17. It’s useless to cast a netin the sight of a bird.
18. But these sinners set up a deadly ambush;they lie in wait for their own lives.
19. These are the ways of all who seek unjust gain;it costs them their lives.
20. Wisdom shouts in the street;in the public square she raises her voice.
21. Above the noisy crowd, she calls out.At the entrances of the city gates, she has her say:
22. "How long will you clueless people love your naïveté, mockers hold their mocking dear,and fools hate knowledge?
23. You should respond when I correct you.Look, I’ll pour out my spirit on you.I’ll reveal my words to you.
24. I invited you, but you rejected me;I stretched out my hand to you,but you paid no attention.
25. You ignored all my advice,and you didn’t want me to correct you.
26. So I’ll laugh at your disaster;I’ll make fun of you when dread comes over you,
27. when terror hits you like a hurricane,and your disaster comes in like a tornado,when distress and oppression overcome you.
28. Then they will call me, but I won’t answer;they will seek me, but won’t find me
29. because they hated knowledgeand didn’t choose the fear of the Lord.
30. They didn’t want my advice;they rejected all my corrections.