Proverbs 1:20–33

The Call of Lady Wisdom

²⁰Wisdom calls out in the streets,

in the squares she raises her voice.

²¹On a busy corner^l she cries out,

at the entrances of the gates in the city, she speaks her sayings:

²²“How long,^m O simple ones, will you love simplicity?

And how long will scoffers delight in their scoffing,

and fools hate knowledge?

²³May you turn to my argument!ⁿ

Behold, I shall pour out my spirit upon you;

I will make my words known to you.

²⁴Because I called out and you refused me,

I stretched out my hand, yet there is none who heeds.

²⁵You have ignored all my counsel,

and my reproof you are not willing to accept.

²⁶I will also laugh at your calamity;^o

I will mock when panic^p comes upon you.

²⁷When your panic comes like a storm,

and your calamity arrives like a whirlwind,

when distress and anguish come upon you,

²⁸then they will call^q me, but I will not answer;

they will seek me diligently but not find me.

²⁹Since they hated knowledge,

and did not choose the fear of Yahweh,

³⁰they were not willing to accept my counsel,

they despised all my reproof.

³¹They shall eat from the fruit of their way,

and they shall be sated from their own schemes,

³²for the waywardness of the simple ones will kill them,

and the complacency of fools will destroy them.

³³Whoever listens to me will dwell in security

and rest securely^r from dread and disaster.”