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The Call of Lady Wisdom

20 Wisdom calls out in the streets,
    in the squares she raises her voice.
21 On a busy corner[a] she cries out,
    at the entrances of the gates in the city, she speaks her sayings:
22 How long,[b] O simple ones, will you love simplicity?
    And how long will scoffers delight in their scoffing,
    and fools hate knowledge?
23 May you turn to my argument![c]
    Behold, I shall pour out my spirit upon you;
    I will make my words known to you.
24 Because I called out and you refused me,
    I stretched out my hand, yet there is none who heeds.
25 You have ignored all my counsel,
    and my reproof you are not willing to accept.
26 I will also laugh at your calamity;[d]
    I will mock when panic[e] comes upon you.
27 When your panic comes like a storm,
    and your calamity arrives like a whirlwind,
    when distress and anguish come upon you,
28 then they will call[f] me, but I will not answer;
    they will seek me diligently but not find me.
29 Since they hated knowledge,
    and did not choose the fear of Yahweh,
30 they were not willing to accept my counsel,
    they despised all my reproof.
31 They shall eat from the fruit of their way,
    and they shall be sated from their own schemes,
32 for the waywardness of the simple ones will kill them,
    and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
33 Whoever listens to me will dwell in security
    and rest securely[g] from dread and disaster.”

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:21 Literally “head of commotion,” or “head of stirring, bustling”
  2. Proverbs 1:22 Literally “Until when”
  3. Proverbs 1:23 Or “turn at my reproach”
  4. Proverbs 1:26 Or “downfall”
  5. Proverbs 1:26 Or “dread, fear”
  6. Proverbs 1:28 Or “cry out to
  7. Proverbs 1:33 Or “be at ease, peace”

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

My child, be attentive to my wisdom,
    and to my understanding incline your ear;
in order to keep prudence,
    and knowledge will guard your lips.

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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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Commandment and Instruction as Guardians

20 My child, keep the commandment of your father,
    and do not disregard the instruction of your mother.
21 Bind them on your heart continually;
    tie them upon your neck.
22 When you walk,[a] she[b] will lead you,
    When you lie down,[c] she will watch over you,
    and when you awake, she will converse with you.
23 For like a lamp is a commandment, and instruction is light,
    and the way of life[d] is the reproof of discipline,

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 6:22 Literally “In your walking”
  2. Proverbs 6:22 That is, “commandment” and “instruction”
  3. Proverbs 6:22 Literally “In your lying down”
  4. Proverbs 6:23 Hebrew “lives”

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

Warning Against the Strange Woman

My child, guard my sayings;
    store my commandments with you.
Keep my commands and live,
    and my teaching like the apple of your eye.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 7:2 A single word meaning “pupil of the eye”

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 mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom,
    but a tongue of perversity will be cut off.

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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 guidance, a nation[a] shall fall,
    but there is safety in an abundance of counsel.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 11:14 Or “people”

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[a] just;
    the advice of the wicked is treacherous.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 12:5 Hebrew “is”

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

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26 A righteous person will seek out his neighbor,
    but the way of the wicked will lead 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 He who despises a word will bring destruction on himself,
    but he who respects a commandment will be 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 will spread knowledge,
    but the heart[a] of fools, not so.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 15:7 Or “mind”

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 Plans go wrong when there is no counsel,
    but with many advisors it will succeed.

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

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20 Listen to advice and accept instruction
    so that you will gain wisdom for your future.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:20 Literally “after things

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