Proverbs 3
1 My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart guard my precepts.
My son, forget not my teaching, and let thy heart keep my commandments;
2 For they shall set before you length of days, and years of life, and peace.
For length of days, and years of life, and peace, will they increase unto thee.
3 Let not mercy and truth abandon you: encircle them around your throat, and inscribe them on the tablets of your heart.
Let kindness and truth not forsake thee; bind them about thy throat; write them upon the table of thy heart:
4 And so shall you discover grace and good discipline, in the sight of God and men.
So shalt thou find grace and good favor in the eyes of God and man.
5 Have confidence in the Lord with all your heart, and do not depend upon your own prudence.
Trust in the Lord with all thy heart: and upon thy own understanding do not rely.
6 In all your ways, consider him, and he himself will direct your steps.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he will make level thy paths.
7 Do not seem wise to yourself. Fear God, and withdraw from evil.
Be not wise in thy own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.
8 Certainly, it shall be health to your navel, and refreshment to your bones.
It will be healing to thy body, and marrow to thy bones.
9 Honor the Lord with your substance, and give to him from the first of all your fruits,
Honor the Lord with thy wealth, and with the first-fruits of all thy products:
10 and then your storehouses will be filled with abundance, and your presses shall overflow with wine.
So shall thy storehouses be filled with plenty, and with new wine shall thy presses overflow.
11 My son, do not discard the discipline of the Lord, and do not fall away when you are corrected by him.
The correction of the Lord, my son, do not despise; and feel no loathing for his admonition;
12 For whomever the Lord loves, he corrects, and just as a father does with a son, he wins him over.
Because whomever the Lord loveth he admonisheth; and as a father who delighteth in [his] son.
13 Blessed is the man who finds wisdom and who advances to prudence.
Happy the man that hath found wisdom, and the man that acquireth understanding.
14 Her acquisition is better than trading in silver, and her fruit is better than the first and purest gold.
For the obtaining of her is better than the obtaining of silver, and better than fine gold is her product.
15 She is more precious than all riches, and all that can be desired cannot prevail in comparison to her.
She is more precious than pearls; and all the things thou valuest are not equal unto her.
16 Length of days is at her right hand, and at her left hand is wealth and glory.
Length of days is in her right hand: in her left are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are beautiful 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 those who overtake her, and he who shall take hold of her is blessed.
A tree of life is she to those that lay hold on her: and every one that firmly graspeth her will be made happy.
19 The Lord founded the earth on wisdom. He secured the heavens with prudence.
The Lord hath through wisdom founded the earth: he hath established the heavens through understanding.
20 By his wisdom, the abyss erupted and the clouds increased with dew.
By his knowledge were the depths split open, and the skies drop down the dew.
21 My son, let not these things move away from your eyes. Preserve law as well as counsel.
My son, let them not be removed from thy eyes; keep [before thee] sound wisdom and discretion:
22 And so shall there be life in your soul and grace in your voice.
And they will be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy throat.
23 Then you shall walk confidently in your way, and your feet will not stumble.
Then wilt thou walk in safety on thy way, and thy foot will not strike [against aught]:
24 When you slumber, you shall not fear. When you rest, your sleep also will be sweet.
When thou layest thyself down, thou shalt feel no dread; and as thou liest down, thy sleep shall be pleasant.
25 Do not fear unexpected terror, nor the power of the impious falling upon you.
Thou needest not to be afraid of sudden dread, neither of the [unlooked-for] tempest over the wicked, when it cometh.
26 For the Lord will be at your side, and he will guard your feet, so that you may not be seized.
For the Lord will be thy confidence, and he will guard thy foot from being caught.
27 Do not prevent him who is able from doing good. When you are able, do good yourself too.
Withhold not a benefit from him who is deserving it, when it is in the power of thy hand to do it.
28 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.
Say not unto thy neighbor, Go, and return, and tomorrow will I give: when thou hast it by thee.
29 Do not undertake evil against your friend, even though he has trust in you.
Contrive not against thy neighbor any evil, when he dwelleth in safety with thee.
30 Do not contend against a man without cause, even though he has done no evil to you.
Quarrel not with any man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.
31 Do not rival an unjust man, and do not imitate his ways.
Envy not the man of violence, and choose none of his ways.
32 For everyone who ridicules is an abomination to the Lord, and his communication is for the simple.
For the froward is an abomination to the Lord; but with the upright is his good-will.
33 Destitution in the house of the impious is from the Lord. But the habitations of the just shall be blessed.
The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked; but the habitation of the righteous will he bless.
34 He will ridicule those who ridicule, but he will bestow grace upon the mild.
If [it concern] the scornful he will himself render them a scorn; but unto the lowly doth he give grace.
35 The wise will possess glory. The exaltation of the foolish is disgraceful.
The wise shall inherit glory; but fools shall obtain disgrace as their portion.
