Proverbs 1:28

Then they will call to me, but I will not answer; they will diligently seek ¹  me, but they will not find me.

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

"Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently but they will not find me,

"I will not answer when they cry for help. Even though they anxiously search for me, they will not find me.

You'll need me then. You'll call for me, but don't expect an answer. No matter how hard you look, you won't find me.

Then I will give no answer to their cries; searching for me early, they will not see me:

Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but will not find me.

"Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.

Then they will call to me, but I will not answer; they will diligently seek ¹  me, but they will not find me.

¹ tn Heb “look to.” The verb שָׁחַר (shakhar, “to look”) is used figuratively of intensely looking (=seeking) for deliverance out of trouble (W. L. Holladay, Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon, 366); cf. NLT “anxiously search for.” It is used elsewhere in parallelism with בָּקַשׁ (baqash, “to seek rescue”; Hos 5:15). It does not mean “to seek early” (cf. KJV) as is popularly taught due to etymological connections with the noun שַׁחַר (shakhar, “dawn”; so BDB 1007 s.v. שָׁחַר).