Proverbs 3
1 My son, don’t forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments,
My son, forget not my teaching, and let thy heart keep my commandments;
2 for they will add to you length of days, years of life, and peace.
For length of days, and years of life, and peace, will they increase unto thee.
3 Don’t let kindness and truth forsake you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart.
Let kindness and truth not forsake thee; bind them about thy throat; write them upon the table of thy heart:
4 So you will find favor, and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
So shalt thou find grace and good favor 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 in the Lord with all thy heart: and upon thy own understanding do not rely.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he will make level thy paths.
7 Don’t be wise in your own eyes. Fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
Be not wise in thy own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.
8 It will be health to your body, and nourishment to your bones.
It will be healing to thy body, and marrow to thy bones.
9 Honor the LORD with your substance, with the first fruits of all your increase;
Honor the Lord with thy wealth, and with the first-fruits of all thy products:
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 presses overflow.
11 My son, don’t despise the LORD’s discipline, neither be weary of his correction;
The correction of the Lord, my son, do not despise; and feel no loathing for his admonition;
12 for whom the LORD loves, he corrects, even as a father reproves the son in whom he delights.
Because whomever the Lord loveth he admonisheth; and as a father who delighteth in [his] son.
13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gets understanding.
Happy the man that hath found wisdom, and the man that acquireth understanding.
14 For her good profit is better than getting silver, and her return is better than fine gold.
For the obtaining of her is better than the obtaining of silver, and better than fine gold is her product.
15 She is more precious than rubies. None of the things you can desire are to be compared to her.
She is more precious than pearls; and all the things thou valuest are not equal unto 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 honor.
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 those that lay hold on her: and every one that firmly graspeth her will be made happy.
19 By wisdom the LORD founded the earth. By understanding, he established the heavens.
The Lord hath through wisdom founded the earth: he hath established the heavens through understanding.
20 By his knowledge, the depths were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew.
By his knowledge were the depths split open, and the skies drop down the dew.
21 My son, let them not depart from your eyes. Keep sound wisdom and discretion,
My son, let them not be removed from thy eyes; keep [before thee] sound wisdom and discretion:
22 so they will be life to your soul, and grace for your neck.
And they will be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy throat.
23 Then you shall walk in your way securely. Your foot won’t stumble.
Then wilt thou walk in safety on thy way, and thy foot will not strike [against aught]:
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid. Yes, you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet.
When thou layest thyself down, thou shalt feel no dread; and as thou liest down, thy sleep shall be pleasant.
25 Don’t be afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it comes;
Thou needest not to be afraid of sudden dread, neither of the [unlooked-for] tempest over the wicked, when it cometh.
26 for the LORD will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being taken.
For the Lord will be thy confidence, and he will guard thy foot from being caught.
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 a benefit from him who is deserving it, when it is in the 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.
Say not unto thy neighbor, Go, and return, and tomorrow will I give: when thou hast it by thee.
29 Don’t devise evil against your neighbor, since he dwells securely by you.
Contrive not against thy neighbor any evil, when he dwelleth in safety with thee.
30 Don’t strive with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm.
Quarrel not with any man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.
31 Don’t envy the man of violence. Choose none of his ways.
Envy not the man of violence, and choose none of his ways.
32 For the perverse is an abomination to the LORD, but his friendship is with the upright.
For the froward is an abomination to the Lord; but with the upright is his good-will.
33 The LORD’s curse is in the house of the wicked, but he blesses the habitation of the righteous.
The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked; but the habitation of the righteous will he bless.
34 Surely he mocks the mockers, but he gives grace to the humble.
If [it concern] the scornful he will himself render them a scorn; but unto the lowly doth he give grace.
35 The wise will inherit glory, but shame will be the promotion of fools.
The wise shall inherit glory; but fools shall obtain disgrace as their portion.
