Proverbs 3
1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
My son! Do not forget my law, And let your heart keep my commands,
2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
For [the] length of [your] days and years, Life and peace they add to you.
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
Do not let kindness and truth forsake you, Bind them on your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart,
4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
And find grace and good understanding In the eyes of God and man.
5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Trust to YHWH with all your heart, And do not lean to your own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
In all your ways know Him, And He makes your paths straight.
7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
Do not be wise in your own eyes, Fear YHWH, and turn aside from evil.
8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
It is healing to your navel, And moistening to your bones.
9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
Honor YHWH from your substance, And from the beginning of all your increase;
10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
And your barns are filled [with] plenty, And your presses break forth [with] new wine.
11 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:
Discipline of YHWH, my son, do not despise, And do not be distressed with His reproof,
12 For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son [in whom] he delighteth.
For whom YHWH loves He reproves, Even as a father the son He is pleased with.
13 Happy [is] the man [that] findeth wisdom, and the man [that] getteth understanding.
O the blessedness of a man [who] has found wisdom, And of a man [who] brings forth understanding.
14 For the merchandise of it [is] better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
For better [is] her merchandise Than the merchandise of silver, And than gold—her increase.
15 She [is] more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
She [is] precious above rubies, And all your pleasures are not comparable to her.
16 Length of days [is] in her right hand; [and] in her left hand riches and honour.
Length of days [is] in her right hand, In her left [are] wealth and honor.
17 Her ways [are] ways of pleasantness, and all her paths [are] peace.
Her ways [are] ways of pleasantness, And all her paths [are] peace.
18 She [is] a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy [is every one] that retaineth her.
She [is] a tree of life to those laying hold on her, And whoever is retaining her [is] blessed.
19 The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.
YHWH founded the earth by wisdom, He prepared the heavens by understanding.
20 By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.
By His knowledge depths have been broken, And clouds drop dew.
21 My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:
My son! Do not let them turn from your eyes, Keep wisdom and thoughtfulness,
22 So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.
And they are life to your soul, and grace to your neck.
23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.
Then you go your way confidently, And your foot does not stumble.
24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
If you lie down, you are not afraid, Indeed, you have lain down, And your sleep has been sweet.
25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.
Do not be afraid of sudden fear, And of the desolation of the wicked when it comes.
26 For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.
For YHWH is at your side, And He has kept your foot from capture.
27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do [it].
Do not withhold good from its owners, When your hand [is] toward God to do [it].
28 Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.
Do not say to your friend, “Go, and return, and tomorrow I give,” When substance [is] with you.
29 Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.
Do not devise evil against your neighbor, And he sitting confidently with you.
30 Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.
Do not strive with a man without cause, If he has not done you evil.
31 Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.
Do not be envious of a man of violence, Nor fix on any of his ways.
32 For the froward [is] abomination to the LORD: but his secret [is] with the righteous.
For the perverted [is] an abomination to YHWH, And His secret counsel [is] with the upright.
33 The curse of the LORD [is] in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.
The curse of YHWH [is] in the house of the wicked. And He blesses the habitation of the righteous.
34 Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.
If He scorns the scorners, Yet He gives grace to the humble.
35 The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.
The wise inherit glory, And fools are bearing away shame!
