Proverbs 3
1 My son! Do not forget my law, And let your heart keep my commands,
My son, forget not my law, and let thy heart keep my commandments.
2 For [the] length of [your] days and years, Life and peace they add to you.
For they shall add to thee length of days, and years of life and peace.
3 Do not let kindness and truth forsake you, Bind them on your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart,
Let not mercy and truth leave thee, put them about thy neck, and write them in the tables of thy heart:
4 And find grace and good understanding In the eyes of God and man.
And thou shalt And grace and good understanding before God and men.
5 Trust to YHWH with all your heart, And do not lean to your own understanding.
Have confidence in the Lord with all thy heart, and lean not upon thy own prudence.
6 In all your ways know Him, And He makes your paths straight.
In all thy ways think on him, and he will direct thy steps.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes, Fear YHWH, and turn aside from evil.
I Be not wise in thy own conceit: fear God, and depart from evil:
8 It is healing to your navel, And moistening to your bones.
For it shall be health to thy navel, and moistening to thy bones.
9 Honor YHWH from your substance, And from the beginning of all your increase;
Honour the Lord with thy substance, and give him of the first of all thy fruits:
10 And your barns are filled [with] plenty, And your presses break forth [with] new wine.
And thy barns shall be filled with abundance, and thy presses shall run over with wine.
11 Discipline of YHWH, my son, do not despise, And do not be distressed with His reproof,
My son, reject not the correction of the Lord: and do not faint when thou art chastised by him:
12 For whom YHWH loves He reproves, Even as a father the son He is pleased with.
For whom the Lord loveth, he chastiseth: and as a father in the son he pleaseth himself.
13 O the blessedness of a man [who] has found wisdom, And of a man [who] brings forth understanding.
Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom and is rich in prudence:
14 For better [is] her merchandise Than the merchandise of silver, And than gold—her increase.
The purchasing thereof is better than the merchandise of silver, and her fruit than the chiefest and purest gold:
15 She [is] precious above rubies, And all your pleasures are not comparable to her.
She is more precious than all riches: and all the things that are desired, are not to be compared with her.
16 Length of days [is] in her right hand, In her left [are] wealth and honor.
Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and glory.
17 Her ways [are] ways of pleasantness, And all her paths [are] peace.
Her ways are beautiful ways, and all her paths are peaceable.
18 She [is] a tree of life to those laying hold on her, And whoever is retaining her [is] blessed.
She is a tree of life to them that lay hold on her: and he that shall retain her is blessed.
19 YHWH founded the earth by wisdom, He prepared the heavens by understanding.
The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth, hath established the heavens by prudence.
20 By His knowledge depths have been broken, And clouds drop dew.
By his wisdom the depths have broken out, and the clouds grow thick with dew.
21 My son! Do not let them turn from your eyes, Keep wisdom and thoughtfulness,
My son, let not these things depart from thy eyes: keep the law and counsel:
22 And they are life to your soul, and grace to your neck.
And there shall be life to thy soul, and grace to thy mouth.
23 Then you go your way confidently, And your foot does not stumble.
Then shalt thou walk confidently in thy way, and thy foot shall not stumble:
24 If you lie down, you are not afraid, Indeed, you have lain down, And your sleep has been sweet.
If thou sleep, thou shalt not fear: thou shalt rest, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
25 Do not be afraid of sudden fear, And of the desolation of the wicked when it comes.
Be not afraid of sudden fear, nor of the power of the wicked falling upon thee.
26 For YHWH is at your side, And He has kept your foot from capture.
For the Lord will be at thy side, and will keep thy foot that thou be not taken.
27 Do not withhold good from its owners, When your hand [is] toward God to do [it].
Do not withhold him from doing good, who is able: if thou art able, do good thyself also.
28 Do not say to your friend, “Go, and return, and tomorrow I give,” When substance [is] with you.
Say not to thy friend: Go, and come again: and tomorrow I will give to thee: when thou canst give at present.
29 Do not devise evil against your neighbor, And he sitting confidently with you.
Practise not evil against thy friend, when he hath confidence in thee.
30 Do not strive with a man without cause, If he has not done you evil.
Strive not against a man without cause, when he hath done thee no evil.
31 Do not be envious of a man of violence, Nor fix on any of his ways.
Envy not the unjust man, and do not follow his ways:
32 For the perverted [is] an abomination to YHWH, And His secret counsel [is] with the upright.
For every mocker is an abomination to the Lord, and his communication is with the simple.
33 The curse of YHWH [is] in the house of the wicked. And He blesses the habitation of the righteous.
Want is from the Lord in the house of the wicked: but the habitations of the just shall be blessed.
34 If He scorns the scorners, Yet He gives grace to the humble.
He shall scorn the scorners, and to the meek he will give grace.
35 The wise inherit glory, And fools are bearing away shame!
The wise shall possess glory: the promotion of fools is disgrace.
