Proverbs 3

1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:

[My] son, forget not my laws; but let thine heart keep my words:

2 For length of days, and years of life, and peace, shall they add to thee.

for length of existence, and years of life, and peace, shall they add to thee.

3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:

Let not mercy and truth forsake thee; but bind them about thy neck:

4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

so shalt thou find favour: and do thou provide things honest in the sight of the Lord, and of men.

5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart, and lean not upon thine own understanding:

Trust in God with all thine heart; and be not exalted in thine own wisdom.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

In all thy ways acquaint thyself with her, that she may rightly direct thy paths.

7 Be not wise in thine own eyes; fear the LORD, and depart from evil:

Be not wise in thine own conceit; but fear God, and depart from all evil.

8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

Then shall there be health to thy body, and good keeping to thy bones.

9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:

Honour the Lord with thy just labours, and give him the first of thy fruits of righteousness:

10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy vats shall overflow with new wine.

that thy storehouses may be completely filled with corn, and that thy presses may burst forth with wine.

11 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his reproof:

[My] son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

12 For whom the LORD loveth he reproveth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

for whom the Lord loves, he rebukes, and scourges every son whom he receives.

13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.

Blessed is the man who has found wisdom, and the mortal who knows prudence.

14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.

For it is better to traffic for her, than for treasures of gold and silver.

15 She is more precious than rubies: and none of the things thou canst desire are to be compared unto her.

And she is more valuable than precious stones: no evil thing shall resist her: she is well known to all that approach her, and no precious thing is equal to her in value.

16 Length of days is in her right had; in her left hand are riches and honour.

For length of existence and years of life are in her right hand; and in her left hand are wealth and glory: out of her mouth proceeds righteousness, and she carries law and mercy upon her tongue.

17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

Her ways are good ways, and all her paths are peaceful.

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 all that lay hold upon her; and she is [a] secure [help] to all that stay themselves on her, as on the Lord.

19 The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens.

God by wisdom founded the earth, and by prudence he prepared the heavens.

20 By his knowledge the depths were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew.

By understanding were the depths broken up, and the clouds dropped water.

21 My son, let not them depart from thine eyes; keep sound wisdom and discretion;

[My] son, let [them] not pass from [thee], but keep my counsel and understanding:

22 So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.

that thy soul may live, and that there may be grace round thy neck; and it shall be health to thy flesh, and safety to thy bones:

23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way securely, and thy foot shall not stumble.

that thou mayest go confidently in peace in all thy ways, and that thy foot may not stumble.

24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

For if thou rest, thou shalt be undismayed; and if thou sleep, thou shalt slumber sweetly.

25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh:

And thou shalt not be afraid of alarm coming upon thee, neither of approaching attacks of ungodly men.

26 For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

For the Lord shall be over all thy ways, and shall establish thy foot that thou be not moved.

27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.

Forbear not to do good to the poor, whensoever thy hand may have [power] to help [him].

28 Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.

Say not, Come back another time, to-morrow I will give; while thou art able to do [him] good: for thou knowest not what the next day will bring forth.

29 Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.

Devise not evil against thy friend, living near thee and trusting in thee.

30 Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.

Be not ready to quarrel with a man without a cause, lest he do thee some harm.

31 Envy thou not the man of violence, and choose none of his ways.

Procure not the reproaches of bad men, neither do thou covet their ways.

32 For the perverse is an abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the upright.

For every transgressor is unclean before the Lord; neither does he sit among the righteous.

33 The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked; but he blesseth the habitation of the righteous.

The curse of God is in the houses of the ungodly; but the habitations of the just are blessed.

34 Surely he scorneth the scorners, but he giveth grace unto the lowly.

The Lord resists the proud; but he gives grace to the humble.

35 The wise shall inherit glory; but shame shall be the promotion of fools.

The wise shall inherit glory; but the ungodly have exalted [their own] dishonour.