Proverbs 3
1 My son, mine instruction, do not thou forget, and, my commandment, let thy heart observe;
My son, forget not my law, and let thy heart keep my commandments.
2 For, length of days and years of life, and blessedness, shall they add to thee.
For they shall add to thee length of days, and years of life and peace.
3 Lovingkindness and faithfulness, let them not forsake thee, —bind them, upon thy neck, write them upon the tablet of thy heart:
Let not mercy and truth leave thee, put them about thy neck, and write them in the tables of thy heart:
4 So find thou favour and good repute, in the eyes of God and man.
And thou shalt And grace and good understanding before God and men.
5 Trust thou in Yahweh, with all thy heart, and, unto thine own understanding, do not lean:
Have confidence in the Lord with all thy heart, and lean not upon thy own prudence.
6 In all thy ways, acknowledge him, and, he, will make straight thy paths.
In all thy ways think on him, and he will direct thy steps.
7 Do not become wise in thine own eyes, revere Yahweh, and avoid evil:
I Be not wise in thy own conceit: fear God, and depart from evil:
8 Healing, shall it be to thy body, and refreshing, to thy bones.
For it shall be health to thy navel, and moistening to thy bones.
9 Honour thou Yahweh, with thy substance, and with the firstfruit of all thine increase;
Honour the Lord with thy substance, and give him of the first of all thy fruits:
10 So shall thy storehouses be filled with plenty, and, with new wine, shall thy vats overflow.
And thy barns shall be filled with abundance, and thy presses shall run over with wine.
11 The, chastening of Yahweh, my son, do not reject, nor loathe his rebuke;
My son, reject not the correction of the Lord: and do not faint when thou art chastised by him:
12 For, whom Yahweh loveth, he correcteth, he causeth pain to the son in whom he delighteth.
For whom the Lord loveth, he chastiseth: and as a father in the son he pleaseth himself.
13 How happy the man who hath found wisdom, and the man who draweth forth understanding,
Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom and is rich in prudence:
14 For better is her merchandise, than the merchandise of silver, yea, than gold, her increase;
The purchasing thereof is better than the merchandise of silver, and her fruit than the chiefest and purest gold:
15 More precious, is she, than corals, yea, none of thy delightful things, doth equal her:
She is more precious than all riches: and all the things that are desired, are not to be compared with her.
16 Length of days, is in her right hand, in her left, are riches and honour;
Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and glory.
17 Her ways, are ways of pleasantness, and, all her paths, are peace;
Her ways are beautiful ways, and all her paths are peaceable.
18 A tree of life, is she, to them who secure her, —and, they who hold her fast, are every one to be pronounced happy.
She is a tree of life to them that lay hold on her: and he that shall retain her is blessed.
19 Yahweh, in wisdom, founded the earth, establishing the heavens with understanding;
The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth, hath established the heavens by prudence.
20 By his knowledge, the resounding deeps were burst open, and, the skies, drop down dew.
By his wisdom the depths have broken out, and the clouds grow thick with dew.
21 My son, let them not depart from thine eyes, guard thou counsel, and purpose:
My son, let not these things depart from thy eyes: keep the law and counsel:
22 So shall they become life to thy soul, and an adorning to thy neck;
And there shall be life to thy soul, and grace to thy mouth.
23 Then, shalt thou walk securely in thy way, and, thy foot, shall not stumble;
Then shalt thou walk confidently in thy way, and thy foot shall not stumble:
24 When thou sittest down, thou shalt have no dread, yea thou shalt lie down, and sweet shall be thy sleep.
If thou sleep, thou shalt not fear: thou shalt rest, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
25 Be not thou afraid of sudden dread, nor of the desolation of the lawless, when it cometh.
Be not afraid of sudden fear, nor of the power of the wicked falling upon thee.
26 For, Yahweh, will be in all thy ways, and will keep thy foot from the snare.
For the Lord will be at thy side, and will keep thy foot that thou be not taken.
27 Withhold not good from them who ask it, when it is in power of thy hand to do it:
Do not withhold him from doing good, who is able: if thou art able, do good thyself also.
28 Do not say to thy neighbour, Go and come again, and to-morrow I will give, when thou hast it by thee.
Say not to thy friend: Go, and come again: and tomorrow I will give to thee: when thou canst give at present.
29 Devise not against thy neighbour an injury, seeing that, he, dwelleth securely by thee.
Practise not evil against thy friend, when he hath confidence in thee.
30 Contend not with a man without cause, if he hath dealt thee no wrong.
Strive not against a man without cause, when he hath done thee no evil.
31 Do not thou envy the man of violence, neither choose thou any of his ways;
Envy not the unjust man, and do not follow his ways:
32 For, an abomination to Yahweh, is the tortuous man, but, with the upright, he is intimate.
For every mocker is an abomination to the Lord, and his communication is with the simple.
33 The curse of Yahweh, is in the house of the lawless one, but, the home of the righteous, he blesseth.
Want is from the Lord in the house of the wicked: but the habitations of the just shall be blessed.
34 Though at scoffers he scoffeth, yet, to the humbled, he granteth favour.
He shall scorn the scorners, and to the meek he will give grace.
35 Honour, shall the wise inherit, —but, as for dullards, shame shall carry them away.
The wise shall possess glory: the promotion of fools is disgrace.
