< Proverbs 3 >
1 My son, do not forget what I have taught you. Keep my commands in your inner being,
υἱέ ἐμῶν νομίμων μὴ ἐπιλανθάνου τὰ δὲ ῥήματά μου τηρείτω σὴ καρδία
2 because [if you obey them] you will live a long time and things will go well for you
μῆκος γὰρ βίου καὶ ἔτη ζωῆς καὶ εἰρήνην προσθήσουσίν σοι
3 Always faithfully love others and (be faithful/do what you say that you will do); doing those things [will cause others to be pleased with you]; it will be as though you are wearing a beautiful necklace. Keep those things in your mind/inner being.
ἐλεημοσύναι καὶ πίστεις μὴ ἐκλιπέτωσάν σε ἄφαψαι δὲ αὐτὰς ἐπὶ σῷ τραχήλῳ καὶ εὑρήσεις χάριν
4 If you do, God and people will approve of you and think highly of you [MTY].
καὶ προνοοῦ καλὰ ἐνώπιον κυρίου καὶ ἀνθρώπων
5 Trust in Yahweh completely, and do not rely on what you yourself understand.
ἴσθι πεποιθὼς ἐν ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ ἐπὶ θεῷ ἐπὶ δὲ σῇ σοφίᾳ μὴ ἐπαίρου
6 Always allow him to lead you. If you do that, he will (show you the right path/direct your life).
ἐν πάσαις ὁδοῖς σου γνώριζε αὐτήν ἵνα ὀρθοτομῇ τὰς ὁδούς σου ὁ δὲ πούς σου οὐ μὴ προσκόπτῃ
7 Do not be proud of being wise. [Instead], revere Yahweh and turn away from doing evil.
μὴ ἴσθι φρόνιμος παρὰ σεαυτῷ φοβοῦ δὲ τὸν θεὸν καὶ ἔκκλινε ἀπὸ παντὸς κακοῦ
8 If you do that, your body will be healthy/strong; it will be [like] medicine for you.
τότε ἴασις ἔσται τῷ σώματί σου καὶ ἐπιμέλεια τοῖς ὀστέοις σου
9 Honor Yahweh by [what you do with] your money; and [by giving him] the first part of your harvest.
τίμα τὸν κύριον ἀπὸ σῶν δικαίων πόνων καὶ ἀπάρχου αὐτῷ ἀπὸ σῶν καρπῶν δικαιοσύνης
10 If you do that, [you will have a good harvest]. Yahweh will fill your barns [with grain], and your vats/containers will be overflowing with [grape juice for making] wine.
ἵνα πίμπληται τὰ ταμίειά σου πλησμονῆς σίτου οἴνῳ δὲ αἱ ληνοί σου ἐκβλύζωσιν
11 My son, when Yahweh disciplines/corrects you, do not despise it, and if he rebukes you, do not resent it.
υἱέ μὴ ὀλιγώρει παιδείας κυρίου μηδὲ ἐκλύου ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ ἐλεγχόμενος
12 [I say that] because it is the people whom Yahweh loves that he corrects/reproves, [just] like parents correct/reprove their sons whom they love.
ὃν γὰρ ἀγαπᾷ κύριος παιδεύει μαστιγοῖ δὲ πάντα υἱὸν ὃν παραδέχεται
13 [Yahweh] is pleased with those who become wise and have good understanding.
μακάριος ἄνθρωπος ὃς εὗρεν σοφίαν καὶ θνητὸς ὃς εἶδεν φρόνησιν
14 Being wise and having good understanding is worth more than silver, better than gold.
κρεῖττον γὰρ αὐτὴν ἐμπορεύεσθαι ἢ χρυσίου καὶ ἀργυρίου θησαυρούς
15 Being wise is more precious than (jewels/precious stones); there is nothing that you could desire [that would be as valuable] as wisdom.
τιμιωτέρα δέ ἐστιν λίθων πολυτελῶν οὐκ ἀντιτάξεται αὐτῇ οὐδὲν πονηρόν εὔγνωστός ἐστιν πᾶσιν τοῖς ἐγγίζουσιν αὐτῇ πᾶν δὲ τίμιον οὐκ ἄξιον αὐτῆς ἐστιν
16 On the one hand, wisdom [PRS] enables [you] to live a long life, and on the other hand, wisdom enables [you] to become rich and to be honored.
μῆκος γὰρ βίου καὶ ἔτη ζωῆς ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ αὐτῆς ἐν δὲ τῇ ἀριστερᾷ αὐτῆς πλοῦτος καὶ δόξα ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτῆς ἐκπορεύεται δικαιοσύνη νόμον δὲ καὶ ἔλεον ἐπὶ γλώσσης φορεῖ
17 If [you] are wise, [your] life will be pleasant, and things will go well [for you].
αἱ ὁδοὶ αὐτῆς ὁδοὶ καλαί καὶ πάντες οἱ τρίβοι αὐτῆς ἐν εἰρήνῃ
18 Wisdom is [like] a tree that gives long life to those who [eagerly] take hold of it, and [Yahweh] is pleased with those who hold onto it tightly.
ξύλον ζωῆς ἐστι πᾶσι τοῖς ἀντεχομένοις αὐτῆς καὶ τοῖς ἐπερειδομένοις ἐπ’ αὐτὴν ὡς ἐπὶ κύριον ἀσφαλής
19 By his wisdom Yahweh created the earth, and by his understanding he put everything in the skies.
ὁ θεὸς τῇ σοφίᾳ ἐθεμελίωσεν τὴν γῆν ἡτοίμασεν δὲ οὐρανοὺς ἐν φρονήσει
20 By his knowledge [he caused] the water that was beneath the earth to burst forth, and he caused rain to fall from the clouds.
ἐν αἰσθήσει ἄβυσσοι ἐρράγησαν νέφη δὲ ἐρρύησαν δρόσους
21 My son, [always] keep doing things that are right and things that are smart. If you do that,
υἱέ μὴ παραρρυῇς τήρησον δὲ ἐμὴν βουλὴν καὶ ἔννοιαν
22 you will live [many years] and be honored and respected {people will honor and respect you}.
ἵνα ζήσῃ ἡ ψυχή σου καὶ χάρις ᾖ περὶ σῷ τραχήλῳ ἔσται δὲ ἴασις ταῖς σαρξί σου καὶ ἐπιμέλεια τοῖς σοῖς ὀστέοις
23 If you do what is right and wise, you will [be able to] walk safely, and you will not (stumble/do things that are wrong) [MET].
ἵνα πορεύῃ πεποιθὼς ἐν εἰρήνῃ πάσας τὰς ὁδούς σου ὁ δὲ πούς σου οὐ μὴ προσκόψῃ
24 You will [be able to] lie down [at night] and not be afraid [of anything], and you will sleep peacefully.
ἐὰν γὰρ κάθῃ ἄφοβος ἔσῃ ἐὰν δὲ καθεύδῃς ἡδέως ὑπνώσεις
25 You will not be afraid that something disastrous will happen to you or that storms that strike the wicked will strike you,
καὶ οὐ φοβηθήσῃ πτόησιν ἐπελθοῦσαν οὐδὲ ὁρμὰς ἀσεβῶν ἐπερχομένας
26 because you will be confident that Yahweh [will take care of you]. He will not let your foot be caught in a trap/snare.
ὁ γὰρ κύριος ἔσται ἐπὶ πασῶν ὁδῶν σου καὶ ἐρείσει σὸν πόδα ἵνα μὴ σαλευθῇς
27 If you are able to help people who deserve it, do not refuse to help them.
μὴ ἀπόσχῃ εὖ ποιεῖν ἐνδεῆ ἡνίκα ἂν ἔχῃ ἡ χείρ σου βοηθεῖν
28 If you are able to help someone you interact with, do not say, “Come back later; [perhaps] I can help you tomorrow.”
μὴ εἴπης ἐπανελθὼν ἐπάνηκε καὶ αὔριον δώσω δυνατοῦ σου ὄντος εὖ ποιεῖν οὐ γὰρ οἶδας τί τέξεται ἡ ἐπιοῦσα
29 Do not make plans to harm those you interact with regularly, [because] they live near you, and they trust you.
μὴ τεκτήνῃ ἐπὶ σὸν φίλον κακὰ παροικοῦντα καὶ πεποιθότα ἐπὶ σοί
30 If someone has not harmed you, do not accuse him [by saying that he has harmed you].
μὴ φιλεχθρήσῃς πρὸς ἄνθρωπον μάτην μή τι εἰς σὲ ἐργάσηται κακόν
31 Do not envy people who [obtain things by] violent actions, and do not imitate/do what they do.
μὴ κτήσῃ κακῶν ἀνδρῶν ὀνείδη μηδὲ ζηλώσῃς τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτῶν
32 [I say that] because Yahweh considers such people to be abominable/detestable; but he is a friend to [all] those who do what is right.
ἀκάθαρτος γὰρ ἔναντι κυρίου πᾶς παράνομος ἐν δὲ δικαίοις οὐ συνεδριάζει
33 Yahweh curses the families [MTY] of those who are wicked, but he blesses the families of those who are good/righteous.
κατάρα θεοῦ ἐν οἴκοις ἀσεβῶν ἐπαύλεις δὲ δικαίων εὐλογοῦνται
34 Yahweh makes fun of those who make fun [of others], but he kindly helps those who are humble.
κύριος ὑπερηφάνοις ἀντιτάσσεται ταπεινοῖς δὲ δίδωσιν χάριν
35 Wise [people] will be honored {people will honor wise people}, but foolish people will be dishonored/disgraced.
δόξαν σοφοὶ κληρονομήσουσιν οἱ δὲ ἀσεβεῖς ὕψωσαν ἀτιμίαν