20

智慧在街市上呼喊、在寬闊處發聲．

Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares;

21

在熱鬧街頭喊叫、在城門口、在城中發出言語．

at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:

22

說、你們愚昧人喜愛愚昧、褻慢人喜歡褻慢、愚頑人恨惡知識、要到幾時呢。

"How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?

23

你們當因我的責備回轉．我要將我的靈澆灌你們、將我的話指示你們。

If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.

24

我呼喚、你們不肯聽從．我伸手、無人理會．

But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand,

25

反輕棄我一切的勸戒、不肯受我的責備。

since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke,

26

你們遭災難、我就發笑．驚恐臨到你們、我必嗤笑．

I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you--

27

驚恐臨到你們、好像狂風、災難來到、如同暴風．急難痛苦臨到你們身上．

when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

28

那時、你們必呼求我、我卻不答應、懇切的尋找我、卻尋不見．

"Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me.

29

因為你們恨惡知識、不喜愛敬畏耶和華、

Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD,

30

不聽我的勸戒、藐視我一切的責備、

since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke,

31

所以必喫自結的果子、充滿自設的計謀。

they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.

32

愚昧人背道、必殺己身．愚頑人安逸、必害己命。

For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them;

33

惟有聽從我的、必安然居住、得享安靜、不怕災禍。

but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."