Proverbs 3:1-35

3  My son, my law do not forget,+ and my commandments may your heart observe,+  because length of days and years of life+ and peace will be added* to you.+  May loving-kindness* and trueness* themselves not leave you.+ Tie them about your throat.+ Write them upon the tablet of your heart,+  and so find favor and good insight in the eyes of God* and of earthling man.*+  Trust in Jehovah with all your heart+ and do not lean upon your own understanding.+  In all your ways take notice of him,+ and he himself will make your paths straight.+  Do not become wise in your own eyes.+ Fear Jehovah and turn away from bad.+  May it become a healing+ to your navel and a refreshment* to your bones.+  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.
Or, “moistening.” In Ps 102:9, “drink.”
Lit., “break forth.”
“And . . . than gold.” Heb., u·me·cha·rutsʹ.
Or, “She,” referring to “wisdom” in vs 13.
Or, “honor.”
Or, “surging waters.” Heb., tehoh·mohthʹ. Compare Ps 33:7 ftn, “Waters”; Ps 42:7 ftn, “Deep.”
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.”