Prologue: Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom

Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men

Listen, my son,(A) to your father’s(B) instruction
    and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.(C)

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Shun Evil Counsel

(A)My son, hear the instruction of your father,
And do not forsake the law of your mother;

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Wisdom’s Rebuke

20 Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,(A)
    she raises her voice in the public square;
21 on top of the wall[a] she cries out,
    at the city gate she makes her speech:

22 “How long will you who are simple(B) love your simple ways?
    How long will mockers delight in mockery
    and fools hate(C) knowledge?
23 Repent at my rebuke!
    Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
    I will make known to you my teachings.
24 But since you refuse(D) to listen when I call(E)
    and no one pays attention(F) when I stretch out my hand,
25 since you disregard all my advice
    and do not accept my rebuke,
26 I in turn will laugh(G) when disaster(H) strikes you;
    I will mock(I) when calamity overtakes you(J)
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
    when disaster(K) sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
    when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

28 “Then they will call to me but I will not answer;(L)
    they will look for me but will not find me,(M)
29 since they hated knowledge
    and did not choose to fear the Lord.(N)
30 Since they would not accept my advice
    and spurned my rebuke,(O)
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways
    and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.(P)
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
    and the complacency of fools will destroy them;(Q)
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety(R)
    and be at ease, without fear of harm.”(S)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:21 Septuagint; Hebrew / at noisy street corners

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

11 My son,(A) do not despise the Lord’s discipline,(B)
    and do not resent his rebuke,
12 because the Lord disciplines those he loves,(C)
    as a father the son he delights in.[a](D)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 3:12 Hebrew; Septuagint loves, / and he chastens everyone he accepts as his child

11 (A)My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor detest His correction;
12 For whom the Lord loves He corrects,
(B)Just as a father the son in whom he delights.

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Get Wisdom at Any Cost

Listen, my sons,(A) to a father’s instruction;(B)
    pay attention and gain understanding.(C)

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Security in Wisdom

Hear, (A)my children, the instruction of a father,
And give attention to know understanding;

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Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults;
    whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse.(A)
Do not rebuke mockers(B) or they will hate you;
    rebuke the wise and they will love you.(C)

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“He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself,
And he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself.
(A)Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you;
(B)Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.

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17 Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life,(A)
    but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.

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17 He who keeps instruction is in the way of life,
But he who refuses correction [a]goes astray.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:17 leads

12 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
    but whoever hates correction is stupid.(A)

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The House of the Righteous Shall Stand

12 Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge,
But he who hates correction is stupid.

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13 A wise son heeds his father’s instruction,
    but a mocker does not respond to rebukes.(A)

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Wisdom Loves Righteousness

13 A wise son heeds his father’s instruction,
(A)But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.

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18 Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame,(A)
    but whoever heeds correction is honored.(B)

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18 Poverty and shame will come to him who [a]disdains correction,
But (A)he who regards a rebuke will be honored.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 13:18 Lit. ignores

A fool spurns a parent’s discipline,
    but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.(A)

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(A)A fool despises his father’s instruction,
(B)But he who [a]receives correction is prudent.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 15:5 Lit. keeps

12 Mockers resent correction,(A)
    so they avoid the wise.

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12 (A)A scoffer does not love one who corrects him,
Nor will he go to the wise.

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32 Those who disregard discipline despise themselves,(A)
    but the one who heeds correction gains understanding.(B)

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32 He who disdains instruction despises his own soul,
But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding.

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