Proverbs 3
Amplified Bible
The Rewards of Wisdom
3 My son, do not forget my [a]teaching,
But let your heart keep my commandments;
2
For length of days and years of life [worth living]
And tranquility and prosperity [the wholeness of life’s blessings] they will add to you.
3
Do not let mercy and kindness and truth leave you [instead let these qualities define you];
Bind them [securely] around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart.(A)
4
So find favor and high esteem
In the sight of God and man.(B)
5
Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart
And do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
6
[b]In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him,
And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way].
7
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord [with reverent awe and obedience] and turn [entirely] away from evil.(C)
8
It will be health to your body [your marrow, your nerves, your sinews, your muscles—all your inner parts]
And refreshment (physical well-being) to your bones.
9
Honor the Lord with your wealth
And with the first fruits of all your crops (income);(D)
10
Then your barns will be abundantly filled
And your vats will overflow with new wine.(E)
11
My son, do not reject or take lightly the discipline of the Lord [learn from your mistakes and the testing that comes from His correction through discipline];
Nor despise His rebuke,(F)
12
For those whom the Lord loves He corrects,
Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.
13
Happy [blessed, considered fortunate, to be admired] is the man who finds [skillful and godly] wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding and insight [learning from God’s word and life’s experiences],
14
For wisdom’s profit is better than the profit of silver,
And her gain is better than fine gold.
15
She is more precious than rubies;
And nothing you can wish for compares with her [in value].(G)
16
Long life is in her right hand;
In her left hand are riches and honor.(H)
17
Her ways are highways of pleasantness and favor,
And all her paths are peace.
18
She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy [blessed, considered fortunate, to be admired] is everyone who holds her tightly.
19
The Lord by His wisdom has founded the earth;
By His understanding He has established the heavens.(I)
20
By His knowledge the deeps were broken up
And the clouds drip with dew.
21
My son, let them not escape from your sight,
But keep sound wisdom and discretion,
22
And they will be life to your soul (your inner self)
And a gracious adornment to your neck (your outer self).
23
Then you will walk on your way [of life] securely
And your foot will not stumble.(J)
24
When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
25
Do not be afraid of sudden fear
Nor of the storm of the wicked when it comes [since you will be blameless];
26
For the Lord will be your confidence, firm and strong,
And will keep your foot from being caught [in a trap].
27
[c]Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due [its rightful recipients],
When it is in your power to do it.(K)
28
Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it,”
When you have it with you.(L)
29
Do not devise evil against your neighbor,
Who lives securely beside you.
30
Do not quarrel with a man without cause,
If he has done you no harm.(M)
31
Do not envy a man of violence
And do not choose any of his ways.(N)
32
For the devious are repulsive to the Lord;
But His private counsel is with the upright [those with spiritual integrity and moral courage].(O)
33
The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked,
But He blesses the home of the just and righteous.(P)
34
Though He scoffs at the scoffers and scorns the scorners,
Yet He gives His grace [His undeserved favor] to the humble [those who give up self-importance].(Q)
35
The wise will inherit honor and glory,
But dishonor and shame is conferred on fools.(R)
Footnotes
- Proverbs 3:1 Or law.
- Proverbs 3:6 One of the ancient rabbis said that all the essence of the Torah (Law) depends on this verse.
- Proverbs 3:27 Using this verse as a proof text, the ancient rabbis offered the example of an employer who tells his foreman to hire workers at four zuz (small silver coins) each to do a job, and the foreman hires them at three instead. Even though they accepted the terms, the rabbis rule that they have the right to complain. Compare this with the parable of the landowner who hires workers for a denarius each. The difference there is that the first group receives a fair wage, while the last is overpaid as a matter of generosity (Matt 20:15).
Proverbs 3
King James Version
3 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.
8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
9 Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
11 My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction:
12 For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.
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 The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.
20 By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.
21 My son, let not them 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 safely, and 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 desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.
26 For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.
27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.
28 Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.
29 Devise not evil against thy neighbour, 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 oppressor, and choose none of his ways.
32 For the froward is abomination to the Lord: but his secret is with the righteous.
33 The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.
34 Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.
35 The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.
Proverbs 3
Wycliffe Bible
3 My son, forget thou not my law; and thine heart keep my commandments.
2 For they shall set to thee the length of days, and the years of life, and peace.
3 Mercy and truth forsake thee not; bind thou those to thy throat, and write them in the tables of thine heart. (Let not mercy and truth desert thee; bind thou them about thy neck, and write them on the tablets of thy heart.)
4 And thou shalt find grace (And thou shalt receive favour), and good teaching before God and men.
5 Have thou trust in the Lord, of all thine heart; and lean thou not to thy prudence. (Have thou trust in the Lord, with all thy heart, and lean thou not unto thy own understanding.)
6 In all thy ways think on him, and he shall (ad)dress thy goings. (In all thy ways, or in all thy deeds, think of him, and he shall direct thy steps.)
7 Be thou not wise with thyself; dread thou God, and go away from evil. (Do not think thyself wise; but fear God/but revere God, and go thou away from evil.)
8 For why health shall be in thy navel, and moisting of thy bones. (For that shall be health for thy body, or thy entrails, and moistening for thy bones.)
9 Honour thou the Lord of thy chattel, and of the best of all thy fruits give thou to poor men; (Honour thou the Lord with thy possessions, and with the best of all thy fruits, or of all thy earnings;)
10 and (then) thy barns shall be filled with abundance, and thy pressers shall flow with wine (and thy winepresses shall flow with wine).
11 My son, cast thou not away the teaching of the Lord; and fail thou not, when thou art chastised of him (and faint thou not/and spurn thou him not, when thou art disciplined by him).
12 For the Lord chastiseth him, whom he loveth; and as a father in the son he pleaseth him (yea, like a father to his son who pleaseth him).
13 Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom, and that floweth with prudence. (Blessed is the person who findeth wisdom, and who floweth with understanding.)
14 The getting thereof is better than the merchandise of gold and of silver; the fruits thereof be the first and the cleanest.
15 It is more precious than all riches; and all things that be desired, may not be comparisoned to this (and nothing that is desired, can be compared to it).
16 Length of days is in the right half thereof, and riches and glory be in the left half thereof. (Length of days is in its right hand, and riches and glory be in its left hand.)
17 The ways thereof be fair ways, and all the paths thereof be peaceable. (Its way be fair ways, and all its paths be peaceful.)
18 It is a tree of life to them that take (hold of) it; and he that holdeth (onto) it, is blessed.
19 The Lord founded the earth by (his) wisdom; he stablished (the) heavens by (his) prudence.
20 The depths of waters brake out by his wisdom; and (the) clouds waxed (al)together with dew.
21 My son, these things float not away from thine eyes; keep thou my law, and my counsel; (My son, let not these things float away from thine eyes; keep thou my instructions, and my advice, near to thee;)
22 and life shall be to thy soul, and grace to thy cheeks. (and thou shalt have life, and gain favour.)
23 Then thou shalt go trustily in thy way (Then thou shalt go with trust on thy way); and thy foot shall not stumble.
24 If thou shalt sleep, thou shalt not dread; thou shalt rest, and thy sleep shall be soft [and sweet shall be thy sleep]. (When thou shalt sleep, thou shalt not fear; thou shalt rest, and thy sleep shall be sweet.)
25 Dread thou not of sudden fear, and the powers of wicked men falling in on thee. (Fear thou not sudden disaster, and the power, or the might, of the wicked falling in upon thee.)
26 For the Lord shall be at thy side; and he shall keep thy foot (safe), that thou be not taken.
27 Do not thou forbid to do well him that may; if thou mayest, also do thou well. (Do not thou forbid anyone to do good who can; and if thou be able, thou do good as well.)
28 Say thou not to thy friend, Go, and turn again, and tomorrow I shall give to thee; when thou mayest give anon. (Say thou not to thy friend, Go away, and return tomorrow, and then I shall give you what you need; when thou can give it to him at once.)
29 Imagine thou not evil to thy friend (Imagine thou not evil against thy friend), when he hath trust in thee.
30 Strive thou not against a man without cause, when he doeth none evil to thee. (Do not thou argue with someone for no reason, when he hath done nothing wrong to thee.)
31 Follow thou not an unjust man (Do not thou follow a law-breaker), follow thou not his ways.
32 For each deceiver is (an) abomination to the Lord; and his speaking is with simple men (and the Lord speaketh to those who be honest, or have integrity).
33 Neediness is sent of the Lord in(to) the house of a wicked man; but the dwelling places of just men shall be blessed. (Neediness is sent by the Lord into the houses of the wicked; but the dwelling places of the righteous shall be blessed.)
34 He shall scorn [the] scorners; and he shall give grace to mild men. (He shall mock the mockers; but he shall give favour to the humble, or to the meek.)
35 Wise men shall have glory; [the] enhancing of fools is shame. (The wise shall receive honour; but fools shall only increase their shame.)
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
2001 by Terence P. Noble