Proverbs 3
Lexham English Bible
Wisdom and Piety
3 My child, do not forget my instruction,
and may your heart guard my commands.
2 For length of days, years of life,
and peace they[a] shall add to you.
3 May loyal love[b] and truth not forsake you;
bind them around your neck,
write them upon your heart.
4 And you shall find favor and good sense[c]
in the eyes of God and humankind.
5 Trust Yahweh[d] with all your heart;
do not lean toward your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will straighten your paths.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear Yahweh and retreat from evil.
8 There shall be healing for your flesh,[e]
and refreshment for your body.
9 Honor Yahweh from your substance,[f]
and from the firstfruits of all that will come to you,
10 and your barns shall be full of plenty,
and your vats shall burst with new wine.
Happy Is the One Who Finds Wisdom
11 Do not despise the discipline of Yahweh, my child.
Do not be weary of his reproof
12 because whomever Yahweh will love, he will rebuke,
as a father delights in his son.
13 Happy is the one[g] who finds wisdom,
and one who obtains understanding.
14 For her[h] income is better than the income of silver,
and her revenue than that of gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies,
and all your desires shall not compare with her.
16 Length of days is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
and all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life for those who seize her;
those who take hold of her are considered happy.
Role of Wisdom in Creation and Society
19 Yahweh in wisdom founded the earth;
he established the heavens in understanding.
20 With his knowledge, depths broke open,
and clouds dropped dew.
21 My child, may they[i] not escape from your sight;[j]
may you keep sound wisdom and prudence.
22 They shall be life for your soul[k]
and adornment[l] for your neck.
23 Then you will walk in the confidence of your ways,
and your foot will not stumble.
24 If you sit down, you will not panic,[m]
and if you lie down, then your sleep shall be sweet.
25 Do not be afraid of sudden panic,[n]
or the storm of wickedness that will come.
26 Yahweh will be your confidence[o]
and guard your foot from capture.
27 Do not withhold good from its owner[p]
when it is in the power of your hand to do.
28 Do not say to your neighbor,
“Go and return and tomorrow I will give it,”
when it is with you.[q]
29 Do not plot harm against your neighbor
who dwells in confidence beside you.
30 Do not quarrel with anyone without cause,
when he did not do you harm.
31 Do not envy a man of violence,
and do not choose any of his ways,
32 for he who is perverse is an abomination of Yahweh,
but those who are upright are his confidence.
33 The curse of Yahweh is on the house of the wicked,
and the abode of the righteous ones he blesses.
34 With those who scorn, he is scornful,
but to those who are humble, he gives favor.
35 They will inherit the honor of the wise,
but stubborn fools, disgrace.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 3:2 That is, “my commands” (3:1)
- Proverbs 3:3 Or “kindness, mercy”
- Proverbs 3:4 Or “understanding, prudence”
- Proverbs 3:5 Literally “trust toward Yahweh”
- Proverbs 3:8 Literally “navel”
- Proverbs 3:9 Or “wealth, property”
- Proverbs 3:13 Literally “a man”
- Proverbs 3:14 Or “its”; both “wisdom” and “understanding” are feminine nouns and can be read as either “she” or “it”
- Proverbs 3:21 Grammatically, “they” most likely refers to clouds (3:20). In context, “they” may refer to wisdom and understanding (3:13).
- Proverbs 3:21 Literally “eyes”
- Proverbs 3:22 Or “inner self”
- Proverbs 3:22 Or “favor”
- Proverbs 3:24 Or “fear, dread”
- Proverbs 3:25 Or “fear, dread”
- Proverbs 3:26 Literally “in your confidence”
- Proverbs 3:27 Or “lord”
- Proverbs 3:28 Literally “and there is with you”
Proverbs 3
American Standard Version
3 My son, forget not my [a]law;
But let thy heart keep my commandments:
2 For length of days, and years of life,
And peace, will they add to thee.
3 Let not kindness and truth forsake thee:
Bind them about thy neck;
Write them upon the tablet of thy heart:
4 So shalt thou find favor and [b]good understanding
In the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in Jehovah with all thy heart,
And lean not upon thine own understanding:
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him,
And he will [c]direct thy paths.
7 Be not wise in thine own eyes;
Fear Jehovah, and depart from evil:
8 It will be health to thy navel,
And [d]marrow to thy bones.
9 Honor Jehovah with thy substance,
And with the first-fruits of all thine increase:
10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty,
And thy vats shall overflow with new wine.
11 My son, despise not the [e]chastening of Jehovah;
Neither be weary of his reproof:
12 For whom Jehovah loveth he reproveth,
Even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,
And the man that [f]getteth understanding.
14 For the gaining of it is better than the gaining of silver,
And the profit thereof than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies:
And none of the things thou canst desire are to be compared unto her.
16 Length of days is in her right hand;
In her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her:
And happy is every one that retaineth her.
19 Jehovah by wisdom founded the earth;
By understanding he established the heavens.
20 By his knowledge the depths were broken up,
And the skies drop down the dew.
21 My son, let them not depart from thine eyes;
Keep sound wisdom and discretion:
22 So shall they be life unto thy soul,
And grace to thy neck.
23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way securely,
And [g]thy foot shall not stumble.
24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid:
Yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
25 Be not afraid of sudden fear,
Neither of the [h]desolation of the wicked, when it cometh:
26 For Jehovah will be thy confidence,
And will keep thy foot from being taken.
27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due,
When it is in the power of thy hand to do it.
28 Say not unto thy neighbor, Go, and come again,
And to-morrow I will give;
When thou hast it by thee.
29 Devise not evil against thy neighbor,
Seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.
30 Strive not with a man without cause,
If he have done thee no harm.
31 Envy thou not the man of violence,
And choose none of his ways.
32 For the perverse is an abomination to Jehovah;
But his [i]friendship is with the upright.
33 The curse of Jehovah is in the house of the wicked;
But he blesseth the habitation of the righteous.
34 [j]Surely he scoffeth at the scoffers;
[k]But he giveth grace unto the lowly.
35 The wise shall inherit glory;
But [l]shame shall be the promotion of fools.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 3:1 Or, teaching
- Proverbs 3:4 Or, good repute
- Proverbs 3:6 Or, make straight (or, plain)
- Proverbs 3:8 Or, refreshing. Hebrew moistening.
- Proverbs 3:11 Or, instruction
- Proverbs 3:13 Hebrew draweth forth.
- Proverbs 3:23 Hebrew thou shalt not dash thy foot.
- Proverbs 3:25 Or, storm
- Proverbs 3:32 Or, counsel
- Proverbs 3:34 Or, Though
- Proverbs 3:34 Or, Yet
- Proverbs 3:35 Or, fools carry away shame
2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software
Public Domain (Why are modern Bible translations copyrighted?)