Proverbs 3
1 My son, don’t forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments,
My son, mine instruction, do not thou forget, and, my commandment, let thy heart observe;
2 for they will add to you length of days, years of life, and peace.
For, length of days and years of life, and blessedness, shall they add to thee.
3 Don’t let kindness and truth forsake you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart.
Lovingkindness and faithfulness, let them not forsake thee, —bind them, upon thy neck, write them upon the tablet of thy heart:
4 So you will find favor, and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
So find thou favour and good repute, in the eyes of God and man.
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding.
Trust thou in Yahweh, with all thy heart, and, unto thine own understanding, do not lean:
6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
In all thy ways, acknowledge him, and, he, will make straight thy paths.
7 Don’t be wise in your own eyes. Fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
Do not become wise in thine own eyes, revere Yahweh, and avoid evil:
8 It will be health to your body, and nourishment to your bones.
Healing, shall it be to thy body, and refreshing, to thy bones.
9 Honor the LORD with your substance, with the first fruits of all your increase;
Honour thou Yahweh, with thy substance, and with the firstfruit of all thine increase;
10 so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
So shall thy storehouses be filled with plenty, and, with new wine, shall thy vats overflow.
11 My son, don’t despise the LORD’s discipline, neither be weary of his correction;
The, chastening of Yahweh, my son, do not reject, nor loathe his rebuke;
12 for whom the LORD loves, he corrects, even as a father reproves the son in whom he delights.
For, whom Yahweh loveth, he correcteth, he causeth pain to the son in whom he delighteth.
13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gets understanding.
How happy the man who hath found wisdom, and the man who draweth forth understanding,
14 For her good profit is better than getting silver, and her return is better than fine gold.
For better is her merchandise, than the merchandise of silver, yea, than gold, her increase;
15 She is more precious than rubies. None of the things you can desire are to be compared to her.
More precious, is she, than corals, yea, none of thy delightful things, doth equal her:
16 Length of days is in her right hand. In her left hand are riches and honor.
Length of days, is in her right hand, in her left, are riches and honour;
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness. 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 those who lay hold of her. Happy is everyone who retains her.
A tree of life, is she, to them who secure her, —and, they who hold her fast, are every one to be pronounced happy.
19 By wisdom the LORD founded the earth. By understanding, he established the heavens.
Yahweh, in wisdom, founded the earth, establishing the heavens with understanding;
20 By his knowledge, the depths were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew.
By his knowledge, the resounding deeps were burst open, and, the skies, drop down dew.
21 My son, let them not depart from your eyes. Keep sound wisdom and discretion,
My son, let them not depart from thine eyes, guard thou counsel, and purpose:
22 so they will be life to your soul, and grace for your neck.
So shall they become life to thy soul, and an adorning to thy neck;
23 Then you shall walk in your way securely. Your foot won’t stumble.
Then, shalt thou walk securely in thy way, and, thy foot, shall not stumble;
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid. Yes, you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet.
When thou sittest down, thou shalt have no dread, yea thou shalt lie down, and sweet shall be thy sleep.
25 Don’t be afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it comes;
Be not thou afraid of sudden dread, nor of the desolation of the lawless, when it cometh.
26 for the LORD will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being taken.
For, Yahweh, will be in all thy ways, and will keep thy foot from the snare.
27 Don’t withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do it.
Withhold not good from them who ask it, when it is in power of thy hand to do it:
28 Don’t say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again; tomorrow I will give it to you,” when you have it by you.
Do not say to thy neighbour, Go and come again, and to-morrow I will give, when thou hast it by thee.
29 Don’t devise evil against your neighbor, since he dwells securely by you.
Devise not against thy neighbour an injury, seeing that, he, dwelleth securely by thee.
30 Don’t strive with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm.
Contend not with a man without cause, if he hath dealt thee no wrong.
31 Don’t envy the man of violence. Choose none of his ways.
Do not thou envy the man of violence, neither choose thou any of his ways;
32 For the perverse is an abomination to the LORD, but his friendship is with the upright.
For, an abomination to Yahweh, is the tortuous man, but, with the upright, he is intimate.
33 The LORD’s curse is in the house of the wicked, but he blesses the habitation of the righteous.
The curse of Yahweh, is in the house of the lawless one, but, the home of the righteous, he blesseth.
34 Surely he mocks the mockers, but he gives grace to the humble.
Though at scoffers he scoffeth, yet, to the humbled, he granteth favour.
35 The wise will inherit glory, but shame will be the promotion of fools.
Honour, shall the wise inherit, —but, as for dullards, shame shall carry them away.
