Proverbs 3

Common English Bible

Trust in the Lord

3 My son, don’t forget my instruction.
    Let your heart guard my commands,
²    because they will help you live a long time
    and provide you with well-being.
³Don’t let loyalty and faithfulness leave you.
    Bind them on your neck;
    write them on the tablet of your heart.
⁴Then you will find favor and approval
    in the eyes of God and humanity.
⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
    don’t rely on your own intelligence.
⁶Know him in all your paths,
    and he will keep your ways straight.
⁷Don’t consider yourself wise.
    Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
⁸Then your body^[a] will be healthy
    and your bones strengthened.
⁹Honor the Lord with your wealth
    and with the first of all your crops.
¹⁰Then your barns will be filled with plenty,
    and your vats will burst with wine.
¹¹Don’t reject the instruction of the Lord, my son;
    don’t despise his correction.
¹²The Lord loves those he corrects,
    just like a father who treats his son with favor.

Value of wisdom

¹³Happy are those who find wisdom
    and those who gain understanding.
¹⁴Her profit is better than silver,
    and her gain better than gold.
¹⁵Her value exceeds pearls;
    all you desire can’t compare with her.
¹⁶In her right hand is a long life;
    in her left are wealth and honor.
¹⁷Her ways are pleasant;
    all her paths are peaceful.
¹⁸She is a tree of life to those who embrace her;
    those who hold her tight are happy.
¹⁹The Lord laid the foundations of the earth with wisdom,
    establishing the heavens with understanding.
²⁰With his knowledge, the watery depths burst open,
    and the skies drop dew.

Integrity of wisdom

²¹My son, don’t let them slip from your eyes;
    hold on to sound judgment and discretion.
²²They will be life for your whole being,
    and an ornament for your neck.
²³Then you will walk safely on your path,
    and your foot won’t stumble.
²⁴If you lie down, you won’t be terrified.
    When you lie down, your sleep will be pleasant.
²⁵Don’t fear sudden terror
    or the ruin that comes to the wicked.
²⁶The Lord will be your confidence;
    he will guard your feet from being snared.
²⁷Don’t withhold good from someone who deserves it,
    when it is in your power to do so.
²⁸Don’t say to your neighbor, “Go and come back;
    I’ll give it to you tomorrow,” when you have it.
²⁹Don’t plan to harm your neighbor
    who trusts and lives near you.
³⁰Don’t accuse anyone without reason,
    when they haven’t harmed you.
³¹Don’t envy violent people
    or choose any of their ways.
³²Devious people are detestable to the Lord,
    but the virtuous are his close friends.
³³The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked,
    but he blesses the home of the righteous.
³⁴He mocks mockers,
    but he shows favor to the humble.
³⁵The wise gain respect,
    but fools receive shame.

Footnotes

Proverbs 3:8 Heb navel

Proverbs 8

Common English Bible

Wisdom’s autobiography

8 Doesn’t Wisdom cry out
    and Understanding shout?
²Atop the heights along the path,
    at the crossroads she takes her stand.
³By the gate before the city,
    at the entrances she shouts:

⁴I cry out to you, people;
    my voice goes out to all of humanity.
⁵Understand skill, you who are naive.
    Take this to heart, you fools.
⁶Listen, for I speak things that are correct;
    from my lips comes what is right.
⁷My mouth utters the truth;
    my lips despise wickedness.
⁸All the words of my mouth are righteous;
    nothing in them is twisted or crooked.
⁹All of them are straightforward to those who understand,
    and upright for the knowledgeable.
¹⁰Take my instruction rather than silver,
    knowledge rather than choice gold.
¹¹Wisdom is better than pearls;
    nothing is more delightful than she.

¹²I, Wisdom, dwell with prudence;
    I have found knowledge and discretion.
¹³To fear the Lord is to hate evil.
    I hate pride and arrogance,
        the path of evil and corrupt speech.
¹⁴I have advice and ability,
    as well as understanding and strength.
¹⁵By me kings rule,
    and princes issue righteous decrees.
¹⁶By me rulers govern,
    and officials judge righteously.^[a]
¹⁷I love those who love me;
    those who seek me will find me.
¹⁸Riches and honor are with me,
    as well as enduring wealth and righteousness.
¹⁹My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold;
    my crops are better than choice silver.
²⁰I walk on the way of righteousness,
    on the paths of justice,
²¹    to provide for those who love me
        and to fill up their treasuries.

²²The Lord created me at the beginning of his way,
    before his deeds long in the past.
²³I was formed in ancient times,
    at the beginning, before the earth was.
²⁴When there were no watery depths, I was brought forth,
    when there were no springs flowing with water.
²⁵Before the mountains were settled,
    before the hills, I was brought forth;
²⁶    before God^[b] made the earth and the fields
    or the first of the dry land.
²⁷I was there when he established the heavens,
    when he marked out the horizon on the deep sea,
²⁸    when he thickened the clouds above,
    when he secured the fountains of the deep,
²⁹    when he set a limit for the sea,
        so the water couldn’t go beyond his command,
    when he marked out the earth’s foundations.
³⁰I was beside him as a master of crafts.^[c]
    I was having fun,
    smiling before him all the time,
³¹    frolicking with his inhabited earth
    and delighting in the human race.

³²Now children, listen to me:
    Happy are those who keep to my ways!
³³Listen to instruction, and be wise;
    don’t avoid it.
³⁴Happy are those who listen to me,
    watching daily at my doors,
    waiting at my doorposts.
³⁵Those who find me find life;
    they gain favor from the Lord.
³⁶Those who offend me injure themselves;
all those who hate me love death.