Proverbs, 3

1. My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:

1. My son,do not forget my instruction, my commands; keep them in your heart.

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

2. For they will bring you length of days, years of life and peace.

3. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:

3. Let loyalty and kindness never leave you; tie them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart,

4. So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

4. that you may find favor and a good name in the eyes of God and man.

5. Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

5. Trust in Yahweh with all your heart; do not rely on your own insight.

6. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

6. Let his presence pervade all your ways and he will protect your foot from the snare.

7. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

7. Do not consider yourself wise, fear God, and turn away from evil.

8. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

8. This will be a medicine to your body and a relief to your bones.

9. Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:

9. Honor Yahweh, giving him from what you have, the first fruits of all your produce.

10. So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

10. Then your barns will be filled to overflowing, your vats will brim over with wine.

11. My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:

11. My son, do not scorn the discipline of Yahweh; do not ignore his correction.

12. For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son [in whom] he delighteth.

12. For Yahweh corrects those he loves, as a father does his beloved son.

13. Happy [is] the man [that] findeth wisdom, and the man [that] getteth understanding.

13. Happy the one who finds wisdom and gains insight.

14. For the merchandise of it [is] better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.

14. For she is of more value than silver and more useful than gold.

15. She [is] more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.

15. She is more precious than pearls; nothing you could wish for would compare with her.

16. Length of days [is] in her right hand; [and] in her left hand riches and honour.

16. With her right hand she offers you length of days, with her left, riches and glory.

17. Her ways [are] ways of pleasantness, and all her paths [are] peace.

17. She leads you through delightful ways; all her roads are peace.

18. She [is] a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy [is every one] that retaineth her.

18. She is a tree of life for those who clasp her; those who possess her are happy.

19. The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.

19. It is by his wisdom that Yahweh founded the earth; by his understanding that he made firm the heavens.

20. By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.

20. By his knowledge the depths were scooped out, and the clouds rained down dew.

21. My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:

21. My son, hold on to sound judgment and discretion and do not let them out of your sight.

22. So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.

22. They will give life to your inner self, and adorn your neck.

23. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.

23. Then you can go your way safely and your foot will not stumble.

24. When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

24. You will have no fear when you lie down and your sleep will be peaceful.

25. Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.

25. You will not fear sudden terror or the attack of evildoers.

26. For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

26. For Yahweh is at your side and he guards your steps from the snare.

27. Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do [it].

27. Do not hold back from those who ask your help, when it is in your power to do it.

28. Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.

28. Do not say to your neighbor, "Go away! Come another time; tomorrow I will give it to you!" when you can help him now.

29. Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.

29. Do not plot evil against your neighbor who lives trustingly beside you,

30. Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.

30. nor fight a man without cause when he has done you no wrong.

31. Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.

31. Do not envy the man of violence or follow his example.

32. For the froward [is] abomination to the LORD: but his secret [is] with the righteous.

32. For Yahweh hates the wicked but guides the honest.

33. The curse of the LORD [is] in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.

33. He curses the house of the evildoer but blesses the home of the upright.

34. Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.

34. If there are mockers, he mocks them in turn but he shows his favor to the humble. The wise will possess his glory while the foolish will inherit disgrace.

35. The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.

35.