1:20 Wisdom 1 calls out 2 in the street,
she shouts loudly 3 in the plazas; 4
1:21 at the head of the noisy 5 streets she calls,
in the entrances of the gates in the city 6 she utters her words: 7
1:22 “How long will you simpletons 8 love naiveté? 9
How long 10 will mockers 11 delight 12 in mockery 13
and fools 14 hate knowledge?
1:23 If only 15 you will respond 16 to my rebuke, 17
then 18 I will pour 19 out my thoughts 20 to you
and 21 I will make 22 my words known to you.
1:24 However, 23 because 24 I called but you refused to listen, 25
because 26 I stretched out my hand 27 but no one paid attention,
1:25 because 28 you neglected 29 all my advice,
and did not comply 30 with my rebuke,
1:26 so 31 I myself will laugh 32 when disaster strikes you, 33
I will mock when what you dread 34 comes,
1:27 when what you dread 35 comes like a whirlwind, 36
and disaster strikes you 37 like a devastating storm, 38
when distressing trouble 39 comes on you.
1:28 Then they will call to me, but I will not answer;
they will diligently seek 40 me, but they will not find me.
1:29 Because 41 they hated moral knowledge, 42
and did not choose to fear the Lord, 43
1:30 they did not comply with my advice,
they spurned 44 all my rebuke.
1:31 Therefore 45 they will eat from the fruit 46 of their way, 47
and they will be stuffed full 48 of their own counsel.
1:32 For the waywardness 49 of the
simpletons will kill 50 them,
and the careless ease 51 of fools will destroy them.