Proverbs 3
1 My son, mine instruction, do not thou forget, and, my commandment, let thy heart observe;
My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart guard my precepts.
2 For, length of days and years of life, and blessedness, shall they add to thee.
For they shall set before you length of days, and years of life, and peace.
3 Lovingkindness and faithfulness, let them not forsake thee, —bind them, upon thy neck, write them upon the tablet of thy heart:
Let not mercy and truth abandon you: encircle them around your throat, and inscribe them on the tablets of your heart.
4 So find thou favour and good repute, in the eyes of God and man.
And so shall you discover grace and good discipline, in the sight of God and men.
5 Trust thou in Yahweh, with all thy heart, and, unto thine own understanding, do not lean:
Have confidence in the Lord with all your heart, and do not depend upon your own prudence.
6 In all thy ways, acknowledge him, and, he, will make straight thy paths.
In all your ways, consider him, and he himself will direct your steps.
7 Do not become wise in thine own eyes, revere Yahweh, and avoid evil:
Do not seem wise to yourself. Fear God, and withdraw from evil.
8 Healing, shall it be to thy body, and refreshing, to thy bones.
Certainly, it shall be health to your navel, and refreshment to your bones.
9 Honour thou Yahweh, with thy substance, and with the firstfruit of all thine increase;
Honor the Lord with your substance, and give to him from the first of all your fruits,
10 So shall thy storehouses be filled with plenty, and, with new wine, shall thy vats overflow.
and then your storehouses will be filled with abundance, and your presses shall overflow with wine.
11 The, chastening of Yahweh, my son, do not reject, nor loathe his rebuke;
My son, do not discard the discipline of the Lord, and do not fall away when you are corrected by him.
12 For, whom Yahweh loveth, he correcteth, he causeth pain to the son in whom he delighteth.
For whomever the Lord loves, he corrects, and just as a father does with a son, he wins him over.
13 How happy the man who hath found wisdom, and the man who draweth forth understanding,
Blessed is the man who finds wisdom and who advances to prudence.
14 For better is her merchandise, than the merchandise of silver, yea, than gold, her increase;
Her acquisition is better than trading in silver, and her fruit is better than the first and purest gold.
15 More precious, is she, than corals, yea, none of thy delightful things, doth equal her:
She is more precious than all riches, and all that can be desired cannot prevail in comparison to her.
16 Length of days, is in her right hand, in her left, are riches and honour;
Length of days is at her right hand, and at her left hand is wealth and glory.
17 Her ways, are ways of pleasantness, and, all her paths, are peace;
Her ways are beautiful ways, and all her paths are peaceful.
18 A tree of life, is she, to them who secure her, —and, they who hold her fast, are every one to be pronounced happy.
She is a tree of life to those who overtake her, and he who shall take hold of her is blessed.
19 Yahweh, in wisdom, founded the earth, establishing the heavens with understanding;
The Lord founded the earth on wisdom. He secured the heavens with prudence.
20 By his knowledge, the resounding deeps were burst open, and, the skies, drop down dew.
By his wisdom, the abyss erupted and the clouds increased with dew.
21 My son, let them not depart from thine eyes, guard thou counsel, and purpose:
My son, let not these things move away from your eyes. Preserve law as well as counsel.
22 So shall they become life to thy soul, and an adorning to thy neck;
And so shall there be life in your soul and grace in your voice.
23 Then, shalt thou walk securely in thy way, and, thy foot, shall not stumble;
Then you shall walk confidently in your way, and your feet will not stumble.
24 When thou sittest down, thou shalt have no dread, yea thou shalt lie down, and sweet shall be thy sleep.
When you slumber, you shall not fear. When you rest, your sleep also will be sweet.
25 Be not thou afraid of sudden dread, nor of the desolation of the lawless, when it cometh.
Do not fear unexpected terror, nor the power of the impious falling upon you.
26 For, Yahweh, will be in all thy ways, and will keep thy foot from the snare.
For the Lord will be at your side, and he will guard your feet, so that you may not be seized.
27 Withhold not good from them who ask it, when it is in power of thy hand to do it:
Do not prevent him who is able from doing good. When you are able, do good yourself too.
28 Do not say to thy neighbour, Go and come again, and to-morrow I will give, when thou hast it by thee.
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.
29 Devise not against thy neighbour an injury, seeing that, he, dwelleth securely by thee.
Do not undertake evil against your friend, even though he has trust in you.
30 Contend not with a man without cause, if he hath dealt thee no wrong.
Do not contend against a man without cause, even though he has done no evil to you.
31 Do not thou envy the man of violence, neither choose thou any of his ways;
Do not rival an unjust man, and do not imitate his ways.
32 For, an abomination to Yahweh, is the tortuous man, but, with the upright, he is intimate.
For everyone who ridicules is an abomination to the Lord, and his communication is for the simple.
33 The curse of Yahweh, is in the house of the lawless one, but, the home of the righteous, he blesseth.
Destitution in the house of the impious is from the Lord. But the habitations of the just shall be blessed.
34 Though at scoffers he scoffeth, yet, to the humbled, he granteth favour.
He will ridicule those who ridicule, but he will bestow grace upon the mild.
35 Honour, shall the wise inherit, —but, as for dullards, shame shall carry them away.
The wise will possess glory. The exaltation of the foolish is disgraceful.
