Proverbs 3: 1 - 4: 27
| 1My son, don’t forget my teaching; |
| but let your heart keep my commandments: |
| 2for they will add to you length of days, |
| years of life, and peace. |
| 3Don’t let kindness and truth forsake you. |
| Bind them around your neck. |
| Write them on the tablet of your heart. |
| 4So you will find favour, |
| and good understanding in the sight of God and man. |
| 5Trust in the LORD with all your heart, |
| and don’t lean on your own understanding. |
| 6In all your ways acknowledge him, |
| and he will make your paths straight. |
| 7Don’t be wise in your own eyes. |
| Fear the LORD, and depart from evil. |
| 8It will be health to your body, |
| and nourishment to your bones. |
| 9Honour the LORD with your substance, |
| with the first fruits of all your increase: |
| 10so your barns will be filled with plenty, |
| and your vats will overflow with new wine. |
| 11My son, don’t despise the LORD’s discipline, |
| neither be weary of his correction; |
| 12for whom the LORD loves, he corrects, |
| even as a father reproves the son in whom he delights. |
| 13Happy is the man who finds wisdom, |
| the man who gets understanding. |
| 14For her good profit is better than getting silver, |
| and her return is better than fine gold. |
| 15She is more precious than rubies. |
| None of the things you can desire are to be compared to her. |
| 16Length of days is in her right hand. |
| In her left hand are riches and honour. |
| 17Her ways are ways of pleasantness. |
| All her paths are peace. |
| 18She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her. |
| Happy is everyone who retains her. |
| 19By wisdom the LORD founded the earth. |
| By understanding, he established the heavens. |
| 20By his knowledge, the depths were broken up, |
| and the skies drop down the dew. |
| 21My son, let them not depart from your eyes. |
| Keep sound wisdom and discretion: |
| 22so they will be life to your soul, |
| and grace for your neck. |
| 23Then you shall walk in your way securely. |
| Your foot won’t stumble. |
| 24When you lie down, you will not be afraid. |
| Yes, you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet. |
| 25Don’t be afraid of sudden fear, |
| neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it comes; |
| 26for the LORD will be your confidence, |
| and will keep your foot from being taken. |
| 27Don’t withhold good from those to whom it is due, |
| when it is in the power of your hand to do it. |
| 28Don’t say to your neighbour, “Go, and come again; |
| tomorrow I will give it to you,” |
| when you have it by you. |
| 29Don’t devise evil against your neighbour, |
| since he dwells securely by you. |
| 30Don’t strive with a man without cause, |
| if he has done you no harm. |
| 31Don’t envy the man of violence. |
| Choose none of his ways. |
| 32For the perverse is an abomination to the LORD, |
| but his friendship is with the upright. |
| 33The LORD’s curse is in the house of the wicked, |
| but he blesses the habitation of the righteous. |
| 34Surely he mocks the mockers, |
| but he gives grace to the humble. |
| 35The wise will inherit glory, |
| but shame will be the promotion of fools. |
| 1Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction. |
| Pay attention and know understanding; |
| 2for I give you sound learning. |
| Don’t forsake my law. |
| 3For I was a son to my father, |
| tender and an only child in the sight of my mother. |
| 4He taught me, and said to me: |
| “Let your heart retain my words. |
| Keep my commandments, and live. |
| 5Get wisdom. |
| Get understanding. |
| Don’t forget, and don’t deviate from the words of my mouth. |
| 6Don’t forsake her, and she will preserve you. |
| Love her, and she will keep you. |
| 7Wisdom is supreme. |
| Get wisdom. |
| Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding. |
| 8Esteem her, and she will exalt you. |
| She will bring you to honour when you embrace her. |
| 9She will give to your head a garland of grace. |
| She will deliver a crown of splendour to you.” |
| 10Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. |
| The years of your life will be many. |
| 11I have taught you in the way of wisdom. |
| I have led you in straight paths. |
| 12When you go, your steps will not be hampered. |
| When you run, you will not stumble. |
| 13Take firm hold of instruction. |
| Don’t let her go. |
| Keep her, for she is your life. |
| 14Don’t enter into the path of the wicked. |
| Don’t walk in the way of evil men. |
| 15Avoid it, and don’t pass by it. |
| Turn from it, and pass on. |
| 16For they don’t sleep unless they do evil. |
| Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall. |
| 17For they eat the bread of wickedness |
| and drink the wine of violence. |
| 18But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light |
| that shines more and more until the perfect day. |
| 19The way of the wicked is like darkness. |
| They don’t know what they stumble over. |
| 20My son, attend to my words. |
| Turn your ear to my sayings. |
| 21Let them not depart from your eyes. |
| Keep them in the centre of your heart. |
| 22For they are life to those who find them, |
| and health to their whole body. |
| 23Keep your heart with all diligence, |
| for out of it is the wellspring of life. |
| 24Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. |
| Put corrupt lips far from you. |
| 25Let your eyes look straight ahead. |
| Fix your gaze directly before you. |
| 26Make the path of your feet level. |
| Let all of your ways be established. |
| 27Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. |
| Remove your foot from evil. |
PUBLIC DOMAIN. "World English Bible" is trademark of eBible.org.
