Proverbs 3
1 My son! Do not forget my law, And let your heart keep my commands,
My son, forget not my teaching, And let thy heart observe my precepts!
2 For [the] length of [your] days and years, Life and peace they add to you.
For length of days, and years of life, And peace shall they multiply to thee.
3 Do not let kindness and truth forsake you, Bind them on your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart,
Let not kindness and truth forsake thee; Bind them around thy neck, Write them upon the tablet of thy heart:
4 And find grace and good understanding In the eyes of God and man.
Then shalt thou find favor and good success 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 thy heart, And lean not on thine own understanding;
6 In all your ways know Him, And He makes your paths straight.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he will make thy paths plain.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes, Fear YHWH, and turn aside from evil.
Be not wise in thine 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 thy muscles, And moisture to thy bones.
9 Honor YHWH from your substance, And from the beginning of all your increase;
Honor the LORD with thy substance, And with the first-fruits of all thy increase;
10 And your barns are filled [with] plenty, And your presses break forth [with] new wine.
So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, And thy vats overflow 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 correction of the LORD, Nor be impatient under his chastisement!
12 For whom YHWH loves He reproves, Even as a father the son He is pleased with.
For whom the LORD loveth he chasteneth, Even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
13 O the blessedness of a man [who] has found wisdom, And of a man [who] brings forth understanding.
Happy the man who findeth wisdom; Yea, the man who getteth understanding!
14 For better [is] her merchandise Than the merchandise of silver, And than gold—her increase.
For the profit thereof is greater than that of silver, And the gain thereof than that of fine gold.
15 She [is] precious above rubies, And all your pleasures are not comparable to 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, In her left [are] wealth and honor.
Length of days is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches 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 those laying hold on her, And whoever is retaining 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 YHWH founded the earth by wisdom, He prepared the heavens by understanding.
The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; By understanding he framed the heavens.
20 By His knowledge depths have been broken, And clouds drop dew.
By his knowledge the deep waters were cleft, 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 them not depart from thine eyes; Keep sound wisdom and discretion!
22 And they are life to your soul, and grace to your neck.
For they shall be life to thy soul, And grace to thy neck.
23 Then you go your way confidently, And your foot does not stumble.
Then shalt thou go on thy way securely, 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.
When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid, Yea, thou shalt lie down, 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 thou afraid of sudden alarm, Nor of the storm that is for the wicked, when it cometh;
26 For YHWH is at your side, And He has kept your foot from capture.
For the LORD shall be thy confidence; Yea, he will keep thy foot from being taken.
27 Do not withhold good from its owners, When your hand [is] toward God to do [it].
Withhold not kindness from those who need it, When it is in the power of thy 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 to thy neighbor, “Go, and come again, And to-morrow I will give to thee,” when thou hast it by thee.
29 Do not devise evil against your neighbor, And he sitting confidently with you.
Devise not evil against thy neighbor, While he dwelleth securely by thee.
30 Do not strive with a man without cause, If he has not done you evil.
Contend not with a man without cause, When he hath done thee no harm.
31 Do not be envious of a man of violence, Nor fix on any of his ways.
Envy 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 man is the abomination of the LORD, But he is in friendship with the upright.
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 upon the house of the wicked, But he blesseth the dwelling of the righteous.
34 If He scorns the scorners, Yet He gives grace to the humble.
Surely the scorners he treadeth scornfully, But giveth favor to the lowly.
35 The wise inherit glory, And fools are bearing away shame!
The wise shall obtain honor, But fools shall bear off shame.
