Proverbs 3
Evangelical Heritage Version
Third Address to a Son:
Wisdom Leads to the Lord’s Blessing
3 My son, do not forget my teaching.
Let your heart keep my commands,
2 because they will add long days and many years to your life,
and peace and prosperity[a] will come to you.
3 Do not allow mercy and truth to leave you.
Fasten them around your neck.
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Then you will find favor and approval[b]
in the eyes of God and man.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
7 Do not consider yourself wise.
Fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
8 Then your body[c] will be healed,
and your bones will be refreshed.
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth,
with the firstfruits from your entire harvest.
10 Then your barns will be filled to capacity,
and your wine vats will overflow with fresh wine.
11 Do not reject the Lord’s discipline, my son,
and do not despise his warning,
12 because the Lord warns[d] the one he loves
as a father warns a son with whom he is pleased.
13 How blessed is the person who finds wisdom,[e]
the person who acquires understanding,
14 because the profit it gives is better than the profit from silver,
and its yield is better than gold!
15 It is more valuable than gems,[f]
and nothing you desire can equal it.
16 In its right hand are the days of a long life.
In its left hand are riches and honor.
17 Its ways are pleasant ways,
and all its paths are peace.
18 It is a tree of life for those who hold on to it.
Those who cling to it are blessed.
19 The Lord founded the earth by wisdom.
He established the heavens by understanding.
20 By his knowledge the deep waters were divided,
and the clouds drip dew.
21 My son, do not take your eyes off these things.
Guard sound judgment and insight.
22 They will be life for your soul
and grace to adorn your neck.
23 Then you will walk safely on your way,
and your foot will not stumble.
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid.
When you lie down, your sleep will be pleasant.
25 Do not be afraid of sudden terror,
nor of the destruction of the wicked when it comes,
26 because the Lord will be your confidence.
He will keep your foot from being caught.
Fourth Address to a Son:
Practice Wisdom Toward Your Neighbor
27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due
when it is within your power to give it.
28 Do not say to your neighbor,
“Go away! Come back some other time.
I will give something to you tomorrow,”
when in fact it is already with you right now.
29 Do not plan harm against your neighbor
when he is living with you peacefully.
30 Do not quarrel with a person for no good reason
when he has done nothing to harm you.
31 Do not envy a violent person.
Do not choose any of his ways,
32 because a crooked person is an abomination[g] to the Lord,
but God’s friendly guidance leads[h] the upright.
33 The Lord’s curse rests on the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the home of the righteous.
34 Although he scorns the scornful,
he gives grace to the humble.
35 Wise people inherit honor,
but proud fools receive disgrace.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 3:2 The Hebrew word shalom here contains both meanings.
- Proverbs 3:4 Literally good understanding
- Proverbs 3:8 Literally navel
- Proverbs 3:12 Or disciplines
- Proverbs 3:13 Or Wisdom. An issue throughout Proverbs 1-9 is when wisdom should be capitalized as the personal name of Lady Wisdom and when it is the common noun. Most translations do not capitalize wisdom in verses like verse 13 because of the parallelism with understanding. This decision also determines whether the English pronouns should be she or it. In Hebrew the noun for wisdom is feminine, so the pronouns in Hebrew are always feminine.
- Proverbs 3:15 The meaning of this word is uncertain. It may refer to a specific gemstone, such as rubies or red coral.
- Proverbs 3:32 Or is disgusting or is repulsive
- Proverbs 3:32 Or intimate counsel guides
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.
Ordspråksboken 3
nuBibeln (Swedish Contemporary Bible)
3 Min son, glöm inte vad jag har lärt dig.
Bevara mina bud i ditt hjärta.
2 De ger dig ett långt liv,
många levnadsår och frid.
3 Låt aldrig nåd och trofasthet lämna dig.
Bind dem kring din hals,
skriv dem på ditt hjärtas tavla.
4 Då möts du av välvilja och får ett gott anseende
inför Gud och bland människor.
5 Förtrösta helhjärtat på Herren
och lita inte på ditt eget förstånd.
6 Var du än går, tänk på honom
så ska han jämna vägen för dig.
7 Håll dig inte själv för vis.
Frukta Herren och håll dig borta från det onda.
8 Det ger din kropp hälsa,
ja välbefinnande för hela din varelse.
9 Ära Herren med allt vad du äger
och med det första från alla dina skördar.
10 Då ska dina lador fyllas rikligen med säd,
och dina pressar ska rinna över av vin.
11 Min son, förakta inte Herrens fostran.
Bli inte arg när han tillrättavisar dig.
12 Herren fostrar var och en som han älskar,
som en far tuktar sin son som han har kär.
13 Lycklig är den som finner visheten,
den som får förstånd,
14 för detta är mer värt än silver
och ger en bättre vinst än guld.
15 Det är värdefullare än juveler,
det kan inte jämföras med något som du kan önska dig.
16 Ett långt liv finns i dess högra hand,
rikedom och ära i dess vänstra.
17 Dess vägar är ljuvliga,
dess stigar fridfulla.
18 Visheten är ett livets träd för dem som griper tag i den,
och lyckliga är alla som håller sig till den.
19 Med vishet grundlade Herren jorden,
och med förstånd ställde han upp himlen.
20 Hans kunskap lät djupets flöden bryta fram
och regnet droppa ner från molnen.
21 Min son, se till att bevara omdöme och klokhet
och släpp dem aldrig ur sikte.
22 De ger dig liv
och blir ett smycke kring din hals.
23 Då kan du vandra din väg i trygghet,
och ingenting ska få dig på fall.
24 Du kan lägga dig utan fruktan
och sova lugnt.
25 Du behöver inte vara rädd för någon plötslig förskräckelse
eller katastrof som drabbar de gudlösa,
26 för Herren ska vara din trygghet
och skydda din fot från snaran.
27 Om någon behöver ditt stöd
och du kan hjälpa honom, så säg inte nej.
28 Säg inte till din medmänniska:
”Kom tillbaka i morgon, så ska du få”,
när du ändå har att ge.
29 Planera ingenting ont mot din medmänniska
som bor tryggt i din närhet.
30 Bli inte inblandad i tvist med någon utan orsak,
när han inte gjort dig något ont.
31 Avundas inte någon som brukar våld,
och ta inte någon sådan till förebild.
32 Herren avskyr den falske,
men de rättsinniga visar han förtroende.
33 Herrens förbannelse drabbar de gudlösas hus,
men de rättfärdigas hem välsignar han.
34 Han hånar dem som hånar honom,
men de ödmjuka visar han nåd.
35 De visa blir ärade,
men dårarna får skämmas.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
Swedish Contemporary Bible (nuBibeln) Copyright © 2015 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.