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Lecture Against Gang Behavior

My child, may you keep[a] your father’s instruction,
    and do not reject your mother’s teachings,

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:8 Or “obey,” or “hear”

My son, hear the instruction of thy father,
And forsake not the [a]law of thy mother:

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:8 Or, teaching

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

Happy Is the One Who Finds Wisdom

11 Do not despise the discipline of Yahweh, my child.
    Do not be weary of his reproof
12 because whomever Yahweh will love, he will rebuke,
    as a father delights in his son.

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11 My son, despise not the [a]chastening of Jehovah;
Neither be weary of his reproof:
12 For whom Jehovah loveth he reproveth,
Even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 3:11 Or, instruction

The Father’s Wisdom

Children, listen to the instruction of a father,
    and be attentive in order to know insight.

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Hear, my sons, the instruction of a father,
And attend to know understanding:

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He who corrects a scoffer gains abuse for himself,
    and he who rebukes the wicked gets hurt.[a]
Do not rebuke a scoffer, lest he hate you;
    rebuke the wise and he will love you.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 9:7 Literally “abuse him”

He that correcteth a scoffer getteth to himself reviling;
And he that reproveth a wicked man getteth himself a blot.
Reprove not a scoffer, lest he hate thee:
Reprove a wise man, and he will love thee.

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17 On the path to life is he who guards instruction,
    but he who rejects rebuke goes astray.

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17 He [a]is in the way of life that heedeth [b]correction;
But he that forsaketh reproof [c]erreth.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:17 Or, is a way
  2. Proverbs 10:17 Or, instruction
  3. Proverbs 10:17 Or, causeth to err

12 He who loves discipline loves knowledge,
    but he who hates rebuke is stupid.

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12 Whoso loveth [a]correction loveth knowledge;
But he that hateth reproof is brutish.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 12:1 Or, instruction

13 A wise child hears the discipline of a father,
    but a scoffer does not listen to a rebuke.

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13 A wise son heareth his father’s [a]instruction;
But a scoffer heareth not rebuke.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 13:1 Or, correction

18 Poverty and disgrace belong to him who ignores instruction,
    but he who guards reproof will be honored.

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18 Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth [a]correction;
But he that regardeth reproof shall be honored.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 13:18 Or, instruction

A fool will despise the instruction of his father,
    but he who guards reproof is prudent.

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A fool despiseth his father’s [a]correction;
But he that regardeth reproof [b]getteth prudence.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 15:5 Or, instruction
  2. Proverbs 15:5 Or, dealeth prudently

12 A scoffer does not like his rebuke;[a]
    to the wise he will not go.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 15:12 Literally “rebuke belonging to him”

12 A scoffer loveth not to be reproved;
He will not go unto the wise.

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32 He who ignores instruction despises himself,[a]
    but he who hears admonition gains heart.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 15:32 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
  2. Proverbs 15:32 Or “mind”

32 He that refuseth [a]correction despiseth his own soul;
But he that hearkeneth to reproof getteth [b]understanding.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 15:32 Or, instruction
  2. Proverbs 15:32 Hebrew heart.