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Warnings Against Evil

My ·child [L son], listen to your father’s ·teaching [instruction; discipline]
    and do not ·forget [neglect] your mother’s ·advice [instruction].

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The Enticement of Sinners

(A)Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction,
And (B)do not ignore your mother’s teaching;

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Wisdom Speaks

20 Wisdom [C the personification of God’s wisdom; 8:1–36; 9:1–6] ·is like a woman shouting [L shouts] in the street;
    she ·raises her voice [yells out] in the city squares [C the hub for business, government, and social interaction].
21 She cries out ·in the noisy street [L at the top of the noisy throng]
    and shouts at the [L entrances of] city gates:
22 “You ·fools [simpletons; immature ones], how long will you be ·foolish [immature]?
    How long will you make ·fun of wisdom [mocking so dear to you]
    and hate knowledge?
23 If only you had ·listened [responded] when I corrected you,
    I would have ·told you what’s in my heart [L poured forth my spirit to you];
    I would have ·told you what I am thinking [L revealed my words to you].
24 I called, but you ·refused to listen [rejected me];
    I held out my hand, but you paid no attention.
25 You ·did not follow [ignored] my advice
    and did not ·listen when I corrected [want me to correct] you.
26 So I will laugh ·when you are in trouble [L at your calamity].
    I will ·make fun [ridicule you] when disaster strikes you,
27 when ·disaster [dread] comes over you like a ·storm [tempest],
    when trouble strikes you like a whirlwind,
when ·pain [distress] and ·trouble [oppression] overwhelm you.

28 “Then you will call to me,
    but I will not answer.
You will ·look for [seek] me,
    but you will not find me.
29 It is because you ·rejected [hated] knowledge
    and did not choose to ·respect [fear; hold in awe] the Lord.
30 You did not ·accept [want] my advice,
    and you rejected my correction.
31 So you will ·get what you deserve [L eat from the fruit of your path];
    you will ·get what you planned for others [or be satisfied with your own counsel].
32 ·Fools [The simple/immature] will die because they ·refuse to listen [L turn away];
    ·they [L fools] will be destroyed because ·they do not care [of complacency].
33 But those who ·listen to [obey] me will live in safety
    ·and be at peace, without fear of injury [untroubled by the dread of harm].”

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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

11 My ·child [L son], do not reject the Lord’s discipline,
    and don’t ·get angry [loathe] when he corrects you.
12 The Lord corrects those he loves,
    just as ·parents [L fathers] correct the child they delight in.

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11 (A)My son, do not reject the [a]discipline of the Lord
Or loathe His rebuke,
12 For (B)whom the Lord loves He disciplines,
Just (C)as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 3:11 Or instruction

Wisdom Is Important

My ·children [L sons], listen to your father’s ·teaching [discipline; instruction];
    pay attention ·so you will understand [L to the knowledge of understanding].

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A Father’s Instruction

Listen, my sons, to the (A)instruction of a father,
And (B)pay attention so that you may [a]gain understanding,

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 4:1 Lit know

“If you ·correct [instruct; discipline] ·someone who makes fun of wisdom [a mocker], you will be insulted.
    If you correct an evil person, you will ·get hurt [L be blemished].
Do not correct ·those who make fun of wisdom [mockers], or they will hate you.
    But correct the wise, and they will love you.

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One who (A)corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself,
And one who rebukes a wicked person gets [a]insults for himself.
(B)Do not rebuke a scoffer, or he will hate you;
(C)Rebuke a wise person and he will love you.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 9:7 Lit a blemish

17 Whoever ·accepts correction [guards instruction/discipline] is on the way to life,
but whoever ·ignores [abandons] correction ·will lead others away from life [L wanders aimlessly].

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17 One who (A)is on the path of life follows instruction,
But one who ignores a rebuke goes astray.

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12 Anyone who loves ·learning [knowledge] ·accepts [L loves] ·correction [instruction; discipline],
but a person who hates being corrected is stupid.

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Contrast of the Upright and the Wicked

12 One who loves [a]discipline loves knowledge,
But one who hates rebuke is stupid.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 12:1 Or instruction

13 Wise ·children take their parents’ advice [L sons listen to their father’s discipline/instruction],
but ·whoever makes fun of wisdom [mockers] won’t listen to ·correction [a rebuke].

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Contrast of the Upright and the Wicked

13 A (A)wise son accepts his father’s discipline,
But a (B)scoffer does not listen to rebuke.

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18 A person who ·refuses [neglects] ·correction [instruction; discipline] will end up poor and disgraced,
but the one who ·accepts [L guards] correction will be honored.

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18 Poverty and shame will come to one who (A)neglects [a]discipline,
But one who complies with rebuke will be honored.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 13:18 Or instruction

Fools ·reject [disdain] their ·parents’ [father’s] ·correction [discipline],
but anyone who ·accepts [guards] correction is wise.

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A fool [a]rejects his father’s discipline,
But he who complies with rebuke is sensible.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 15:5 Or despises

12 ·Those who make fun of wisdom [L Mockers] don’t like to be corrected;
they will not ·ask the wise for advice [L go to the wise].

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12 A (A)scoffer does not love one who rebukes him;
He will not go to the wise.

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32 Those who ·refuse [neglect] ·correction [discipline] hate themselves,
but those who ·accept [listen to] correction ·gain understanding [L acquire heart/mind].

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32 One who (A)neglects discipline (B)rejects himself,
But one who (C)listens to a rebuke acquires [a]understanding.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 15:32 Lit heart