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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Avoid evil associations

Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction;
    don’t neglect your mother’s teaching;

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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

Listen to “Woman Wisdom”

20 Wisdom shouts in the street;
    in the public square she raises her voice.
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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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

11 Don’t reject the instruction of the Lord, my son;
    don’t despise his correction.
12 The Lord loves those he corrects,
    just like a father who treats his son with favor.

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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

Love wisdom

Hear, children, fatherly instruction;
    pay attention to gain understanding.

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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

Wise advice

Whoever instructs the cynic gets insulted;
    whoever corrects the wicked gets hurt.
Don’t correct the impudent, or they will hate you;
    correct the wise, and they will love you.

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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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17 Those who heed instruction are on the way to life,
    but those who ignore correction lose their way.

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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

12 Those who love discipline love knowledge,
    and those who hate correction are stupid.

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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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13 A wise son listens to[a] the discipline of his father,
    but a mocker doesn’t listen to correction.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 13:1 Heb lacks listens to.

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

18 Poverty and shame come to those who don’t care about instruction;
    honor belongs to those who heed correction.

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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

A fool doesn’t like a father’s instruction,
    but those who heed correction are mature.

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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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12 Mockers don’t like those who correct them.
    They won’t go to the wise.

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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

32 Those who refuse discipline despise themselves,
    but those who listen to correction gain understanding.

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