Proverbs 3
1 My son, forget not my law, and let thy heart keep my commandments.
My son, forget not my teaching, And let thy heart observe my precepts!
2 For they shall add to thee length of days, and years of life and peace.
For length of days, and years of life, And peace shall they multiply 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 kindness and truth forsake thee; Bind them around thy neck, Write them upon the tablet of thy heart:
4 And thou shalt And grace and good understanding before God and men.
Then shalt thou find favor and good success 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 thy heart, And lean not on 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 will make thy paths plain.
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 muscles, And moisture to thy bones.
9 Honour the Lord with thy substance, and give him of the first of all thy fruits:
Honor the LORD with thy substance, And with the first-fruits of all thy 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 vats overflow 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 correction of the LORD, Nor be impatient under his chastisement!
12 For whom the Lord loveth, he chastiseth: and as a father in the son he pleaseth himself.
For whom the LORD loveth he chasteneth, Even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
13 Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom and is rich in prudence:
Happy the man who findeth wisdom; Yea, the man who getteth understanding!
14 The purchasing thereof is better than the merchandise of silver, and her fruit than the chiefest and purest gold:
For the profit thereof is greater than that of silver, And the gain thereof than that of fine gold.
15 She is more precious than all riches: and all the things that are desired, are not to be compared with her.
More precious is she than pearls, And none of thy jewels is to be compared with 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; In her left hand are riches and honor.
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 of her, And happy is every one who hath her in his grasp.
19 The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth, hath established the heavens by prudence.
The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; By understanding he framed the heavens.
20 By his wisdom the depths have broken out, and the clouds grow thick with dew.
By his knowledge the deep waters were cleft, 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 them not depart from thine eyes; Keep sound wisdom and discretion!
22 And there shall be life to thy soul, and grace to thy mouth.
For they shall be life to 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 go on thy way securely, 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 thou afraid of sudden alarm, Nor of the storm that is for 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; Yea, he will 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 kindness from those who need it, When it is in the power of thy 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 to thy neighbor, “Go, and come again, And to-morrow I will give to thee,” when thou hast it by thee.
29 Practise not evil against thy friend, when he hath confidence in thee.
Devise not evil against thy neighbor, While he dwelleth securely by thee.
30 Strive not against a man without cause, when he hath done thee no evil.
Contend not with a man without cause, When he hath done thee no harm.
31 Envy not the unjust man, and do not follow his ways:
Envy 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 perverse man is the abomination of the LORD, But he is in friendship with the upright.
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 upon the house of the wicked, But he blesseth the dwelling of the righteous.
34 He shall scorn the scorners, and to the meek he will give grace.
Surely the scorners he treadeth scornfully, But giveth favor to the lowly.
35 The wise shall possess glory: the promotion of fools is disgrace.
The wise shall obtain honor, But fools shall bear off shame.
