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