the foolish [a]doeth not so.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 15:7 Or, is not stedfast (or, right)

22 Without consultation, plans are frustrated,
But with many counselors they [a]succeed.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 15:22 Or are established

22 Where there is no counsel, purposes are disappointed;
But in the multitude of counsellors they are established.

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20 (A)Listen to advice and accept discipline,
So that you may be wise [a]the rest of your days.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:20 Lit in your latter end

20 Hear counsel, and receive [a]instruction,
That thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:20 Or, correction