Proverbs 3
1 [My] son, forget not my laws; but let thine heart keep my words:
My son! Do not forget my law, And let your heart keep my commands,
2 for length of existence, and years of life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
For [the] length of [your] days and years, Life and peace they add to you.
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee; but bind them about thy neck:
Do not let kindness and truth forsake you, Bind them on your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart,
4 so shalt thou find favour: and do thou provide things honest in the sight of the Lord, and of men.
And find grace and good understanding In the eyes of God and man.
5 Trust in God with all thine heart; and be not exalted in thine own wisdom.
Trust to YHWH with all your heart, And do not lean to your own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acquaint thyself with her, that she may rightly direct thy paths.
In all your ways know Him, And He makes your paths straight.
7 Be not wise in thine own conceit; but fear God, and depart from all evil.
Do not be wise in your own eyes, Fear YHWH, and turn aside from evil.
8 Then shall there be health to thy body, and good keeping to thy bones.
It is healing to your navel, And moistening to your bones.
9 Honour the Lord with thy just labours, and give him the first of thy fruits of righteousness:
Honor YHWH from your substance, And from the beginning of all your increase;
10 that thy storehouses may be completely filled with corn, and that thy presses may burst forth with 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; nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
Discipline of YHWH, my son, do not despise, And do not be distressed with His reproof,
12 for whom the Lord loves, he rebukes, and scourges every son whom he receives.
For whom YHWH loves He reproves, Even as a father the son He is pleased with.
13 Blessed is the man who has found wisdom, and the mortal who knows prudence.
O the blessedness of a man [who] has found wisdom, And of a man [who] brings forth understanding.
14 For it is better to traffic for her, than for treasures of gold and silver.
For better [is] her merchandise Than the merchandise of silver, And than gold—her increase.
15 And she is more valuable than precious stones: no evil thing shall resist her: she is well known to all that approach her, and no precious thing is equal to her in value.
She [is] precious above rubies, And all your pleasures are not comparable to her.
16 For length of existence and years of life are in her right hand; and in her left hand are wealth and glory: out of her mouth proceeds righteousness, and she carries law and mercy upon her tongue.
Length of days [is] in her right hand, In her left [are] wealth and honor.
17 Her ways are good 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 all that lay hold upon her; and she is [a] secure [help] to all that stay themselves on her, as on the Lord.
She [is] a tree of life to those laying hold on her, And whoever is retaining her [is] blessed.
19 God by wisdom founded the earth, and by prudence he prepared the heavens.
YHWH founded the earth by wisdom, He prepared the heavens by understanding.
20 By understanding were the depths broken up, and the clouds dropped water.
By His knowledge depths have been broken, And clouds drop dew.
21 [My] son, let [them] not pass from [thee], but keep my counsel and understanding:
My son! Do not let them turn from your eyes, Keep wisdom and thoughtfulness,
22 that thy soul may live, and that there may be grace round thy neck; and it shall be health to thy flesh, and safety to thy bones:
And they are life to your soul, and grace to your neck.
23 that thou mayest go confidently in peace in all thy ways, and that thy foot may not stumble.
Then you go your way confidently, And your foot does not stumble.
24 For if thou rest, thou shalt be undismayed; and if thou sleep, thou shalt slumber sweetly.
If you lie down, you are not afraid, Indeed, you have lain down, And your sleep has been sweet.
25 And thou shalt not be afraid of alarm coming upon thee, neither of approaching attacks of ungodly men.
Do not be afraid of sudden fear, And of the desolation of the wicked when it comes.
26 For the Lord shall be over all thy ways, and shall establish thy foot that thou be not moved.
For YHWH is at your side, And He has kept your foot from capture.
27 Forbear not to do good to the poor, whensoever thy hand may have [power] to help [him].
Do not withhold good from its owners, When your hand [is] toward God to do [it].
28 Say not, Come back another time, to-morrow I will give; while thou art able to do [him] good: for thou knowest not what the next day will bring forth.
Do not say to your friend, “Go, and return, and tomorrow I give,” When substance [is] with you.
29 Devise not evil against thy friend, living near thee and trusting in thee.
Do not devise evil against your neighbor, And he sitting confidently with you.
30 Be not ready to quarrel with a man without a cause, lest he do thee some harm.
Do not strive with a man without cause, If he has not done you evil.
31 Procure not the reproaches of bad men, neither do thou covet their ways.
Do not be envious of a man of violence, Nor fix on any of his ways.
32 For every transgressor is unclean before the Lord; neither does he sit among the righteous.
For the perverted [is] an abomination to YHWH, And His secret counsel [is] with the upright.
33 The curse of God is in the houses of the ungodly; but the habitations of the just are blessed.
The curse of YHWH [is] in the house of the wicked. And He blesses the habitation of the righteous.
34 The Lord resists the proud; but he gives grace to the humble.
If He scorns the scorners, Yet He gives grace to the humble.
35 The wise shall inherit glory; but the ungodly have exalted [their own] dishonour.
The wise inherit glory, And fools are bearing away shame!
