Proverbs 3
1 My son! my law forget not, And my commands let thy heart keep,
My son, keep my teaching in your memory, and my rules in your heart:
2 For length of days and years, Life and peace they do add to thee.
For they will give you increase of days, years of life, and peace.
3 Let not kindness and truth forsake thee, Bind them on thy neck, Write them on the tablet of thy heart,
Let not mercy and good faith go from you; let them be hanging round your neck, recorded on your heart;
4 And find grace and good understanding In the eyes of God and man.
So you will have grace and a good name in the eyes of God and men.
5 Trust unto Jehovah with all thy heart, And unto thine own understanding lean not.
Put all your hope in God, not looking to your reason for support.
6 In all thy ways know thou Him, And He doth make straight thy paths.
In all your ways give ear to him, and he will make straight your footsteps.
7 Be not wise in thine own eyes, Fear Jehovah, and turn aside from evil.
Put no high value on your wisdom: let the fear of the Lord be before you, and keep yourself from evil:
8 Healing it is to thy navel, And moistening to thy bones.
This will give strength to your flesh, and new life to your bones.
9 Honour Jehovah from thy substance, And from the beginning of all thine increase;
Give honour to the Lord with your wealth, and with the first-fruits of all your increase:
10 And filled are thy barns [with] plenty, And [with] new wine thy presses break forth.
So your store-houses will be full of grain, and your vessels overflowing with new wine.
11 Chastisement of Jehovah, my son, despise not, And be not vexed with His reproof,
My son, do not make your heart hard against the Lord's teaching; do not be made angry by his training:
12 For whom Jehovah loveth He reproveth, Even as a father the son He is pleased with.
For to those who are dear to him the Lord says sharp words, and makes the son in whom he has delight undergo pain.
13 O the happiness of a man [who] hath found wisdom, And of a man [who] bringeth forth understanding.
Happy is the man who makes discovery of wisdom, and he who gets knowledge.
14 For better [is] her merchandise Than the merchandise of silver, And than gold — her increase.
For trading in it is better than trading in silver, and its profit greater than bright gold.
15 Precious she [is] above rubies, And all thy pleasures are not comparable to her.
She is of more value than jewels, and nothing for which you may have a desire is fair in comparison with her.
16 Length of days [is] in her right hand, In her left [are] wealth and honour.
Long life is in her right hand, and in her left are wealth and honour.
17 Her ways [are] ways of pleasantness, And all her paths [are] peace.
Her ways are ways of delight, and all her goings are peace.
18 A tree of life she [is] to those laying hold on her, And whoso is retaining her [is] happy.
She is a tree of life to all who take her in their hands, and happy is everyone who keeps her.
19 Jehovah by wisdom did found the earth, He prepared the heavens by understanding.
The Lord by wisdom put in position the bases of the earth; by reason he put the heavens in their place.
20 By His knowledge depths have been rent, And clouds do drop dew.
By his knowledge the deep was parted, and dew came dropping from the skies.
21 My son! let them not turn from thine eyes, Keep thou wisdom and thoughtfulness,
My son, keep good sense, and do not let wise purpose go from your eyes.
22 And they are life to thy soul, and grace to thy neck.
So they will be life for your soul, and grace for your neck.
23 Then thou goest thy way confidently, And thy foot doth not stumble.
Then you will go safely on your way, and your feet will have no cause for slipping.
24 If thou liest down, thou art not afraid, Yea, thou hast lain down, And sweet hath been thy sleep.
When you take your rest you will have no fear, and on your bed sleep will be sweet to you.
25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, And of the desolation of the wicked when it cometh.
Have no fear of sudden danger, or of the storm which will come on evil-doers:
26 For Jehovah is at thy side, And He hath kept thy foot from capture.
For the Lord will be your hope, and will keep your foot from being taken in the net.
27 Withhold not good from its owners, When thy hand [is] toward God to do [it].
Do not keep back good from those who have a right to it, when it is in the power of your hand to do it.
28 Say not thou to thy friend, 'Go, and return, and to-morrow I give,' And substance with thee.
Say not to your neighbour, Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give; when you have it by you at the time.
29 Devise not against thy neighbour evil, And he sitting confidently with thee.
Do not make evil designs against your neighbour, when he is living with you without fear.
30 Strive not with a man without cause, If he have not done thee evil.
Do not take up a cause at law against a man for nothing, if he has done you no wrong.
31 Be not envious of a man of violence, Nor fix thou on any of his ways.
Have no envy of the violent man, or take any of his ways as an example.
32 For an abomination to Jehovah [is] the perverted, And with the upright [is] His secret counsel.
For the wrong-hearted man is hated by the Lord, but he is a friend to the upright.
33 The curse of Jehovah [is] in the house of the wicked. And the habitation of the righteous He blesseth.
The curse of the Lord is on the house of the evil-doer, but his blessing is on the tent of the upright.
34 If the scorners He doth scorn, Yet to the humble He doth give grace.
He makes sport of the men of pride, but he gives grace to the gentle-hearted.
35 Honour do the wise inherit, And fools are bearing away shame!
The wise will have glory for their heritage, but shame will be the reward of the foolish.
