Proverbs 3
1 [My] son, forget not my laws; but let your heart keep my words:
My son, mine instruction, do not thou forget, and, my commandment, let thy heart observe;
2 for length of existence, and years of life, and peace, shall they add to you.
For, length of days and years of life, and blessedness, shall they add to thee.
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake you; but bind them about your neck:
Lovingkindness and faithfulness, let them not forsake thee, —bind them, upon thy neck, write them upon the tablet of thy heart:
4 so shall you find favour: and do you provide things honest in the sight of the Lord, and of men.
So find thou favour and good repute, in the eyes of God and man.
5 Trust in God with all your heart; and be not exalted in your own wisdom.
Trust thou in Yahweh, with all thy heart, and, unto thine own understanding, do not lean:
6 In all your ways acquaint yourself with her, that she may rightly direct your paths.
In all thy ways, acknowledge him, and, he, will make straight thy paths.
7 Be not wise in your own conceit; but fear God, and depart from all evil.
Do not become wise in thine own eyes, revere Yahweh, and avoid evil:
8 Then shall there be health to your body, and good keeping to your bones.
Healing, shall it be to thy body, and refreshing, to thy bones.
9 Honour the Lord with your just labours, and give him the first of your fruits of righteousness:
Honour thou Yahweh, with thy substance, and with the firstfruit of all thine increase;
10 that your storehouses may be completely filled with corn, and that your presses may burst forth with wine.
So shall thy storehouses be filled with plenty, and, with new wine, shall thy vats overflow.
11 [My] son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; nor faint when you are rebuked of him:
The, chastening of Yahweh, my son, do not reject, nor loathe his rebuke;
12 for whom the Lord loves, he rebukes, and scourges every son whom he receives.
For, whom Yahweh loveth, he correcteth, he causeth pain to the son in whom he delighteth.
13 Blessed is the man who has found wisdom, and the mortal who knows prudence.
How happy the man who hath found wisdom, and the man who draweth 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, yea, 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.
More precious, is she, than corals, yea, none of thy delightful things, doth equal 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 riches and honour;
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.
A tree of life, is she, to them who secure her, —and, they who hold her fast, are every one to be pronounced happy.
19 God by wisdom founded the earth, and by prudence he prepared the heavens.
Yahweh, in wisdom, founded the earth, establishing the heavens with understanding;
20 By understanding were the depths broken up, and the clouds dropped water.
By his knowledge, the resounding deeps were burst open, and, the skies, drop down dew.
21 [My] son, let [them] not pass from [you], but keep my counsel and understanding:
My son, let them not depart from thine eyes, guard thou counsel, and purpose:
22 that your soul may live, and that there may be grace round your neck; and it shall be health to your flesh, and safety to your bones:
So shall they become life to thy soul, and an adorning to thy neck;
23 that you may go confidently in peace in all your ways, and that your foot may not stumble.
Then, shalt thou walk securely in thy way, and, thy foot, shall not stumble;
24 For if you rest, you shall be undismayed; and if you sleep, you shall slumber sweetly.
When thou sittest down, thou shalt have no dread, yea thou shalt lie down, and sweet shall be thy sleep.
25 And you shall not be afraid of alarm coming upon you, neither of approaching attacks of ungodly men.
Be not thou afraid of sudden dread, nor of the desolation of the lawless, when it cometh.
26 For the Lord shall be over all your ways, and shall establish your foot that you be not moved.
For, Yahweh, will be in all thy ways, and will keep thy foot from the snare.
27 Forbear not to do good to the poor, whenever your hand may have [power] to help [him].
Withhold not good from them who ask it, when it is in power of thy hand to do it:
28 Say not, Come back another time, to-morrow I will give; while you are able to do [him] good: for you know not what the next day will bring forth.
Do not say to thy neighbour, Go and come again, and to-morrow I will give, when thou hast it by thee.
29 Devise not evil against your friend, living near you and trusting in you.
Devise not against thy neighbour an injury, seeing that, he, dwelleth securely by thee.
30 Be not ready to quarrel with a man without a cause, lest he do you some harm.
Contend not with a man without cause, if he hath dealt thee no wrong.
31 Procure not the reproaches of bad men, neither do you covet their ways.
Do not thou envy the man of violence, neither choose thou any of his ways;
32 For every transgressor is unclean before the Lord; neither does he sit amongst the righteous.
For, an abomination to Yahweh, is the tortuous man, but, with the upright, he is intimate.
33 The curse of God is in the houses of the ungodly; but the habitations of the just are blessed.
The curse of Yahweh, is in the house of the lawless one, but, the home of the righteous, he blesseth.
34 The Lord resists the proud; but he gives grace to the humble.
Though at scoffers he scoffeth, yet, to the humbled, he granteth favour.
35 The wise shall inherit glory; but the ungodly have exalted [their own] dishonour.
Honour, shall the wise inherit, —but, as for dullards, shame shall carry them away.
