< Proverbs 3 >
1 My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart guard my precepts.
υἱέ ἐμῶν νομίμων μὴ ἐπιλανθάνου τὰ δὲ ῥήματά μου τηρείτω σὴ καρδία
2 For they shall set before you length of days, and years of life, and peace.
μῆκος γὰρ βίου καὶ ἔτη ζωῆς καὶ εἰρήνην προσθήσουσίν σοι
3 Let not mercy and truth abandon you: encircle them around your throat, and inscribe them on the tablets of your heart.
ἐλεημοσύναι καὶ πίστεις μὴ ἐκλιπέτωσάν σε ἄφαψαι δὲ αὐτὰς ἐπὶ σῷ τραχήλῳ καὶ εὑρήσεις χάριν
4 And so shall you discover grace and good discipline, in the sight of God and men.
καὶ προνοοῦ καλὰ ἐνώπιον κυρίου καὶ ἀνθρώπων
5 Have confidence in the Lord with all your heart, and do not depend upon your own prudence.
ἴσθι πεποιθὼς ἐν ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ ἐπὶ θεῷ ἐπὶ δὲ σῇ σοφίᾳ μὴ ἐπαίρου
6 In all your ways, consider him, and he himself will direct your steps.
ἐν πάσαις ὁδοῖς σου γνώριζε αὐτήν ἵνα ὀρθοτομῇ τὰς ὁδούς σου ὁ δὲ πούς σου οὐ μὴ προσκόπτῃ
7 Do not seem wise to yourself. Fear God, and withdraw from evil.
μὴ ἴσθι φρόνιμος παρὰ σεαυτῷ φοβοῦ δὲ τὸν θεὸν καὶ ἔκκλινε ἀπὸ παντὸς κακοῦ
8 Certainly, it shall be health to your navel, and refreshment to your bones.
τότε ἴασις ἔσται τῷ σώματί σου καὶ ἐπιμέλεια τοῖς ὀστέοις σου
9 Honor the Lord with your substance, and give to him from the first of all your fruits,
τίμα τὸν κύριον ἀπὸ σῶν δικαίων πόνων καὶ ἀπάρχου αὐτῷ ἀπὸ σῶν καρπῶν δικαιοσύνης
10 and then your storehouses will be filled with abundance, and your presses shall overflow with wine.
ἵνα πίμπληται τὰ ταμίειά σου πλησμονῆς σίτου οἴνῳ δὲ αἱ ληνοί σου ἐκβλύζωσιν
11 My son, do not discard the discipline of the Lord, and do not fall away when you are corrected by him.
υἱέ μὴ ὀλιγώρει παιδείας κυρίου μηδὲ ἐκλύου ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ ἐλεγχόμενος
12 For whomever the Lord loves, he corrects, and just as a father does with a son, he wins him over.
ὃν γὰρ ἀγαπᾷ κύριος παιδεύει μαστιγοῖ δὲ πάντα υἱὸν ὃν παραδέχεται
13 Blessed is the man who finds wisdom and who advances to prudence.
μακάριος ἄνθρωπος ὃς εὗρεν σοφίαν καὶ θνητὸς ὃς εἶδεν φρόνησιν
14 Her acquisition is better than trading in silver, and her fruit is better than the first and purest gold.
κρεῖττον γὰρ αὐτὴν ἐμπορεύεσθαι ἢ χρυσίου καὶ ἀργυρίου θησαυρούς
15 She is more precious than all riches, and all that can be desired cannot prevail in comparison to her.
τιμιωτέρα δέ ἐστιν λίθων πολυτελῶν οὐκ ἀντιτάξεται αὐτῇ οὐδὲν πονηρόν εὔγνωστός ἐστιν πᾶσιν τοῖς ἐγγίζουσιν αὐτῇ πᾶν δὲ τίμιον οὐκ ἄξιον αὐτῆς ἐστιν
16 Length of days is at her right hand, and at her left hand is wealth and glory.
μῆκος γὰρ βίου καὶ ἔτη ζωῆς ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ αὐτῆς ἐν δὲ τῇ ἀριστερᾷ αὐτῆς πλοῦτος καὶ δόξα ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτῆς ἐκπορεύεται δικαιοσύνη νόμον δὲ καὶ ἔλεον ἐπὶ γλώσσης φορεῖ
17 Her ways are beautiful ways, and all her paths are peaceful.
αἱ ὁδοὶ αὐτῆς ὁδοὶ καλαί καὶ πάντες οἱ τρίβοι αὐτῆς ἐν εἰρήνῃ
18 She is a tree of life to those who overtake her, and he who shall take hold of her is blessed.
ξύλον ζωῆς ἐστι πᾶσι τοῖς ἀντεχομένοις αὐτῆς καὶ τοῖς ἐπερειδομένοις ἐπ’ αὐτὴν ὡς ἐπὶ κύριον ἀσφαλής
19 The Lord founded the earth on wisdom. He secured the heavens with prudence.
ὁ θεὸς τῇ σοφίᾳ ἐθεμελίωσεν τὴν γῆν ἡτοίμασεν δὲ οὐρανοὺς ἐν φρονήσει
20 By his wisdom, the abyss erupted and the clouds increased with dew.
ἐν αἰσθήσει ἄβυσσοι ἐρράγησαν νέφη δὲ ἐρρύησαν δρόσους
21 My son, let not these things move away from your eyes. Preserve law as well as counsel.
υἱέ μὴ παραρρυῇς τήρησον δὲ ἐμὴν βουλὴν καὶ ἔννοιαν
22 And so shall there be life in your soul and grace in your voice.
ἵνα ζήσῃ ἡ ψυχή σου καὶ χάρις ᾖ περὶ σῷ τραχήλῳ ἔσται δὲ ἴασις ταῖς σαρξί σου καὶ ἐπιμέλεια τοῖς σοῖς ὀστέοις
23 Then you shall walk confidently in your way, and your feet will not stumble.
ἵνα πορεύῃ πεποιθὼς ἐν εἰρήνῃ πάσας τὰς ὁδούς σου ὁ δὲ πούς σου οὐ μὴ προσκόψῃ
24 When you slumber, you shall not fear. When you rest, your sleep also will be sweet.
ἐὰν γὰρ κάθῃ ἄφοβος ἔσῃ ἐὰν δὲ καθεύδῃς ἡδέως ὑπνώσεις
25 Do not fear unexpected terror, nor the power of the impious falling upon you.
καὶ οὐ φοβηθήσῃ πτόησιν ἐπελθοῦσαν οὐδὲ ὁρμὰς ἀσεβῶν ἐπερχομένας
26 For the Lord will be at your side, and he will guard your feet, so that you may not be seized.
ὁ γὰρ κύριος ἔσται ἐπὶ πασῶν ὁδῶν σου καὶ ἐρείσει σὸν πόδα ἵνα μὴ σαλευθῇς
27 Do not prevent him who is able from doing good. When you are able, do good yourself too.
μὴ ἀπόσχῃ εὖ ποιεῖν ἐνδεῆ ἡνίκα ἂν ἔχῃ ἡ χείρ σου βοηθεῖν
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.
μὴ εἴπης ἐπανελθὼν ἐπάνηκε καὶ αὔριον δώσω δυνατοῦ σου ὄντος εὖ ποιεῖν οὐ γὰρ οἶδας τί τέξεται ἡ ἐπιοῦσα
29 Do not undertake evil against your friend, even though he has trust in you.
μὴ τεκτήνῃ ἐπὶ σὸν φίλον κακὰ παροικοῦντα καὶ πεποιθότα ἐπὶ σοί
30 Do not contend against a man without cause, even though he has done no evil to you.
μὴ φιλεχθρήσῃς πρὸς ἄνθρωπον μάτην μή τι εἰς σὲ ἐργάσηται κακόν
31 Do not rival an unjust man, and do not imitate his ways.
μὴ κτήσῃ κακῶν ἀνδρῶν ὀνείδη μηδὲ ζηλώσῃς τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτῶν
32 For everyone who ridicules is an abomination to the Lord, and his communication is for the simple.
ἀκάθαρτος γὰρ ἔναντι κυρίου πᾶς παράνομος ἐν δὲ δικαίοις οὐ συνεδριάζει
33 Destitution in the house of the impious is from the Lord. But the habitations of the just shall be blessed.
κατάρα θεοῦ ἐν οἴκοις ἀσεβῶν ἐπαύλεις δὲ δικαίων εὐλογοῦνται
34 He will ridicule those who ridicule, but he will bestow grace upon the mild.
κύριος ὑπερηφάνοις ἀντιτάσσεται ταπεινοῖς δὲ δίδωσιν χάριν
35 The wise will possess glory. The exaltation of the foolish is disgraceful.
δόξαν σοφοὶ κληρονομήσουσιν οἱ δὲ ἀσεβεῖς ὕψωσαν ἀτιμίαν