< Proverbs 3 >
1 My son! my law forget not, And my commands let thy heart keep,
My son, forget not my teaching, and let thy heart keep my commandments;
2 For length of days and years, Life and peace they do add to thee.
For length of days, and years of life, and peace, will they increase unto thee.
3 Let not kindness and truth forsake thee, Bind them on thy neck, Write them on the tablet of thy heart,
Let kindness and truth not forsake thee; bind them about thy throat; write them upon the table of thy heart:
4 And find grace and good understanding In the eyes of God and man.
So shalt thou find grace and good favor in the eyes of God and man.
5 Trust unto Jehovah with all thy heart, And unto thine own understanding lean not.
Trust in the Lord with all thy heart: and upon thy own understanding do not rely.
6 In all thy ways know thou Him, And He doth make straight thy paths.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he will make level thy paths.
7 Be not wise in thine own eyes, Fear Jehovah, and turn aside from evil.
Be not wise in thy own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.
8 Healing it is to thy navel, And moistening to thy bones.
It will be healing to thy body, and marrow to thy bones.
9 Honour Jehovah from thy substance, And from the beginning of all thine increase;
Honor the Lord with thy wealth, and with the first-fruits of all thy products:
10 And filled are thy barns [with] plenty, And [with] new wine thy presses break forth.
So shall thy storehouses be filled with plenty, and with new wine shall thy presses overflow.
11 Chastisement of Jehovah, my son, despise not, And be not vexed with His reproof,
The correction of the Lord, my son, do not despise; and feel no loathing for his admonition;
12 For whom Jehovah loveth He reproveth, Even as a father the son He is pleased with.
Because whomever the Lord loveth he admonisheth; and as a father who delighteth in [his] son.
13 O the happiness of a man [who] hath found wisdom, And of a man [who] bringeth forth understanding.
Happy the man that hath found wisdom, and the man that acquireth understanding.
14 For better [is] her merchandise Than the merchandise of silver, And than gold — her increase.
For the obtaining of her is better than the obtaining of silver, and better than fine gold is her product.
15 Precious she [is] above rubies, And all thy pleasures are not comparable 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 [are] wealth and honour.
Length of days is in her right hand: in her left are riches and honor.
17 Her ways [are] ways of pleasantness, And all her paths [are] peace.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
18 A tree of life she [is] to those laying hold on her, And whoso is retaining her [is] happy.
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 Jehovah by wisdom did found the earth, He prepared the heavens by understanding.
The Lord hath through wisdom founded the earth: he hath established the heavens through understanding.
20 By His knowledge depths have been rent, And clouds do drop dew.
By his knowledge were the depths split open, and the skies drop down the dew.
21 My son! let them not turn from thine eyes, Keep thou wisdom and thoughtfulness,
My son, let them not be removed from thy eyes; keep [before thee] sound wisdom and discretion:
22 And they are life to thy soul, and grace to thy neck.
And they will be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy throat.
23 Then thou goest thy way confidently, And thy foot doth not stumble.
Then wilt thou walk in safety on thy way, and thy foot will not strike [against aught]:
24 If thou liest down, thou art not afraid, Yea, thou hast lain down, And sweet hath been thy sleep.
When thou layest thyself down, thou shalt feel no dread; and as thou liest down, thy sleep shall be pleasant.
25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, And of the desolation of the wicked when it cometh.
Thou needest not to be afraid of sudden dread, neither of the [unlooked-for] tempest over the wicked, when it cometh.
26 For Jehovah is at thy side, And He hath kept thy foot from capture.
For the Lord will be thy confidence, and he will guard thy foot from being caught.
27 Withhold not good from its owners, When thy hand [is] toward God 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 Say not thou to thy friend, 'Go, and return, and to-morrow I give,' And substance with thee.
Say not unto thy neighbor, Go, and return, and tomorrow will I give: when thou hast it by thee.
29 Devise not against thy neighbour evil, And he sitting confidently with thee.
Contrive not against thy neighbor any evil, when he dwelleth in safety with thee.
30 Strive not with a man without cause, If he have not done thee evil.
Quarrel not with any man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.
31 Be not envious of a man of violence, Nor fix thou on any of his ways.
Envy not the man of violence, and choose none of his ways.
32 For an abomination to Jehovah [is] the perverted, And with the upright [is] His secret counsel.
For the froward is an abomination to the Lord; but with the upright is his good-will.
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 in the house of the wicked; but the habitation of the righteous will he bless.
34 If the scorners He doth scorn, Yet to the humble He doth give grace.
If [it concern] the scornful he will himself render them a scorn; but unto the lowly doth he give grace.
35 Honour do the wise inherit, And fools are bearing away shame!
The wise shall inherit glory; but fools shall obtain disgrace as their portion.