Proverbs 3
Good News Translation
Advice to the Young
3 My child, don't forget what I teach you. Always remember what I tell you to do. 2 My teaching will give you a long and prosperous life. 3 Never let go of loyalty and faithfulness. Tie them around your neck; write them on your heart. 4 (A)If you do this, both God and people will be pleased with you.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know. 6 Remember the Lord in everything you do, and he will show you the right way. 7 (B)Never let yourself think that you are wiser than you are; simply obey the Lord and refuse to do wrong. 8 If you do, it will be like good medicine, healing your wounds and easing your pains. 9 Honor the Lord by making him an offering from the best of all that your land produces. 10 If you do, your barns will be filled with grain, and you will have too much wine to store it all.
11 (C)My child, when the Lord corrects you, pay close attention and take it as a warning. 12 (D)The Lord corrects those he loves, as parents correct a child of whom they are proud. 13 Happy is anyone who becomes wise—who comes to have understanding. 14 There is more profit in it than there is in silver; it is worth more to you than gold. 15 Wisdom is more valuable than jewels; nothing you could want can compare with it. 16 Wisdom offers you long life, as well as wealth and honor. 17 Wisdom can make your life pleasant and lead you safely through it. 18 Those who become wise are happy; wisdom will give them life.
19 The Lord created the earth by his wisdom;
by his knowledge he set the sky in place.
20 His wisdom caused the rivers to flow
and the clouds to give rain to the earth.
21 My child, hold on to your wisdom and insight. Never let them get away from you. 22 They will provide you with life—a pleasant and happy life. 23 You can go safely on your way and never even stumble. 24 You will not be afraid when you go to bed, and you will sleep soundly through the night. 25 You will not have to worry about sudden disasters, such as come on the wicked like a storm. 26 The Lord will keep you safe. He will not let you fall into a trap.
27 (E)Whenever you possibly can, do good to those who need it. 28 Never tell your neighbors to wait until tomorrow if you can help them now. 29 Don't plan anything that will hurt your neighbors; they live beside you, trusting you. 30 Don't argue with others for no reason when they have never done you any harm. 31 Don't be jealous of violent people or decide to act as they do, 32 because the Lord hates people who do evil, but he takes righteous people into his confidence. 33 The Lord puts a curse on the homes of the wicked, but blesses the homes of the righteous. 34 (F)He has no use for conceited people, but shows favor to those who are humble. 35 Wise people will gain an honorable reputation, but stupid people will only add to their own disgrace.
Proverbs 3
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Admonition to Trust and Honor God
3 My child, do not forget my teaching,
but let your heart keep my commandments,(A)
2 for length of days and years of life
and abundant welfare they will give you.(B)
3 Do not let loyalty and faithfulness forsake you;
bind them around your neck;
write them on the tablet of your heart.(C)
4 Then you will find favor and high regard
in the sight of God and of people.(D)
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own insight.(E)
6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.(F)
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and turn away from evil.(G)
8 It will be a healing for your flesh
and a refreshment for your body.(H)
9 Honor the Lord with your substance
and with the first fruits of all your produce;(I)
10 then your barns will be filled with plenty,
and your vats will be bursting with wine.
11 My child, do not despise the Lord’s discipline
or be weary of his reproof,(J)
12 for the Lord reproves the one he loves,
as a father the son in whom he delights.(K)
The True Wealth
13 Happy are those who find wisdom
and those who get understanding,
14 for her income is better than silver
and her revenue better than gold.(L)
15 She is more precious than jewels,
and nothing you desire can compare with her.(M)
16 Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.(N)
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
and all her paths are peace.(O)
18 She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her;
those who hold her fast are called happy.(P)
God’s Wisdom in Creation
19 The Lord by wisdom founded the earth;
by understanding he established the heavens;(Q)
20 by his knowledge the deeps broke open,
and the clouds drop down the dew.(R)
The True Security
21 My child, do not let these escape from your sight:
keep sound wisdom and prudence,
22 and they will be life for your soul
and adornment for your neck.(S)
23 Then you will walk on your way securely,
and your foot will not stumble.(T)
24 If you sit down,[a] you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
25 Then you will not be afraid of sudden panic
or of the storm that strikes the wicked,(U)
26 for the Lord will be your confidence
and will keep your foot from being caught.
27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,[b]
when it is in your power to do it.(V)
28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Go and come again;
tomorrow I will give it,” when you have it with you.(W)
29 Do not plan harm against your neighbor
who lives trustingly beside you.(X)
30 Do not quarrel with anyone without cause,
when no harm has been done to you.(Y)
31 Do not envy the violent,
and do not choose any of their ways,(Z)
32 for the perverse are an abomination to the Lord,
but the upright are in his confidence.(AA)
33 The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the abode of the righteous.(AB)
34 Toward the scorners he is scornful,
but to the humble he shows favor.(AC)
35 The wise will inherit honor,
but stubborn fools, disgrace.
Proverbs 3
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
3 My son, forget not my law, and let thy heart keep my commandments.
2 For they shall add to thee length of days, and years of life and peace.
3 Let not mercy and truth leave thee, put them about thy neck, and write them in the tables of thy heart:
4 And thou shalt find grace and good understanding before God and men.
5 Have confidence in the Lord with all thy heart, and lean not upon thy own prudence.
6 In all thy ways think on him, and he will direct thy steps.
7 Be not wise in thy own conceit: fear God, and depart from evil:
8 For it shall be health to thy navel, and moistening to thy bones.
9 Honour the Lord with thy substance, and give him of the first of all thy fruits:
10 And thy barns shall be filled with abundance, and thy presses shall run over with wine.
11 My son, reject not the correction of the Lord: and do not faint when thou art chastised by him:
12 For whom the Lord loveth, he chastiseth: and as a father in the son he pleaseth himself.
13 Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom and is rich in prudence:
14 The purchasing thereof is better than the merchandise of silver, and her fruit than the chiefest and purest gold:
15 She is more precious than all riches: and all the things that are desired, are not to be compared with her.
16 Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and glory.
17 Her ways are beautiful ways, and all her paths are peaceable.
18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold on her: and he that shall retain her is blessed.
19 The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth, hath established the heavens by prudence.
20 By his wisdom the depths have broken out, and the clouds grow thick with dew.
21 My son, let not these things depart from thy eyes: keep the law and counsel:
22 And there shall be life to thy soul, and grace to thy mouth.
23 Then shalt thou walk confidently in thy way, and thy foot shall not stumble:
24 If thou sleep, thou shalt not fear: thou shalt rest, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, nor of the power of the wicked falling upon thee.
26 For the Lord will be at thy side, and will keep thy foot that thou be not taken.
27 Do not withhold him from doing good, who is able: if thou art able, do good thyself also.
28 Say not to thy friend: Go, and come again: and to morrow I will give to thee: when thou canst give at present.
29 Practise not evil against thy friend, when he hath confidence in thee.
30 Strive not against a man without cause, when he hath done thee no evil.
31 Envy not the unjust man, and do not follow his ways:
32 For every mocker is an abomination to the Lord, and his communication is with the simple.
33 Want is from the Lord in the house of the wicked: but the habitations of the just shall be blessed.
34 He shall scorn the scorners, and to the meek he will give grace.
35 The wise shall possess glory: the promotion of fools is disgrace.
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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