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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 calls aloud in the street.
    She utters her voice in the public squares.
21 She calls at the head of noisy places.
    At the entrance of the city gates, she utters her words:
22 “How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?
    How long will mockers delight themselves in mockery,
    and fools hate knowledge?
23 Turn at my reproof.
    Behold,[a] I will pour out my spirit on you.
    I will make known my words to you.
24 Because I have called, and you have refused;
    I have stretched out my hand, and no one has paid attention;
25 but you have ignored all my counsel,
    and wanted none of my reproof;
26 I also will laugh at your disaster.
    I will mock when calamity overtakes you,
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
    when your disaster comes on like a whirlwind,
    when distress and anguish come on you.
28 Then they will call on me, but I will not answer.
    They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me,
29 because they hated knowledge,
    and didn’t choose the fear of Yahweh.
30 They wanted none of my counsel.
    They despised all my reproof.
31 Therefore they will eat of the fruit of their own way,
    and be filled with their own schemes.
32 For the backsliding of the simple will kill them.
    The careless ease of fools will destroy them.
33 But whoever listens to me will dwell securely,
    and will be at ease, without fear of harm.”

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Footnotes

  1. 1:23 “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.

13 A woman of foolishness is loud,
    simple, and does not know it.[a]
14 She sits at the door of her house,
    upon a throne at the high places of town,
15 in order to call to those who pass by the road,
    those who go straight on their way:
16 “Whoever is simple, may he turn here!”
    As for he who lacks sense,[b] she says to him,
17 “Stolen waters are sweet,
    and bread of secrecy is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know that the dead[c] are there,
    in the depths of Sheol[d] are her guests.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 9:13 Literally “what”
  2. Proverbs 9:16 Literally “heart”
  3. Proverbs 9:18 Or “Rephaim”
  4. Proverbs 9:18 A term for the place where the dead reside, i.e., the Underworld

13 The foolish woman is loud,
    undisciplined, and knows nothing.
14 She sits at the door of her house,
    on a seat in the high places of the city,
15 to call to those who pass by,
    who go straight on their ways,
16 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here.”
    as for him who is void of understanding, she says to him,
17 “Stolen water is sweet.
    Food eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he doesn’t know that the departed spirits are there,
    that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. 9:18 Sheol is the place of the dead.