3 My son, forget not my [a]law;
But let thy heart keep my commandments:
2 For length of days, and years of life,
And peace, will they add to thee.
3 Let not kindness and truth forsake thee:
Bind them about thy neck;
Write them upon the tablet of thy heart:
4 So shalt thou find favor and [b]good understanding
In the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in Jehovah with all thy heart,
And lean not upon thine own understanding:
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him,
And he will [c]direct thy paths.
7 Be not wise in thine own eyes;
Fear Jehovah, and depart from evil:
8 It will be health to thy navel,
And [d]marrow to thy bones.
9 Honor Jehovah with thy substance,
And with the first-fruits of all thine increase:
10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty,
And thy vats shall overflow with new wine.
11 My son, despise not the [e]chastening of Jehovah;
Neither be weary of his reproof:
12 For whom Jehovah loveth he reproveth,
Even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,
And the man that [f]getteth understanding.
14 For the gaining of it is better than the gaining of silver,
And the profit thereof than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies:
And none of the things thou canst desire are to be compared unto her.
16 Length of days is in her right hand;
In her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her:
And happy is every one that retaineth her.
19 Jehovah by wisdom founded the earth;
By understanding he established the heavens.
20 By his knowledge the depths were broken up,
And the skies drop down the dew.
21 My son, let them not depart from thine eyes;
Keep sound wisdom and discretion:
22 So shall they be life unto thy soul,
And grace to thy neck.
23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way securely,
And [g]thy foot shall not stumble.
24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid:
Yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
25 Be not afraid of sudden fear,
Neither of the [h]desolation of the wicked, when it cometh:
26 For Jehovah will be thy confidence,
And will keep thy foot from being taken.
27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due,
When it is in the power of thy hand to do it.
28 Say not unto thy neighbor, Go, and come again,
And to-morrow I will give;
When thou hast it by thee.
29 Devise not evil against thy neighbor,
Seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.
30 Strive not with a man without cause,
If he have done thee no harm.
31 Envy thou not the man of violence,
And choose none of his ways.
32 For the perverse is an abomination to Jehovah;
But his [i]friendship is with the upright.
33 The curse of Jehovah is in the house of the wicked;
But he blesseth the habitation of the righteous.
34 [j]Surely he scoffeth at the scoffers;
[k]But he giveth grace unto the lowly.
35 The wise shall inherit glory;
But [l]shame shall be the promotion of fools.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 3:1 Or, teaching
- Proverbs 3:4 Or, good repute
- Proverbs 3:6 Or, make straight (or, plain)
- Proverbs 3:8 Or, refreshing. Hebrew moistening.
- Proverbs 3:11 Or, instruction
- Proverbs 3:13 Hebrew draweth forth.
- Proverbs 3:23 Hebrew thou shalt not dash thy foot.
- Proverbs 3:25 Or, storm
- Proverbs 3:32 Or, counsel
- Proverbs 3:34 Or, Though
- Proverbs 3:34 Or, Yet
- Proverbs 3:35 Or, fools carry away shame