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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.

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The Call of Wisdom

20 (A)Wisdom calls aloud [a]outside;
She raises her voice in the open squares.
21 She cries out in the [b]chief concourses,
At the openings of the gates in the city
She speaks her words:
22 “How long, you [c]simple ones, will you love [d]simplicity?
For scorners delight in their scorning,
And fools hate knowledge.
23 Turn at my rebuke;
Surely (B)I will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 (C)Because I have called and you refused,
I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
25 Because you (D)disdained all my counsel,
And would have none of my rebuke,
26 (E)I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your terror comes,
27 When (F)your terror comes like a storm,
And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.

28 “Then(G) they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
29 Because they (H)hated knowledge
And did not (I)choose the fear of the Lord,
30 (J)They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.
31 Therefore (K)they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
32 For the [e]turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 But whoever listens to me will dwell (L)safely,
And (M)will be [f]secure, without fear of evil.”

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:20 in the street
  2. Proverbs 1:21 LXX, Syr., Tg. top of the walls; Vg. the head of multitudes
  3. Proverbs 1:22 naive
  4. Proverbs 1:22 naivete
  5. Proverbs 1:32 waywardness
  6. Proverbs 1:33 at ease

13 A foolish woman is clamorous:
she is simple, and knoweth nothing.
14 For she sitteth at the door of her house,
on a seat in the high places of the city,
15 to call passengers who go right on their ways:
16 Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither:
and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,
17 Stolen waters are sweet,
and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.
18 But he knoweth not that the dead are there;
and that her guests are in the depths of hell.

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The Way of Folly

13 (A)A foolish woman is [a]clamorous;
She is simple, and knows nothing.
14 For she sits at the door of her house,
On a seat (B)by the highest places of the city,
15 To call to those who pass by,
Who go straight on their way:
16 “Whoever(C) is [b]simple, let him turn in here”;
And as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
17 “Stolen(D) water is sweet,
And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know that (E)the dead are there,
That her guests are in the depths of [c]hell.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 9:13 boisterous
  2. Proverbs 9:16 naive
  3. Proverbs 9:18 Or Sheol