Proverbs 1:9-29

⁹They are a wreath of grace to decorate your head; they are pendants for your neck.

¹⁰My son, if evil people try to tempt you, don't give into them.

¹¹They may tell you, “Come with us. Let's go and hide, ready to kill someone. Let's ambush someone for fun!

¹²Let's bury them alive; let's put them in the grave while they're still healthy!

¹³We'll take from them all kinds of valuable things and fill our homes with the stuff we steal!

¹⁴Come and join us and we'll all share what we get!”

¹⁵My son, don't follow their ways. Don't go in that direction with them.

¹⁶For they rush to do evil; they hurry to commit violence and murder.

¹⁷There's no point in trying to lure birds into a net when they can see it.

¹⁸However, these evil people hide ready to kill others, but they themselves are the victims. They're only ambushing themselves!

¹⁹This is what happens to you if you try to become rich through crime—it kills you!

²⁰Wisdom calls out in the streets; she shouts aloud in the squares.

²¹She cries out at busy corners; she explains her message at the town gates:

²²“How long will you stupid people love stupidity? How long will scornful people enjoy their mocking? How long will fools hate knowledge?

²³Pay attention to my warnings, and I'll pour out my deepest thoughts to you—I'll explain what I know to you.

²⁴For I have called you, but you refused to listen; I reached out my hand to you, but you didn't care.

²⁵You ignored everything I said; you wouldn't accept any of my warnings.

²⁶So I'll laugh at you when you're in trouble; I'll mock you when you're in a panic.

²⁷When panic rains down on you like a storm, when trouble hits you like a whirlwind, when sorrow and pain come on you,

²⁸then you'll call out to me for help, but I won't answer; you'll search hard for me, but won't find me.

²⁹Why?—because they hated knowledge, and they didn't choose to respect the Lord.