20 Wisdom calls out loudly on the street—

≈she makes her voice known in the plazas.[ref]

21 She calls out from above the busy streets.

≈She tells her sayings at the meeting place at the city gates.

22 How much longer will naive people love their naivety,

≈and mockers enjoy their mockery,

≈and stupid people despise knowledge?

23 Change your ways when I correct you.

Listen, I’ll pour my spirit out on you all.

Let me declare my messages to you all

24 because I’ve called and you’ve all refused to listen.

≈I held out my hand but no one paid any attention

25 and you all ignored all my advice

and took no notice when I corrected you.

26 So I’ll laugh when calamity hits you all

and I’ll ridicule you when you’re all terrified

27 when panic strikes you all like a storm

and calamity comes like a whirlwind

and when trouble and anguish reach you all.

28 Then they’ll call out to me for help but I won’t answer.

≈They’ll search for me but won’t be able to find me

29 because they hated wisdom

≈and didn’t choose to respect and obey Yahweh.

30 They didn’t listen to my advice.

≈They didn’t want to hear whenever I corrected them,

31 so they’ll eat the fruit of their own chosen path

≈and they’ll be filled with their own schemes.

32 Naive people will get killed as a result of their own turning away,

≈and the fools’ own complacency will destroy them.

33 However, those who listen to me will have secure lives

and be able to relax without worrying about troubles coming.