Proverbs 3
1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
My son! my law forget not, And my commands let thy heart keep,
2 For length of days, and years of life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
For length of days and years, Life and peace they do 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 kindness and truth forsake thee, Bind them on thy neck, Write them on the tablet of thy heart,
4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
And find grace and good understanding In the eyes of God and man.
5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart, and lean not upon thine own understanding:
Trust unto Jehovah with all thy heart, And unto thine own understanding lean not.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
In all thy ways know thou Him, And He doth make straight thy paths.
7 Be not wise in thine own eyes; fear the LORD, and depart from evil:
Be not wise in thine own eyes, Fear Jehovah, and turn aside from evil.
8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
Healing it is to thy navel, And moistening to thy bones.
9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
Honour Jehovah from thy substance, And from the beginning of all thine increase;
10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy vats shall overflow with new wine.
And filled are thy barns [with] plenty, And [with] new wine thy presses break forth.
11 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his reproof:
Chastisement of Jehovah, my son, despise not, And be not vexed with His reproof,
12 For whom the LORD loveth he reproveth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
For whom Jehovah loveth He reproveth, Even as a father the son He is pleased with.
13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
O the happiness of a man [who] hath found wisdom, And of a man [who] bringeth forth understanding.
14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
For better [is] her merchandise Than the merchandise of silver, And than gold — her increase.
15 She is more precious than rubies: and none of the things thou canst desire are to be compared unto her.
Precious she [is] above rubies, And all thy pleasures are not comparable to her.
16 Length of days is in her right had; in her left hand are riches and honour.
Length of days [is] in her right hand, In her left [are] wealth 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 them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.
A tree of life she [is] to those laying hold on her, And whoso is retaining her [is] happy.
19 The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens.
Jehovah by wisdom did found the earth, He prepared the heavens by understanding.
20 By his knowledge the depths were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew.
By His knowledge depths have been rent, And clouds do drop dew.
21 My son, let not them depart from thine eyes; keep sound wisdom and discretion;
My son! let them not turn from thine eyes, Keep thou wisdom and thoughtfulness,
22 So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.
And they are life to thy soul, and grace to thy neck.
23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way securely, and thy foot shall not stumble.
Then thou goest thy way confidently, And thy foot doth not stumble.
24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
If thou liest down, thou art not afraid, Yea, thou hast lain down, And sweet hath been thy sleep.
25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh:
Be not afraid of sudden fear, And of the desolation of the wicked when it cometh.
26 For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.
For Jehovah is at thy side, And He hath kept thy foot from capture.
27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.
Withhold not good from its owners, When thy hand [is] toward God to do [it].
28 Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.
Say not thou to thy friend, 'Go, and return, and to-morrow I give,' And substance with thee.
29 Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.
Devise not against thy neighbour evil, And he sitting confidently with thee.
30 Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.
Strive not with a man without cause, If he have not done thee evil.
31 Envy thou not the man of violence, and choose none of his ways.
Be not envious of a man of violence, Nor fix thou on any of his ways.
32 For the perverse is an abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the upright.
For an abomination to Jehovah [is] the perverted, And with the upright [is] His secret counsel.
33 The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked; but he blesseth the habitation of the righteous.
The curse of Jehovah [is] in the house of the wicked. And the habitation of the righteous He blesseth.
34 Surely he scorneth the scorners, but he giveth grace unto the lowly.
If the scorners He doth scorn, Yet to the humble He doth give grace.
35 The wise shall inherit glory; but shame shall be the promotion of fools.
Honour do the wise inherit, And fools are bearing away shame!
