Proverbs 3

1My son! my law forget not, And my commands let thy heart keep,

1My son, forget not my law, and let thy heart keep my commandments.

1My son, keep my teaching in your memory, and my rules in your heart:

2For length of days and years, Life and peace they do add to thee.

2For they shall add to thee length of days, and years of life, and peace.

2For they will give you increase of days, years of life, and peace.

3Let not kindness and truth forsake thee, Bind them on thy neck, Write them on the tablet of thy heart,

3Let not mercy aud truth leave thee, put them about thy neck, and write them in the tables of thy heart.

3Let not mercy and good faith go from you; let them be hanging round your neck, recorded on your heart;

4And find grace and good understanding In the eyes of God and man.

4And thou shalt find grace, and good understanding before God and men.

4So you will have grace and a good name in the eyes of God and men.

5Trust unto Jehovah with all thy heart, And unto thine own understanding lean not.

5Have confidence in the Lord with all thy heart, and lean not upon thy own prudence.

5Put all your hope in God, not looking to your reason for support.

6In all thy ways know thou Him, And He doth make straight thy paths.

6In all thy ways think on him, and he will direct thy steps.

6In all your ways give ear to him, and he will make straight your footsteps.

7Be not wise in thine own eyes, Fear Jehovah, and turn aside from evil.

7Be not wise in thy own conceit: fear God, and depart from evil:

7Put no high value on your wisdom: let the fear of the Lord be before you, and keep yourself from evil:

8Healing it is to thy navel, And moistening to thy bones.

8For it shall be health to thy navel, and moistening to thy bones.

8This will give strength to your flesh, and new life to your bones.

9Honour Jehovah from thy substance, And from the beginning of all thine increase;

9Honour the Lord with thy substance, and give him of the first of all thy fruits;

9Give honour to the Lord with your wealth, and with the first-fruits of all your increase:

10And filled are thy barns <FI>with<Fi> plenty, And <FI>with<Fi> new wine thy presses break forth.

10And thy barns shall be filled with abundance, and thy presses shall run over with wine.

10So your store-houses will be full of grain, and your vessels overflowing with new wine.

11Chastisement of Jehovah, my son, despise not, And be not vexed with His reproof,

11My son, reject not the correction of the Lord: and do not faint when thou art chastised by him:

11My son, do not make your heart hard against the Lord's teaching; do not be made angry by his training:

12For whom Jehovah loveth He reproveth, Even as a father the son He is pleased with.

12For whom the Lord loveth, he chastiseth: and as a father in the son he pleaseth himself.

12For to those who are dear to him the Lord says sharp words, and makes the son in whom he has delight undergo pain.

13O the happiness of a man <FI>who<Fi> hath found wisdom, And of a man <FI>who<Fi> bringeth forth understanding.

13Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom, and is rich in prudence:

13Happy is the man who makes discovery of wisdom, and he who gets knowledge.

14For better <FI>is<Fi> her merchandise Than the merchandise of silver, And than gold--her increase.

14The purchasing thereof is better than the merchandise of silver, and her fruit than the chief and purest gold:

14For trading in it is better than trading in silver, and its profit greater than bright gold.

15Precious she <FI>is<Fi> above rubies, And all thy pleasures are not comparable to her.

15She is more precious than all riches: and all the things that are desired, are not to be compared to her.

15She is of more value than jewels, and nothing for which you may have a desire is fair in comparison with her.

16Length of days <FI>is<Fi> in her right hand, In her left <FI>are<Fi> wealth and honour.

16Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and glory.

16Long life is in her right hand, and in her left are wealth and honour.

17Her ways <FI>are<Fi> ways of pleasantness, And all her paths <FI>are<Fi> peace.

17Her ways are beautiful ways, and all her paths are peaceable.

17Her ways are ways of delight, and all her goings are peace.

18A tree of life she <FI>is<Fi> to those laying hold on her, And whoso is retaining her <FI>is<Fi> happy.

18She is a tree of life to them that lay hold on her: and he that shall retain her is blessed.

18She is a tree of life to all who take her in their hands, and happy is everyone who keeps her.

19Jehovah by wisdom did found the earth, He prepared the heavens by understanding.

19The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth, hath established the heavens by prudence.

19The Lord by wisdom put in position the bases of the earth; by reason he put the heavens in their place.

20By His knowledge depths have been rent, And clouds do drop dew.

20By his wisdom the depths have broken out, and the clouds grow thick with dew.

20By his knowledge the deep was parted, and dew came dropping from the skies.

21My son! let them not turn from thine eyes, Keep thou wisdom and thoughtfulness,

21My son, let not these things depart from thy eyes: keep the law and counsel:

21My son, keep good sense, and do not let wise purpose go from your eyes.

22And they are life to thy soul, and grace to thy neck.

22And there shall be life to thy soul, and grace to thy mouth.

22So they will be life for your soul, and grace for your neck.

23Then thou goest thy way confidently, And thy foot doth not stumble.

23Then shalt thou walk confidently in thy way, and thy foot shall not stumble:

23Then you will go safely on your way, and your feet will have no cause for slipping.

24If thou liest down, thou art not afraid, Yea, thou hast lain down, And sweet hath been thy sleep.

24If thou sleep, thou shalt not fear: thou shalt rest, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

24When you take your rest you will have no fear, and on your bed sleep will be sweet to you.

25Be not afraid of sudden fear, And of the desolation of the wicked when it cometh.

25Be not afraid of sudden fear, nor of the power of the wicked falling upon thee.

25Have no fear of sudden danger, or of the storm which will come on evil-doers:

26For Jehovah is at thy side, And He hath kept thy foot from capture.

26For the Lord will be at thy side, and will keep thy foot that thou be not taken.

26For the Lord will be your hope, and will keep your foot from being taken in the net.

27Withhold not good from its owners, When thy hand <FI>is<Fi> toward God to do <FI>it<Fi> .

27Do not withhold him from doing good, who is able: if thou art able, do good thyself also.

27Do not keep back good from those who have a right to it, when it is in the power of your hand to do it.

28Say not thou to thy friend, `Go, and return, and to-morrow I give,' And substance with thee.

28Say not to thy friend: Go, and come again: and to morrow I will give to thee: when thou canst give at present.

28Say not to your neighbour, Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give; when you have it by you at the time.

29Devise not against thy neighbour evil, And he sitting confidently with thee.

29Practise not evil against thy friend, when he hath confidence in thee.

29Do not make evil designs against your neighbour, when he is living with you without fear.

30Strive not with a man without cause, If he have not done thee evil.

30Strive not against a man without cause, when he hath done thee no evil.

30Do not take up a cause at law against a man for nothing, if he has done you no wrong.

31Be not envious of a man of violence, Nor fix thou on any of his ways.

31Envy not the unjust man, and do not follow his ways.

31Have no envy of the violent man, or take any of his ways as an example.

32For an abomination to Jehovah <FI>is<Fi> the perverted, And with the upright <FI>is<Fi> His secret counsel.

32For every mocker is an abomination to the Lord, and his communication is with the simple.

32For the wrong-hearted man is hated by the Lord, but he is a friend to the upright.

33The curse of Jehovah <FI>is<Fi> in the house of the wicked. And the habitation of the righteous He blesseth.

33Want is from the Lord in the house of the wicked: but the habitations of the just shall be blessed.

33The curse of the Lord is on the house of the evil-doer, but his blessing is on the tent of the upright.

34If the scorners He doth scorn, Yet to the humble He doth give grace.

34He shall scorn the scorners, and to the meek he will give grace.

34He makes sport of the men of pride, but he gives grace to the gentle-hearted.

35Honour do the wise inherit, And fools are bearing away shame!

35The wise shall possess glory: the promotion of fools is disgrace.

35The wise will have glory for their heritage, but shame will be the reward of the foolish.