Proverbs 3
1 My son, forget not my law; but let thy heart keep my commandments;
My son, do not forget my teaching; but let your heart keep my commandments:
2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
for length of days, and years of life, and peace, will 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:
Do not let kindness and truth forsake you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
So you will find favor, and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the LORD with all thy heart; and lean not to thy own understanding.
Trust in Jehovah with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he will direct thy paths.
In all your ways remember him, and he will make your paths straight.
7 Be not wise in thy own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
Do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear Jehovah, and depart from evil.
8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
It will be health to your body, and nourishment to your bones.
9 Honor the LORD with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thy increase:
Honor Jehovah with your substance, with the first fruits of all your increase:
10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
so your storehouses will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
11 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:
My son, do not despise the discipline of Jehovah, nor resent his correction.
12 For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son [in whom] he delighteth.
For whom Jehovah loves he disciplines, and punishes every son he accepts.
13 Happy [is] the man [that] findeth wisdom, and the man [that] getteth understanding.
Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gets understanding.
14 For the merchandise of it [is] better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain of it than fine gold.
For her good profit is better than getting silver, and her return is better than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared to her.
She is more precious than rubies. None of the things you can desire are to be compared to her.
16 Length of days [is] in her right hand; [and] in her left hand riches and honor.
Length of days is in her right hand. In her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways [are] ways of pleasantness, and all her paths [are] peace.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness. 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.
She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her, and those who hold on to her are blessed
19 The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.
By wisdom Jehovah founded the earth. By understanding, he established the heavens.
20 By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.
By his knowledge, the depths were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew.
21 My son, let not them depart from thy eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:
My son, let them not depart from your eyes. Keep sound wisdom and discretion:
22 So shall they be life to thy soul, and grace to thy neck.
so they will be life to your soul, and grace for your neck.
23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.
Then you shall walk in your way securely, and your foot won't stumble.
24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: but thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
When you lie down, you will not be afraid; you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet.
25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.
Do not be afraid of sudden fear, or of the storm of the wicked when it comes:
26 For the LORD will be thy confidence, and will keep thy foot from being taken.
for Jehovah will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being taken.
27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thy hand to do [it].
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do it.
28 Say not to thy neighbor, Go, and come again, and to-morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.
Do not say to your neighbor, "Go, and come again; tomorrow I will give it to you," when you have it by you.
29 Devise not evil against thy neighbor, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.
Do not devise evil against your neighbor, seeing he dwells securely by you.
30 Strive not with a man without cause, if he hath done thee no harm.
Do not strive with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm.
31 Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.
Do not envy the man of violence. Choose none of his ways.
32 For the froward [is] abomination to the LORD: but his secret [is] with the righteous.
For the perverse is an abomination to Jehovah, but his friendship is with the upright.
33 The curse of the LORD [is] in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.
Jehovah's curse is in the house of the wicked, but he blesses the habitation of the righteous.
34 Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace to the lowly.
Surely he is scornful to scoffers, but he gives grace to the humble.
35 The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.
The wise will inherit glory, but shame will be the promotion of fools.
