Proverbs 3-4

Common English Bible

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

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

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

4 Hear, children, fatherly instruction;
    pay attention to gain understanding.
² I’ll teach you well.
    Don’t abandon my instruction.
³ When I was a son to my father,
    tender and my mother’s favorite,
⁴     he taught me and said to me:
“Let your heart hold on to my words:
    Keep my commands and live.
⁵ Get wisdom; get understanding.
    Don’t forget and don’t turn away from my words.
⁶ Don’t abandon her, and she will guard you.
    Love her, and she will protect you.
⁷ The beginning of wisdom:
Get wisdom!
    Get understanding before anything else.
⁸ Highly esteem her, and she will exalt you.
    She will honor you if you embrace her.
⁹ She will place a graceful wreath on your head;
    she will give you a glorious crown.”

¹⁰ Listen, my son, and take in my speech,
    then the years of your life will be many.
¹¹ I teach you the path of wisdom.
    I lead you in straight courses.
¹² When you walk, you won’t be hindered;
    when you run, you won’t stumble.
¹³ Hold on to instruction; don’t slack off;
    protect it, for it is your life.
¹⁴ Don’t go on the way of the wicked;
    don’t walk on the path of evil people.
¹⁵ Avoid it! Don’t turn onto it;
    stay off of it and keep going!
¹⁶ They don’t sleep unless they do evil;
    they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble.
¹⁷ They eat the bread of evil,
    and they drink the wine of violence.
¹⁸ The way of the righteous is like morning light
    that gets brighter and brighter till it is full day.
¹⁹ The path of the wicked is like deep darkness;
    they don’t know where they will stumble.

²⁰ My son, pay attention to my words.
    Bend your ear to my speech.
²¹ Don’t let them slip from your sight.
    Guard them in your mind.
²² They are life to those who find them,
    and healing for their entire body.
²³ More than anything you guard, protect your mind, for life flows from it.
²⁴ Have nothing to do with a corrupt mouth;
    keep devious lips far from you.
²⁵ Focus your eyes straight ahead;
    keep your gaze on what is in front of you.
²⁶ Watch your feet on the way,
    and all your paths will be secure.
²⁷ Don’t deviate a bit to the right or the left;
    turn your feet away from evil.