^8 (A)Hear, my son, your father’s instruction
And ^(B)do not forsake your mother’s teaching;

^20 (A)Wisdom shouts in the street,
She ^[a]lifts her voice in the square;
²¹ At the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings:
²² “How long, O ^[b](B)naive ones, will you love ^[c]being simple-minded?
And ^(C)scoffers delight themselves in scoffing
And fools ^(D)hate knowledge?
²³ “Turn to my reproof,
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 counsel
And did not ^(J)want my reproof;
²⁶ I will also ^(K)laugh at your ^(L)calamity;
I will mock when your ^(M)dread comes,
²⁷ When your dread comes like a storm
And your calamity 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 they will not find me,
²⁹ Because they ^(Q)hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord.
³⁰ “They ^(R)would not accept my counsel,
They spurned all my reproof.
³¹ “So they shall ^(S)eat of the fruit of their own way
And be ^(T)satiated with their own devices.
³² “For the ^(U)waywardness of the ^[d]naive will kill them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them.
³³ “But ^(V)he who listens to me shall ^[e]live securely
And will be at ease from the dread of evil.”

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

4 Hear, O sons, the ^(A)instruction of a father,
And ^(B)give attention that you may ^[a]gain understanding,