< Proverbs 3 >

1 My son, forget not my law; but let your heart keep my commandments:
My son! Do not forget my law, And let your heart keep my commands,
2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to you.
For [the] length of [your] days and years, Life and peace they add to you.
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake you: bind them about your neck; write them upon the table of your heart:
Do not let kindness and truth forsake you, Bind them on your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart,
4 So shall you find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
And find grace and good understanding In the eyes of God and man.
5 Trust in the LORD with all of your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding.
Trust to YHWH with all your heart, And do not lean to your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.
In all your ways know Him, And He makes your paths straight.
7 Be not wise in your own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
Do not be wise in your own eyes, Fear YHWH, and turn aside from evil.
8 It shall be health to your navel, and marrow to your bones.
It is healing to your navel, And moistening to your bones.
9 Honour the LORD with your substance, and with the first-fruits of all of your increase:
Honor YHWH from your substance, And from the beginning of all your increase;
10 So shall your barns be filled with plenty, and your presses shall burst out with new wine.
And your barns are filled [with] plenty, And your presses break forth [with] new wine.
11 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:
Discipline of YHWH, my son, do not despise, And do not be distressed with His reproof,
12 For whom the LORD loves he corrects; even as a father the son in whom he delights.
For whom YHWH loves He reproves, Even as a father the son He is pleased with.
13 Happy is the man that finds wisdom, and the man that gets understanding.
O the blessedness of a man [who] has found wisdom, And of a man [who] brings forth understanding.
14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
For better [is] her merchandise Than the merchandise of silver, And than gold—her increase.
15 She is more precious than rubies: and all the things you can desire are not to be compared unto her.
She [is] precious above rubies, And all your pleasures are not comparable to her.
16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.
Length of days [is] in her right hand, In her left [are] wealth and honor.
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 upon her: and happy is every one that retains her.
She [is] a tree of life to those laying hold on her, And whoever is retaining her [is] blessed.
19 The LORD by wisdom has founded the earth; by understanding has he established the heavens.
YHWH founded the earth by wisdom, He prepared the heavens by understanding.
20 By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.
By His knowledge depths have been broken, And clouds drop dew.
21 My son, let not them depart from your eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:
My son! Do not let them turn from your eyes, Keep wisdom and thoughtfulness,
22 So shall they be life unto your soul, and grace to your neck.
And they are life to your soul, and grace to your neck.
23 Then shall you walk in your way safely, and your foot shall not stumble.
Then you go your way confidently, And your foot does not stumble.
24 When you lie down, you shall not be afraid: yea, you shall lie down, and your sleep shall be sweet.
If you lie down, you are not afraid, Indeed, you have lain down, And your sleep has been sweet.
25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it comes.
Do not be afraid of sudden fear, And of the desolation of the wicked when it comes.
26 For the LORD shall be your confidence, and shall keep your foot from being taken.
For YHWH is at your side, And He has kept your foot from capture.
27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do it.
Do not withhold good from its owners, When your hand [is] toward God to do [it].
28 Say not unto your neighbour, Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give; when you have it by you.
Do not say to your friend, “Go, and return, and tomorrow I give,” When substance [is] with you.
29 Devise not evil against your neighbour, seeing he dwells securely by you.
Do not devise evil against your neighbor, And he sitting confidently with you.
30 Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done you no harm.
Do not strive with a man without cause, If he has not done you evil.
31 Envy you not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.
Do not be envious of a man of violence, Nor fix on any of his ways.
32 For the perverse is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous.
For the perverted [is] an abomination to YHWH, And His secret counsel [is] with the upright.
33 The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesses the habitation of the just.
The curse of YHWH [is] in the house of the wicked. And He blesses the habitation of the righteous.
34 Surely he scorns the scorners: but he gives grace unto the lowly.
If He scorns the scorners, Yet He gives grace to the humble.
35 The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.
The wise inherit glory, And fools are bearing away shame!

< Proverbs 3 >