An Offer You Dare Not Refuse – Proverbs 1:20-33
1 (20) Wisdom cries aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public square; (21) at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech. (22) You who are naïve, how long will you love your simple ways? How long will scoffers delight in scoffing and how long will fools hate knowledge? (23) If you would respond to my rebuke, I would pour out my Spirit upon you and cause you to understand my teaching.* (24) Because you refused to listen when I called—I stretched out my hand, but no one paid attention; (25) you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke. (26) Therefore, I will laugh at your calamity. I will mock when what you dread overtakes you; (27) when what you dread overtakes you like a storm and your calamity sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish overwhelm you. (28) Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. (29) Because they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear Jehovah—(30) they would not accept any of my advice, they despised my rebuke—(31) therefore, they will eat the fruit of their way and be filled with the consequences of their own decisions. (32) The aimlessness of the naïve will kill them and the “security” of fools will destroy them. (33) But whoever listens to me will live in safety and will be at peace, without fear of calamity.
*Literally, “I would make my words known to you”
Now proceed to the next section of this study, entitled, Exploring the Passage.
