Proverbs 3
1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments;
My son! my law forget not, And my commands let thy heart keep,
2 for they will add length to your days, years and peace to your life.
For length of days and years, Life and peace they do add to thee.
3 Never let loving devotion or faithfulness leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.
Let not kindness and truth forsake thee, Bind them on thy neck, Write them on the tablet of thy heart,
4 Then you will find favor and high regard 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 your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;
Trust unto Jehovah with all thy heart, And unto thine own understanding lean not.
6 in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
In all thy ways know thou Him, And He doth make straight thy paths.
7 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil.
Be not wise in thine own eyes, Fear Jehovah, and turn aside from evil.
8 This will bring healing to your body and refreshment to your bones.
Healing it is to thy navel, And moistening to thy bones.
9 Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your harvest;
Honour Jehovah from thy substance, And from the beginning of all thine increase;
10 then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
And filled are thy barns [with] plenty, And [with] new wine thy presses break forth.
11 My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD, and do not loathe His rebuke;
Chastisement of Jehovah, my son, despise not, And be not vexed with His reproof,
12 for the LORD disciplines the one He loves, as does a father the son in whom he delights.
For whom Jehovah loveth He reproveth, Even as a father the son He is pleased with.
13 Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who acquires understanding,
O the happiness of a man [who] hath found wisdom, And of a man [who] bringeth forth understanding.
14 for she is more profitable than silver, and her gain is better 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; nothing you desire compares with her.
Precious she [is] above rubies, And all thy pleasures are not comparable to her.
16 Long life 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] wealth and honour.
17 All her ways are pleasant, 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 embrace her, and those who lay hold of her are blessed.
A tree of life she [is] to those laying hold on her, And whoso is retaining her [is] happy.
19 The LORD founded the earth by wisdom and established the heavens by understanding.
Jehovah by wisdom did found the earth, He prepared the heavens by understanding.
20 By His knowledge the watery depths were broken open, and the clouds dripped with dew.
By His knowledge depths have been rent, And clouds do drop dew.
21 My son, do not lose sight of this: Preserve sound judgment and discernment.
My son! let them not turn from thine eyes, Keep thou wisdom and thoughtfulness,
22 They will be life to your soul and adornment to your neck.
And they are life to thy soul, and grace to thy neck.
23 Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble.
Then thou goest thy way confidently, And thy foot doth not stumble.
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you rest, your sleep will be sweet.
If thou liest down, thou art not afraid, Yea, thou hast lain down, And sweet hath been thy sleep.
25 Do not fear sudden danger or the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
Be not afraid of sudden fear, And of the desolation of the wicked when it cometh.
26 for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from the snare.
For Jehovah is at thy side, And He hath kept thy foot from capture.
27 Do not withhold good from the deserving when it is within your power to act.
Withhold not good from its owners, When thy hand [is] toward God to do [it].
28 Do not tell your neighbor, “Come back tomorrow and I will provide”— when you already have the means.
Say not thou to thy friend, 'Go, and return, and to-morrow I give,' And substance with thee.
29 Do not devise evil against your neighbor, for he trustfully dwells beside you.
Devise not against thy neighbour evil, And he sitting confidently with thee.
30 Do not accuse a man without cause, when he has done you no harm.
Strive not with a man without cause, If he have not done thee evil.
31 Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways;
Be not envious of a man of violence, Nor fix thou on any of his ways.
32 for the LORD detests the perverse, but He is a friend to the upright.
For an abomination to Jehovah [is] the perverted, And with the upright [is] His secret counsel.
33 The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the home of the righteous.
The curse of Jehovah [is] in the house of the wicked. And the habitation of the righteous He blesseth.
34 He mocks the mockers, but gives grace to the humble.
If the scorners He doth scorn, Yet to the humble He doth give grace.
35 The wise will inherit honor, but fools are held up to shame.
Honour do the wise inherit, And fools are bearing away shame!
