Proverbs 3
1 My son, forget not my teaching, And let thy heart observe my precepts!
My son, mine instruction, do not thou forget, and, my commandment, let thy heart observe;
2 For length of days, and years of life, And peace shall they multiply to thee.
For, length of days and years of life, and blessedness, shall they add to thee.
3 Let not kindness and truth forsake thee; Bind them around thy neck, Write them upon the tablet of thy heart:
Lovingkindness and faithfulness, let them not forsake thee, —bind them, upon thy neck, write them upon the tablet of thy heart:
4 Then shalt thou find favor and good success In the sight of God and man.
So find thou favour and good repute, in the eyes of God and man.
5 Trust in the LORD with all thy heart, And lean not on thine own understanding;
Trust thou in Yahweh, with all thy heart, and, unto thine own understanding, do not lean:
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he will make thy paths plain.
In all thy ways, acknowledge him, and, he, will make straight thy paths.
7 Be not wise in thine own eyes; Fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
Do not become wise in thine own eyes, revere Yahweh, and avoid evil:
8 It shall be health to thy muscles, And moisture to thy bones.
Healing, shall it be to thy body, and refreshing, to thy bones.
9 Honor the LORD with thy substance, And with the first-fruits of all thy increase;
Honour thou Yahweh, with thy substance, and with the firstfruit of all thine increase;
10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, And thy vats overflow with new wine.
So shall thy storehouses be filled with plenty, and, with new wine, shall thy vats overflow.
11 My son, despise not the correction of the LORD, Nor be impatient under his chastisement!
The, chastening of Yahweh, my son, do not reject, nor loathe his rebuke;
12 For whom the LORD loveth he chasteneth, Even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
For, whom Yahweh loveth, he correcteth, he causeth pain to the son in whom he delighteth.
13 Happy the man who findeth wisdom; Yea, the man who getteth understanding!
How happy the man who hath found wisdom, and the man who draweth forth understanding,
14 For the profit thereof is greater than that of silver, And the gain thereof than that of fine gold.
For better is her merchandise, than the merchandise of silver, yea, than gold, her increase;
15 More precious is she than pearls, And none of thy jewels is to be compared with her.
More precious, is she, than corals, yea, none of thy delightful things, doth equal her:
16 Length of days is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honor.
Length of days, is in her right hand, in her left, are riches and honour;
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace.
Her ways, are ways of pleasantness, and, all her paths, are peace;
18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold of her, And happy is every one who hath her in his grasp.
A tree of life, is she, to them who secure her, —and, they who hold her fast, are every one to be pronounced happy.
19 The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; By understanding he framed the heavens.
Yahweh, in wisdom, founded the earth, establishing the heavens with understanding;
20 By his knowledge the deep waters were cleft, And the clouds drop down the dew.
By his knowledge, the resounding deeps were burst open, and, the skies, drop down dew.
21 My son, let them not depart from thine eyes; Keep sound wisdom and discretion!
My son, let them not depart from thine eyes, guard thou counsel, and purpose:
22 For they shall be life to thy soul, And grace to thy neck.
So shall they become life to thy soul, and an adorning to thy neck;
23 Then shalt thou go on thy way securely, And thy foot shall not stumble;
Then, shalt thou walk securely in thy way, and, thy foot, shall not stumble;
24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid, Yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
When thou sittest down, thou shalt have no dread, yea thou shalt lie down, and sweet shall be thy sleep.
25 Be not thou afraid of sudden alarm, Nor of the storm that is for the wicked, when it cometh;
Be not thou afraid of sudden dread, nor of the desolation of the lawless, when it cometh.
26 For the LORD shall be thy confidence; Yea, he will keep thy foot from being taken.
For, Yahweh, will be in all thy ways, and will keep thy foot from the snare.
27 Withhold not kindness from those who need it, When it is in the power of thy hand to do it.
Withhold not good from them who ask it, when it is in power of thy hand to do it:
28 Say not to thy neighbor, “Go, and come again, And to-morrow I will give to thee,” when thou hast it by thee.
Do not say to thy neighbour, Go and come again, and to-morrow I will give, when thou hast it by thee.
29 Devise not evil against thy neighbor, While he dwelleth securely by thee.
Devise not against thy neighbour an injury, seeing that, he, dwelleth securely by thee.
30 Contend not with a man without cause, When he hath done thee no harm.
Contend not with a man without cause, if he hath dealt thee no wrong.
31 Envy not the oppressor, And choose none of his ways.
Do not thou envy the man of violence, neither choose thou any of his ways;
32 For the perverse man is the abomination of the LORD, But he is in friendship with the upright.
For, an abomination to Yahweh, is the tortuous man, but, with the upright, he is intimate.
33 The curse of the LORD is upon the house of the wicked, But he blesseth the dwelling of the righteous.
The curse of Yahweh, is in the house of the lawless one, but, the home of the righteous, he blesseth.
34 Surely the scorners he treadeth scornfully, But giveth favor to the lowly.
Though at scoffers he scoffeth, yet, to the humbled, he granteth favour.
35 The wise shall obtain honor, But fools shall bear off shame.
Honour, shall the wise inherit, —but, as for dullards, shame shall carry them away.
