The Call of Wisdom
20 aWisdom shouts in the street,
She gives forth her voice in the square;
21 At the head of the noisy streets she calls out;
At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings:
22 “How long, O asimple ones, will you love simplicity?
And bscoffers delight in scoffing
And fools chate knowledge?
23 Turn to my reproof,
Behold, I will apour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 Because aI called and you brefused,
I cstretched out my hand and no one paid attention;
25 And you aneglected all my counsel
And were not bwilling to accept my reproof;
26 I will also alaugh at your bdisaster;
I will mock when your cdread comes,
27 When your dread comes like a storm
And your disaster comes like a awhirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 Then they will acall on me, but I will not answer;
They will bseek me earnestly but they will not find me,
29 Because they ahated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of Yahweh.
30 They awere not willing to accept my counsel,
They spurned all my reproof.
31 So they shall aeat of the fruit of their way
And be bsatisfied with their own devices.
32 For the aturning away of the simple will kill them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them.
33 But ahe who listens to me shall dwell securely
And will be at ease from the dread of evil.”