²⁰ Wisdom calls out in the street;
she raises her voice in the public squares.^(A)
21 She cries out above^[a] the commotion;
she speaks at the entrance of the city gates:
²² “How long, foolish ones, will you love ignorance?
How long will you mockers^(B) enjoy mocking
and you fools hate knowledge?^(C)
23 If you respond to my warning,^[b](D)
then I will pour out my spirit on you^(E)
and teach you my words.
²⁴ Since I called out and you refused,^(F)
extended my hand and no one paid attention,^(G)
25 since you neglected all my counsel^(H)
and did not accept my correction,
²⁶ I, in turn, will laugh at your calamity.^(I)
I will mock when terror strikes you,
²⁷ when terror strikes you like a storm
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when trouble and stress overcome you.
²⁸ Then they will call me, but I won’t answer;
they will search for me, but won’t find me.^(J)
29 Because they hated knowledge,
didn’t choose to fear the Lord,^(K)
30 were not interested in my counsel,
and rejected all my correction,^(L)
31 they will eat the fruit of their way^(M)
and be glutted with their own schemes.^(N)
32 For the turning away of the inexperienced will kill them,^(O)
and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
³³ But whoever listens to me will live securely
and be free from the fear of danger.”^(P)

¹³ The woman Folly is rowdy;^(A)
she is gullible and knows nothing.^(B)
14 She sits by the doorway of her house,
on a seat at the highest point of the city,
¹⁵ calling to those who pass by,
who go straight ahead on their paths:^(C)
16 “Whoever is inexperienced, enter here!”
To the one who lacks sense, she says,
¹⁷ “Stolen water is sweet,
and bread eaten secretly is tasty!”^(D)
18 But he doesn’t know that the departed spirits are there,^(E)
that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.^(F)