< Proverbs 3 >
1 My sonne, forget not thou my Lawe, but let thine heart keepe my commandements.
[My] son, forget not my laws; but let thine heart keep my words:
2 For they shall increase the length of thy dayes and the yeeres of life, and thy prosperitie.
for length of existence, and years of life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
3 Let not mercie and trueth forsake thee: binde them on thy necke, and write them vpon the table of thine heart.
Let not mercy and truth forsake thee; but bind them about thy neck:
4 So shalt thou finde fauour and good vnderstanding in the sight of God and man.
so shalt thou find favour: and do thou provide things honest in the sight of the Lord, and of men.
5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and leane not vnto thine owne wisdome.
Trust in God with all thine heart; and be not exalted in thine own wisdom.
6 In all thy wayes acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy wayes.
In all thy ways acquaint thyself with her, that she may rightly direct thy paths.
7 Be not wise in thine owne eyes: but feare the Lord, and depart from euill.
Be not wise in thine own conceit; but fear God, and depart from all evil.
8 So health shalbe vnto thy nauel, and marowe vnto thy bones.
Then shall there be health to thy body, and good keeping to thy bones.
9 Honour the Lord with thy riches, and with the first fruites of all thine increase.
Honour the Lord with thy just labours, and give him the first of thy fruits of righteousness:
10 So shall thy barnes be filled with abundance, and thy presses shall burst with newe wine.
that thy storehouses may be completely filled with corn, and that thy presses may burst forth with wine.
11 My sonne, refuse not the chastening of the Lord, neither be grieued with his correction.
[My] son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
12 For the Lord correcteth him, whome he loueth, euen as the father doeth the childe in whom he deliteth.
for whom the Lord loves, he rebukes, and scourges every son whom he receives.
13 Blessed is the man that findeth wisedome, and the man that getteth vnderstanding.
Blessed is the man who has found wisdom, and the mortal who knows prudence.
14 For the marchandise thereof is better then the marchandise of siluer, and the gaine thereof is better then golde.
For it is better to traffic for her, than for treasures of gold and silver.
15 It is more precious then pearles: and all things that thou canst desire, are not to be compared vnto her.
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.
16 Length of dayes is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and glory.
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.
17 Her wayes are wayes of pleasure, and all her pathes prosperitie.
Her ways are good ways, and all her paths are peaceful.
18 She is a tree of life to them that lay holde on her, and blessed is he that retaineth her.
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.
19 The Lord by wisdome hath layde the foundation of the earth, and hath stablished the heauens through vnderstanding.
God by wisdom founded the earth, and by prudence he prepared the heavens.
20 By his knowledge the depthes are broken vp, and the cloudes droppe downe the dewe.
By understanding were the depths broken up, and the clouds dropped water.
21 My sonne, let not these things depart from thine eyes, but obserue wisdome, and counsell.
[My] son, let [them] not pass from [thee], but keep my counsel and understanding:
22 So they shalbe life to thy soule, and grace vnto thy necke.
that thy soul may live, and that there may be grace round thy neck; and it shall be health to thy flesh, and safety to thy bones:
23 Then shalt thou walke safely by thy way: and thy foote shall not stumble.
that thou mayest go confidently in peace in all thy ways, and that thy foot may not stumble.
24 If thou sleepest, thou shalt not bee afraide, and when thou sleepest, thy sleepe shalbe sweete.
For if thou rest, thou shalt be undismayed; and if thou sleep, thou shalt slumber sweetly.
25 Thou shalt not feare for any sudden feare, neither for the destruction of the wicked, when it commeth.
And thou shalt not be afraid of alarm coming upon thee, neither of approaching attacks of ungodly men.
26 For the Lord shall be for thine assurance, and shall preserue thy foote from taking.
For the Lord shall be over all thy ways, and shall establish thy foot that thou be not moved.
27 Withhold not the good from the owners thereof, though there be power in thine hand to doe it.
Forbear not to do good to the poor, whensoever thy hand may have [power] to help [him].
28 Say not vnto thy neighbour, Go and come againe, and to morow wil I giue thee, if thou now haue it.
Say not, Come back another time, to-morrow I will give; while thou art able to do [him] good: for thou knowest not what the next day will bring forth.
29 Intend none hurt against thy neighbour, seeing he doeth dwell without feare by thee.
Devise not evil against thy friend, living near thee and trusting in thee.
30 Striue not with a man causelesse, when he hath done thee no harme.
Be not ready to quarrel with a man without a cause, lest he do thee some harm.
31 Bee not enuious for the wicked man, neither chuse any of his wayes.
Procure not the reproaches of bad men, neither do thou covet their ways.
32 For the frowarde is abomination vnto the Lord: but his secret is with the righteous.
For every transgressor is unclean before the Lord; neither does he sit among the righteous.
33 The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the righteous.
The curse of God is in the houses of the ungodly; but the habitations of the just are blessed.
34 With the scornefull he scorneth, but hee giueth grace vnto the humble.
The Lord resists the proud; but he gives grace to the humble.
35 The wise shall inherite glorie: but fooles dishonour, though they be exalted.
The wise shall inherit glory; but the ungodly have exalted [their own] dishonour.