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