Proverbs 3
1 My son, forget not my law; but let thy heart keep my commandments;
[My] son, forget not my laws; but let your heart keep my words:
2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
for length of existence, and years of life, and peace, shall they add to you.
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thy heart:
Let not mercy and truth forsake you; but bind them about your neck:
4 So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
so shall you find favor: and do you provide things honest in the sight of the Lord, and of men.
5 Trust in the LORD with all thy heart; and lean not to thy own understanding.
Trust in God with all your heart; and be not exalted in your own wisdom.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he will direct thy paths.
In all your ways acquaint yourself with her, that she may rightly direct your paths.
7 Be not wise in thy own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
Be not wise in your 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 your body, and good keeping to your bones.
9 Honor the LORD with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thy increase:
Honor the Lord with your just labors, and give him the first of your fruits of righteousness:
10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
that your storehouses may be completely filled with corn, and that your presses may burst forth with wine.
11 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:
[My] son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; nor faint when you are rebuked of him:
12 For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; 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 of it 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 all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared to 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 hand; [and] in her left hand riches and honor.
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 hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.
God by wisdom founded the earth, and by prudence he prepared the heavens.
20 By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.
By understanding were the depths broken up, and the clouds dropped water.
21 My son, let not them depart from thy eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:
[My] son, let [them] not pass from [you], but keep my counsel and understanding:
22 So shall they be life to thy soul, and grace to thy neck.
that your soul may live, and that there may be grace round your neck; and it shall be health to your flesh, and safety to your bones:
23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.
that you may go confidently in peace in all your ways, and that your foot may not stumble.
24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: but thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
For if you rest, you shall be undismayed; and if you sleep, you shall slumber sweetly.
25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.
And you shall not be afraid of alarm coming upon you, neither of approaching attacks of ungodly men.
26 For the LORD will be thy confidence, and will keep thy foot from being taken.
For the Lord shall be over all your ways, and shall establish your foot that you be not moved.
27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thy hand to do [it].
Forbear not to do good to the poor, whenever your hand may have [power] to help [him].
28 Say not to thy neighbor, Go, and come again, and to-morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.
Say not, Come back another time, to-morrow I will give; while you are able to do [him] good: for you know not what the next day will bring forth.
29 Devise not evil against thy neighbor, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.
Devise not evil against your friend, living near you and trusting in you.
30 Strive not with a man without cause, if he hath done thee no harm.
Be not ready to quarrel with a man without a cause, lest he do you some harm.
31 Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.
Procure not the reproaches of bad men, neither do you covet their ways.
32 For the froward [is] abomination to the LORD: but his secret [is] with the righteous.
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 just.
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 to 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] dishonor.
