Proverbs 3
1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments,
[My] son, forget not my laws; but let thine heart keep my words:
2 for they will add to you length of days, years of life, and peace.
for length of existence, and years of life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
3 Do not let kindness and truth forsake you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart.
Let not mercy and truth forsake thee; but bind them about thy neck:
4 So you will find favor, and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
so shalt thou find favour: and do thou provide things honest in the sight of the Lord, and of men.
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
Trust in God with all thine heart; and be not exalted in thine own wisdom.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
In all thy ways acquaint thyself with her, that she may rightly direct thy paths.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
Be not wise in thine own conceit; but fear God, and depart from all evil.
8 It will be health to your body, and nourishment to your bones.
Then shall there be health to thy body, and good keeping to thy bones.
9 Honor the LORD with your substance, with the first fruits of all your increase;
Honour the Lord with thy just labours, and give him the first of thy fruits of righteousness:
10 so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
that thy storehouses may be completely filled with corn, and that thy presses may burst forth with wine.
11 My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline, neither be weary of his correction;
[My] son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
12 for whom the LORD loves, he corrects, even as a father reproves the son in whom he delights.
for whom the Lord loves, he rebukes, and scourges every son whom he receives.
13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gets understanding.
Blessed is the man who has found wisdom, and the mortal who knows prudence.
14 For her good profit is better than getting silver, and her return is better than fine gold.
For it is better to traffic for her, than for treasures of gold and silver.
15 She is more precious than rubies. None of the things you can desire are to be compared to her.
And she is more valuable than precious stones: no evil thing shall resist her: she is well known to all that approach her, and no precious thing is equal to her in value.
16 Length of days is in her right hand. In her left hand are riches and honor.
For length of existence and years of life are in her right hand; and in her left hand are wealth and glory: out of her mouth proceeds righteousness, and she carries law and mercy upon her tongue.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness. All her paths are peace.
Her ways are good ways, and all her paths are peaceful.
18 She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her. Happy is everyone who retains her.
She is a tree of life to all that lay hold upon her; and she is [a] secure [help] to all that stay themselves on her, as on the Lord.
19 By wisdom the LORD founded the earth. By understanding, he established the heavens.
God by wisdom founded the earth, and by prudence he prepared the heavens.
20 By his knowledge, the depths were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew.
By understanding were the depths broken up, and the clouds dropped water.
21 My son, let them not depart from your eyes. Keep sound wisdom and discretion,
[My] son, let [them] not pass from [thee], but keep my counsel and understanding:
22 so they will be life to your soul, and grace for your neck.
that thy soul may live, and that there may be grace round thy neck; and it shall be health to thy flesh, and safety to thy bones:
23 Then you shall walk in your way securely. Your foot will not stumble.
that thou mayest go confidently in peace in all thy ways, and that thy foot may not stumble.
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid. Yes, you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet.
For if thou rest, thou shalt be undismayed; and if thou sleep, thou shalt slumber sweetly.
25 Do not be afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it comes;
And thou shalt not be afraid of alarm coming upon thee, neither of approaching attacks of ungodly men.
26 for the LORD will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being taken.
For the Lord shall be over all thy ways, and shall establish thy foot that thou be not moved.
27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do it.
Forbear not to do good to the poor, whensoever thy hand may have [power] to help [him].
28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again; tomorrow I will give it to you,” when you have it by you.
Say not, Come back another time, to-morrow I will give; while thou art able to do [him] good: for thou knowest not what the next day will bring forth.
29 Do not devise evil against your neighbor, since he dwells securely by you.
Devise not evil against thy friend, living near thee and trusting in thee.
30 Do not strive with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm.
Be not ready to quarrel with a man without a cause, lest he do thee some harm.
31 Do not envy the man of violence. Choose none of his ways.
Procure not the reproaches of bad men, neither do thou covet their ways.
32 For the perverse is an abomination to the LORD, but his friendship is with the upright.
For every transgressor is unclean before the Lord; neither does he sit among the righteous.
33 The LORD’s curse is in the house of the wicked, but he blesses the habitation of the righteous.
The curse of God is in the houses of the ungodly; but the habitations of the just are blessed.
34 Surely he mocks the mockers, but he gives grace to the humble.
The Lord resists the proud; but he gives grace to the humble.
35 The wise will inherit glory, but shame will be the promotion of fools.
The wise shall inherit glory; but the ungodly have exalted [their own] dishonour.
