Proverbs 3
1 My son, forget not my law, and let thy heart keep my commandments.
My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
2 For they shall add to thee length of days, and years of life and peace.
For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
3 Let not mercy and truth leave thee, put them about thy neck, and write them in the tables of thy heart:
Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
4 And thou shalt And grace and good understanding before God and men.
So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
5 Have confidence in the Lord with all thy heart, and lean not upon thy own prudence.
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways think on him, and he will direct thy steps.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
7 I Be not wise in thy own conceit: fear God, and depart from evil:
Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
8 For it shall be health to thy navel, and moistening to thy bones.
It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
9 Honour the Lord with thy substance, and give him of the first of all thy fruits:
Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
10 And thy barns shall be filled with abundance, and thy presses shall run over with wine.
So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
11 My son, reject not the correction of the Lord: and do not faint when thou art chastised by him:
My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:
12 For whom the Lord loveth, he chastiseth: and as a father in the son he pleaseth himself.
For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son [in whom] he delighteth.
13 Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom and is rich in prudence:
Happy [is] the man [that] findeth wisdom, and the man [that] getteth understanding.
14 The purchasing thereof is better than the merchandise of silver, and her fruit than the chiefest and purest gold:
For the merchandise of it [is] better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than all riches: and all the things that are desired, are not to be compared with her.
She [is] more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
16 Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and glory.
Length of days [is] in her right hand; [and] in her left hand riches and honour.
17 Her ways are beautiful ways, and all her paths are peaceable.
Her ways [are] ways of pleasantness, and all her paths [are] peace.
18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold on her: and he that shall retain her is blessed.
She [is] a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy [is every one] that retaineth her.
19 The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth, hath established the heavens by prudence.
The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.
20 By his wisdom the depths have broken out, and the clouds grow thick with dew.
By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.
21 My son, let not these things depart from thy eyes: keep the law and counsel:
My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:
22 And there shall be life to thy soul, and grace to thy mouth.
So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.
23 Then shalt thou walk confidently in thy way, and thy foot shall not stumble:
Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.
24 If thou sleep, thou shalt not fear: thou shalt rest, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, nor of the power of the wicked falling upon thee.
Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.
26 For the Lord will be at thy side, and will keep thy foot that thou be not taken.
For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.
27 Do not withhold him from doing good, who is able: if thou art able, do good thyself also.
Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do [it].
28 Say not to thy friend: Go, and come again: and tomorrow I will give to thee: when thou canst give at present.
Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.
29 Practise not evil against thy friend, when he hath confidence in thee.
Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.
30 Strive not against a man without cause, when he hath done thee no evil.
Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.
31 Envy not the unjust man, and do not follow his ways:
Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.
32 For every mocker is an abomination to the Lord, and his communication is with the simple.
For the froward [is] abomination to the LORD: but his secret [is] with the righteous.
33 Want is from the Lord in the house of the wicked: but the habitations of the just shall be blessed.
The curse of the LORD [is] in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.
34 He shall scorn the scorners, and to the meek he will give grace.
Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.
35 The wise shall possess glory: the promotion of fools is disgrace.
The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.
