Proverbs 3:1-35
3 My son, my law do not forget,+ and my commandments may your heart observe,+
2 because length of days and years of life+ and peace will be added* to you.+
3 May loving-kindness* and trueness* themselves not leave you.+ Tie them about your throat.+ Write them upon the tablet of your heart,+
4 and so find favor and good insight in the eyes of God* and of earthling man.*+
5 Trust in Jehovah with all your heart+ and do not lean upon your own understanding.+
6 In all your ways take notice of him,+ and he himself will make your paths straight.+
7 Do not become wise in your own eyes.+ Fear Jehovah and turn away from bad.+
8 May it become a healing+ to your navel and a refreshment* to your bones.+
9 Honor Jehovah with your valuable things+ and with the firstfruits of all your produce.+
10 Then your stores of supply will be filled with plenty;+ and with new wine your own press vats will overflow.*+
11 The discipline of Jehovah, O my son, do not reject;+ and do not abhor his reproof,+
12 because the one whom Jehovah loves he reproves,+ even as a father does a son in whom he finds pleasure.+
13 Happy is the man that has found wisdom,+ and the man that gets discernment,+
14 for having it as gain is better than having silver as gain and having it as produce than gold*+ itself.
15 It* is more precious than corals,+ and all other delights of yours cannot be made equal to it.
16 Length of days is in its right hand;+ in its left hand there are riches and glory.*+
17 Its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its roadways are peace.+
18 It is a tree of life+ to those taking hold of it, and those keeping fast hold of it+ are to be called happy.+
19 Jehovah himself in wisdom founded the earth.+ He solidly fixed the heavens in discernment.+
20 By his knowledge the watery deeps* themselves were split apart,+ and the cloudy skies keep dripping down light rain.+
21 My son, may they not get away from your eyes.+ Safeguard practical wisdom and thinking ability,+
22 and they will prove to be life to your soul+ and charm to your throat.+
23 In that case you will walk in security+ on your way, and even your foot will not strike against anything.+
24 Whenever you lie down you will feel no dread;+ and you will certainly lie down, and your sleep must be pleasurable.+
25 You will not need to be afraid of any sudden dreadful thing,+ nor of the storm upon the wicked ones, because it is coming.+
26 For Jehovah himself will prove to be, in effect, your confidence,*+ and he will certainly keep your foot against capture.+
27 Do not hold back good from those to whom it is owing,*+ when it happens to be in the power of your hand to do [it].+
28 Do not say to your fellowman: “Go, and come back and tomorrow I shall give,” when there is something with you.+
29 Do not fabricate against your fellowman anything bad,+ when he is dwelling in a sense of security with you.+
30 Do not quarrel with a man* without cause,+ if he has rendered no bad to you.+
31 Do not become envious of the man* of violence,+ nor choose any of his ways.+
32 For the devious+ person is a detestable thing to Jehovah,+ but His intimacy is with the upright ones.+
33 The curse of Jehovah is on the house of the wicked one,+ but the abiding place of the righteous ones he blesses.+
34 If it has to do with ridiculers,+ he himself will deride;+ but to the meek ones he will show favor.+
35 Honor* is what the wise ones will come to possess,+ but the stupid ones are exalting dishonor.+
Footnotes
^ Lit., “they will add.” The Heb. verb is third person masc. pl. (not fem. like “law” and “commandments” in vs 1), referring to an indefinite subject.
^ Or, “loyal love.”
^ Or, “and truth.” Heb., we·ʼemethʹ.
^ “In the eyes of God.” Heb., beʽeh·nehʹ ʼElo·himʹ.
^ “And of earthling man.” Heb., weʼa·dhamʹ.
^ Lit., “break forth.”
^ “And . . . than gold.” Heb., u·me·cha·rutsʹ.
^ Or, “honor.”
^ Lit., “will prove to be in your confidence,” M; LXX, “will be on all your ways.”
^ Lit., “from its owners.” Heb., mib·beʽa·lavʹ, pl. of baʹʽal.
^ Or, “an earthling man.” Heb., ʼa·dhamʹ.
^ “Of the man of.” Heb., beʼishʹ.
^ Or, “Glory.”
