21at the head of the noisy streetsHebrew; Septuagint / on the tops of the walls she cries out,
in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:

22“How long will you simple onesThe Hebrew word rendered simple in Proverbs generally denotes one without moral direction and inclined to evil. love your simple ways?
How long will mockers delight in mockery
and fools hate knowledge?

23If you had responded to my rebuke,
I would have poured out my heart to you
and made my thoughts known to you.

24But since you rejected me when I called
and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand,

25since you ignored all my advice
and would not accept my rebuke,

26I in turn will laugh at your disaster;
I will mock when calamity overtakes you—

27when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

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

29Since they hated knowledge
and did not choose to fear the LORD,

30since they would not accept my advice
and spurned my rebuke,

31they will eat the fruit of their ways
and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.

32For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them;

33but whoever listens to me will live in safety
and be at ease, without fear of harm.”