³² Whoso is refusing instruction is despising his soul, And whoso is hearing reproof Is getting understanding.

²⁴ Because I have called, and ye refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,

²⁵ And ye slight all my counsel, And my reproof ye have not desired.

²⁶ I also in your calamity do laugh, I deride when your fear cometh,

²⁷ When your fear cometh as destruction, And your calamity as a hurricane doth come, When on you come adversity and distress.

²⁸ Then they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and find me not.

²⁹ Because that they have hated knowledge, And the fear of Jehovah have not chosen.

³⁰ They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof,

³¹ And they eat of the fruit of their way, And from their own counsels they are filled.

³² For the turning of the simple slayeth them, And the security of the foolish destroyeth them.

³³ And whoso is hearkening to me dwelleth confidently, And `is' quiet from fear of evil!'

¹⁹ `As many as I love, I do convict and chasten; be zealous, then, and reform;

²² and become ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves,

²⁴ `Therefore, every one who doth hear of me these words, and doth do them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house upon the rock;

²⁵ and the rain did descend, and the streams came, and the winds blew, and they beat on that house, and it fell not, for it had been founded on the rock.

²⁶ `And every one who is hearing of me these words, and is not doing them, shall be likened to a foolish man who built his house upon the sand;

²⁷ and the rain did descend, and the streams came, and the winds blew, and they beat on that house, and it fell, and its fall was great.'

⁷ Fear of Jehovah `is' a beginning of knowledge, Wisdom and instruction fools have despised!

¹³ In thine uncleanness `is' wickedness, Because I have cleansed thee, And thou hast not been cleansed, From thine uncleanness thou art not cleansed again, Till I have caused My fury to rest on thee.

¹⁴ I, Jehovah, hath spoken, It hath come, and I have done `it', I do not free, nor do I spare, nor do I repent, According to thy ways, and according to thine acts, they have judged thee, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.'

³ Jehovah, Thine eyes, are they not on stedfastness? Thou hast smitten them, and they have not grieved, Thou hast consumed them, They have refused to receive instruction, They made their faces harder than a rock, They have refused to turn back.

⁵ Wherefore are ye stricken any more? Ye do add apostacy! Every head is become diseased, and every heart `is' sick.

¹ A man often reproved, hardening the neck, Is suddenly broken, and there is no healing.

¹⁵ The heart of the intelligent getteth knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.

¹⁶ Why `is' this -- a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, And a heart there is none?

²¹ Folly is joy to one lacking heart, And a man of intelligence directeth `his' going.

¹⁴ The heart of the intelligent seeketh knowledge, And the mouth of fools enjoyeth folly.

³³ Hear instruction, and be wise, and slight not.

³⁴ O the happiness of the man hearkening to me, To watch at my doors day by day, To watch at the door-posts of my entrance.

³⁵ For whoso is finding me, hath found life, And bringeth out good-will from Jehovah.

³⁶ And whoso is missing me, is wronging his soul, All hating me have loved death!

¹¹ And thou hast howled in thy latter end, In the consumption of thy flesh and thy food,

¹² And hast said, `How have I hated instruction, And reproof hath my heart despised,

¹³ And I have not hearkened to the voice of my directors, And to my teachers have not inclined mine ear.

¹⁷ Yea, thou hast hated instruction, And dost cast My words behind thee.

²⁰ and have said unto the elders of his city, Our son -- this one -- is apostatizing and rebellious; he is not hearkening to our voice -- a glutton and drunkard;

¹⁸ `When a man hath a son apostatizing and rebellious -- he is not hearkening to the voice of his father, and to the voice of his mother, and they have chastised him, and he doth not hearken unto them --

¹⁵ looking diligently over lest any one be failing of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up may give trouble, and through this many may be defiled;