Proverbs 3
1 [My] son, forget not my laws; but let thine heart keep my words:
My son, don’t forget my teaching; but keep my mitzvot ·instructions· in your heart:
2 for length of existence, and years of life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
for length of days, and years of life, and peace, will they add to you.
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee; but bind them about thy neck:
Don’t let chesed ·loving-kindness· and truth forsake you. Bind them around 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.
So you will find chen ·grace·, and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in God with all thine heart; and be not exalted in thine own wisdom.
Trust in Adonai with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acquaint thyself with her, that she may rightly direct thy paths.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
7 Be not wise in thine own conceit; but fear God, and depart from all evil.
Don’t be wise in your own eyes. Fear Adonai, and depart from evil.
8 Then shall there be health to thy body, and good keeping to thy bones.
It will be health to your body, and nourishment to your bones.
9 Honour the Lord with thy just labours, and give him the first of thy fruits of righteousness:
Honor Adonai with your substance, with the first fruits of all your increase:
10 that thy storehouses may be completely filled with corn, and that thy presses may burst forth with wine.
so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
11 [My] son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
My son, don’t despise Adonai’s discipline, neither be despondent when he corrects you:
12 for whom the Lord loves, he rebukes, and scourges every son whom he receives.
for whom Adonai 'ahav ·affectionately loves·, he reproves; even as a father reproves his son in whom he delights.
13 Blessed is the man who has found wisdom, and the mortal who knows prudence.
Happy is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gets understanding.
14 For it is better to traffic for her, than for treasures of gold and silver.
For her good profit is better than getting silver, and her teshuvah ·complete return· is better than fine gold.
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 more precious than rubies. None of the things you can desire are to be compared 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 hand are riches and kavod ·weighty glory·.
17 Her ways are good ways, and all her paths are peaceful.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness. 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 who lay hold of her. Happy is everyone who retains her.
19 God by wisdom founded the earth, and by prudence he prepared the heavens.
By wisdom Adonai founded the earth. By understanding, he established the heavens.
20 By understanding were the depths broken up, and the clouds dropped water.
By his knowledge, the depths were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew.
21 [My] son, let [them] not pass from [thee], but keep my counsel and understanding:
My son, let them not depart from your eyes. Keep sound wisdom and discretion:
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:
so they will be life to your soul, and chen ·grace· for your neck.
23 that thou mayest go confidently in peace in all thy ways, and that thy foot may not stumble.
Then you shall walk in your way securely. Your foot won’t stumble.
24 For if thou rest, thou shalt be undismayed; and if thou sleep, thou shalt slumber sweetly.
When you lie down, you will not be afraid. Yes, you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet.
25 And thou shalt not be afraid of alarm coming upon thee, neither of approaching attacks of ungodly men.
Don’t be afraid of sudden fear, neither 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 Adonai will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being taken.
27 Forbear not to do good to the poor, whensoever thy hand may have [power] to help [him].
Don’t withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand 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.
Don’t say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again; tomorrow I will give it to you,” when you have it by you.
29 Devise not evil against thy friend, living near thee and trusting in thee.
Don’t devise evil against your neighbor, since he dwells securely by you.
30 Be not ready to quarrel with a man without a cause, lest he do thee some harm.
Don’t strive with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm.
31 Procure not the reproaches of bad men, neither do thou covet their ways.
Don’t envy the man of violence. Choose none of his ways.
32 For every transgressor is unclean before the Lord; neither does he sit among the righteous.
For the perverse is an abomination to Adonai, but his friendship is with the upright.
33 The curse of God is in the houses of the ungodly; but the habitations of the just are blessed.
Adonai’s curse is in the house of the wicked, but he blesses the habitation of the upright.
34 The Lord resists the proud; but he gives grace to the humble.
Surely he opposes the mockers, but he gives chen ·grace· to the humble.
35 The wise shall inherit glory; but the ungodly have exalted [their own] dishonour.
The wise will inherit kavod ·weighty glory·, but shame will be the promotion of fools.
