Proverbs 1:20-33

¶Wisdom shouts in the street, She raises her voice in the markets; She calls out at the head of the noisy streets [where large crowds gather]; At the entrance of the city gates she speaks her words: “How long, O naive ones [you who are easily misled], will you love being simple-minded and undiscerning? How long will scoffers [who ridicule and deride] delight in scoffing, How long will fools [who obstinately mock truth] hate knowledge? “If you will turn and pay attention to my rebuke, Behold, I [Wisdom] will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. [Is 11:2; Eph 1:17-20] “Because I called and you refused [to answer], I stretched out my hand and no one has paid attention [to my offer]; [Is 65:11, 12; 66:4; Jer 7:13, 14; Zech 7:11-13] And you treated all my counsel as nothing And would not accept my reprimand, I also will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when your dread and panic come, When your dread and panic come like a storm, And your disaster comes like a whirlwind, When anxiety and distress come upon you [as retribution]. “Then they will call upon me (Wisdom), but I will not answer; They will seek me eagerly but they will not find me, [Job 27:9; 35:12, 13; Is 1:15, 16; Jer 11:11; Mic 3:4; James 4:3] Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD [that is, obeying Him with reverence and awe-filled respect], [Prov 8:13] They would not accept my counsel, And they spurned all my rebuke. “Therefore they shall eat of the fruit of their own [wicked] way And be satiated with [the penalty of] their own devices. “For the turning away of the naive will kill them, And the careless ease of [self-righteous] fools will destroy them. [Is 32:6] “But whoever listens to me (Wisdom) will live securely and in confident trust And will be at ease, without fear or dread of evil.”