²⁰ Wisdom crieth without;
she uttereth her voice in the streets:
²¹ she crieth in the chief place of concourse,
in the openings of the gates:
in the city she uttereth her words, saying,
²² How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity?
and the scorners delight in their scorning,
and fools hate knowledge?
²³ Turn you at my reproof:
behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you,
I will make known my words unto you.

²⁴ Because I have called, and ye refused;
I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
²⁵ but ye have set at nought all my counsel,
and would none of my reproof:
²⁶ I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your fear cometh;
²⁷ when your fear cometh as desolation,
and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind;
when distress and anguish cometh upon you.
²⁸ Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer;
they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
²⁹ for that they hated knowledge,
and did not choose the fear of the Lord:
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 turning away of the simple shall slay them,
and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
³³ But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely,
and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

5 My son, attend unto my wisdom,
and bow thine ear to my understanding:
² that thou mayest regard discretion,
and that thy lips may keep knowledge.

²⁰ My son, keep thy father’s commandment,
and forsake not the law of thy mother:
²¹ bind them continually upon thine heart,
and tie them about thy neck.
²² When thou goest, it shall lead thee;
when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee;
and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.
²³ For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light;
and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

7 My son, keep my words,
and lay up my commandments with thee.
² Keep my commandments, and live;
and my law as the apple of thine eye.