Proverbs 3
1 My son! Do not forget my law, And let your heart keep my commands,
My son, don’t forget my teaching; but keep my mitzvot ·instructions· in your heart:
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, will 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,
Don’t let chesed ·loving-kindness· and truth forsake you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 And find grace and good understanding In the eyes of God and man.
So you will find chen ·grace·, 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 Adonai with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways know Him, And He makes your paths straight.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes, Fear YHWH, and turn aside from evil.
Don’t be wise in your own eyes. Fear Adonai, and depart from evil.
8 It is healing to your navel, And moistening to your bones.
It will be health to your body, and nourishment to your bones.
9 Honor YHWH from your substance, And from the beginning of all your increase;
Honor Adonai with your substance, with the first fruits of all your increase:
10 And your barns are filled [with] plenty, And your presses break forth [with] new wine.
so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
11 Discipline of YHWH, my son, do not despise, And do not be distressed with His reproof,
My son, don’t despise Adonai’s discipline, neither be despondent when he corrects you:
12 For whom YHWH loves He reproves, Even as a father the son He is pleased with.
for whom Adonai 'ahav ·affectionately loves·, he reproves; even as a father reproves his 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 who finds wisdom, the man who gets understanding.
14 For better [is] her merchandise Than the merchandise of silver, And than gold—her increase.
For her good profit is better than getting silver, and her teshuvah ·complete return· is better than fine gold.
15 She [is] precious above rubies, And all your pleasures are not comparable to her.
She is more precious than rubies. None of the things you can desire are to be compared to 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 kavod ·weighty glory·.
17 Her ways [are] ways of pleasantness, And all her paths [are] peace.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness. 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 those who lay hold of her. Happy is everyone who retains her.
19 YHWH founded the earth by wisdom, He prepared the heavens by understanding.
By wisdom Adonai founded the earth. By understanding, he established the heavens.
20 By His knowledge depths have been broken, And clouds drop dew.
By his knowledge, the depths were broken up, and the skies 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 your eyes. Keep sound wisdom and discretion:
22 And they are life to your soul, and grace to your neck.
so they will be life to your soul, and chen ·grace· for your neck.
23 Then you go your way confidently, And your foot does not stumble.
Then you shall walk in your way securely. Your foot won’t 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 will not be afraid. Yes, you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet.
25 Do not be afraid of sudden fear, And of the desolation of the wicked when it comes.
Don’t be 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 Adonai will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being taken.
27 Do not withhold good from its owners, When your hand [is] toward God to do [it].
Don’t withhold good from those 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.
Don’t say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again; tomorrow I will give it to you,” when you have it by you.
29 Do not devise evil against your neighbor, And he sitting confidently with you.
Don’t devise evil against your neighbor, since he dwells securely by you.
30 Do not strive with a man without cause, If he has not done you evil.
Don’t strive with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm.
31 Do not be envious of a man of violence, Nor fix on any of his ways.
Don’t envy the man of violence. 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 an abomination to Adonai, but his friendship is with the upright.
33 The curse of YHWH [is] in the house of the wicked. And He blesses the habitation of the righteous.
Adonai’s curse is in the house of the wicked, but he blesses the habitation of the upright.
34 If He scorns the scorners, Yet He gives grace to the humble.
Surely he opposes the mockers, but he gives chen ·grace· to the humble.
35 The wise inherit glory, And fools are bearing away shame!
The wise will inherit kavod ·weighty glory·, but shame will be the promotion of fools.
