Proverbs 3

1 My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart guard my precepts.

My son, forget not my teaching, And let thy heart observe my precepts!

2 For they shall set before you length of days, and years of life, and peace.

For length of days, and years of life, And peace shall they multiply to thee.

3 Let not mercy and truth abandon you: encircle them around your throat, and inscribe them on the tablets of your heart.

Let not kindness and truth forsake thee; Bind them around thy neck, Write them upon the tablet of thy heart:

4 And so shall you discover grace and good discipline, in the sight of God and men.

Then shalt thou find favor and good success In the sight of God and man.

5 Have confidence in the Lord with all your heart, and do not depend upon your own prudence.

Trust in the LORD with all thy heart, And lean not on thine own understanding;

6 In all your ways, consider him, and he himself will direct your steps.

In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he will make thy paths plain.

7 Do not seem wise to yourself. Fear God, and withdraw from evil.

Be not wise in thine own eyes; Fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

8 Certainly, it shall be health to your navel, and refreshment to your bones.

It shall be health to thy muscles, And moisture to thy bones.

9 Honor the Lord with your substance, and give to him from the first of all your fruits,

Honor the LORD with thy substance, And with the first-fruits of all thy increase;

10 and then your storehouses will be filled with abundance, and your presses shall overflow with wine.

So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, And thy vats overflow with new wine.

11 My son, do not discard the discipline of the Lord, and do not fall away when you are corrected by him.

My son, despise not the correction of the LORD, Nor be impatient under his chastisement!

12 For whomever the Lord loves, he corrects, and just as a father does with a son, he wins him over.

For whom the LORD loveth he chasteneth, Even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

13 Blessed is the man who finds wisdom and who advances to prudence.

Happy the man who findeth wisdom; Yea, the man who getteth understanding!

14 Her acquisition is better than trading in silver, and her fruit is better than the first and purest gold.

For the profit thereof is greater than that of silver, And the gain thereof than that of fine gold.

15 She is more precious than all riches, and all that can be desired cannot prevail in comparison to her.

More precious is she than pearls, And none of thy jewels is to be compared with her.

16 Length of days is at her right hand, and at her left hand is wealth and glory.

Length of days is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honor.

17 Her ways are beautiful ways, and all her paths are peaceful.

Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace.

18 She is a tree of life to those who overtake her, and he who shall take hold of her is blessed.

She is a tree of life to them that lay hold of her, And happy is every one who hath her in his grasp.

19 The Lord founded the earth on wisdom. He secured the heavens with prudence.

The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; By understanding he framed the heavens.

20 By his wisdom, the abyss erupted and the clouds increased with dew.

By his knowledge the deep waters were cleft, And the clouds drop down the dew.

21 My son, let not these things move away from your eyes. Preserve law as well as counsel.

My son, let them not depart from thine eyes; Keep sound wisdom and discretion!

22 And so shall there be life in your soul and grace in your voice.

For they shall be life to thy soul, And grace to thy neck.

23 Then you shall walk confidently in your way, and your feet will not stumble.

Then shalt thou go on thy way securely, And thy foot shall not stumble;

24 When you slumber, you shall not fear. When you rest, your sleep also will be sweet.

When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid, Yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

25 Do not fear unexpected terror, nor the power of the impious falling upon you.

Be not thou afraid of sudden alarm, Nor of the storm that is for the wicked, when it cometh;

26 For the Lord will be at your side, and he will guard your feet, so that you may not be seized.

For the LORD shall be thy confidence; Yea, he will keep thy foot from being taken.

27 Do not prevent him who is able from doing good. When you are able, do good yourself too.

Withhold not kindness from those who need it, When it is in the power of thy hand to do it.

28 Do not say to your friend: “Go away, and then return. Tomorrow I will give to you.” When you are able to do so, give in the present.

Say not to thy neighbor, “Go, and come again, And to-morrow I will give to thee,” when thou hast it by thee.

29 Do not undertake evil against your friend, even though he has trust in you.

Devise not evil against thy neighbor, While he dwelleth securely by thee.

30 Do not contend against a man without cause, even though he has done no evil to you.

Contend not with a man without cause, When he hath done thee no harm.

31 Do not rival an unjust man, and do not imitate his ways.

Envy not the oppressor, And choose none of his ways.

32 For everyone who ridicules is an abomination to the Lord, and his communication is for the simple.

For the perverse man is the abomination of the LORD, But he is in friendship with the upright.

33 Destitution in the house of the impious is from the Lord. But the habitations of the just shall be blessed.

The curse of the LORD is upon the house of the wicked, But he blesseth the dwelling of the righteous.

34 He will ridicule those who ridicule, but he will bestow grace upon the mild.

Surely the scorners he treadeth scornfully, But giveth favor to the lowly.

35 The wise will possess glory. The exaltation of the foolish is disgraceful.

The wise shall obtain honor, But fools shall bear off shame.