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
World English Bible
3 My son, don’t forget my teaching;
but let your heart keep my commandments:
2 for they will add to you length of days,
years of life, and peace.
3 Don’t let kindness and truth forsake you.
Bind them around your neck.
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 So you will find favor,
and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in Yahweh with all your heart,
and don’t lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
7 Don’t be wise in your own eyes.
Fear Yahweh, and depart from evil.
8 It will be health to your body,
and nourishment to your bones.
9 Honor Yahweh with your substance,
with the first fruits of all your increase:
10 so your barns will be filled with plenty,
and your vats will overflow with new wine.
11 My son, don’t despise Yahweh’s discipline,
neither be weary of his correction;
12 for whom Yahweh loves, he corrects,
even as a father reproves the son in whom he delights.
13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
the man who gets understanding.
14 For her good profit is better than getting silver,
and her return is better than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies.
None of the things you can desire are to be compared to 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.
All her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her.
Happy is everyone who retains her.
19 By wisdom Yahweh 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 your eyes.
Keep sound wisdom and discretion:
22 so they will be life to your soul,
and grace for your neck.
23 Then you shall walk in your way securely.
Your foot won’t stumble.
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid.
Yes, you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet.
25 Don’t be afraid of sudden fear,
neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it comes;
26 for Yahweh will be your confidence,
and will keep your foot from being taken.
27 Don’t withhold good from those to whom it is due,
when it is in the power of your hand to do it.
28 Don’t say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again;
tomorrow I will give it to you,”
when you have it by you.
29 Don’t devise evil against your neighbor,
since he dwells securely by you.
30 Don’t strive with a man without cause,
if he has done you no harm.
31 Don’t envy the man of violence.
Choose none of his ways.
32 For the perverse is an abomination to Yahweh,
but his friendship is with the upright.
33 Yahweh’s curse is in the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the habitation of the righteous.
34 Surely he mocks the mockers,
but he gives grace to the humble.
35 The wise will inherit glory,
but shame will be the promotion of fools.
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