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
Mishle 3
Orthodox Jewish Bible
3 Beni (my son), forget not my torah; but let thine lev keep my mitzvot;
2 For orekh yamim (length of days), and shnot chayyim, and shalom, shall they add to thee.
3 Let not chesed and emes forsake thee; bind them about thy neck; write them upon the luach (tablet) of thine lev;
4 So shalt thou find chen and seichel tov in the eyes of Elohim and adam.
5 Trust in Hashem with all thine lev, and lean not unto thine own binah (understanding).
6 In all thy drakhim acknowledge Him, and He shall make yosher thy orkhot (paths).
7 Be not chacham in thine own eyes; fear Hashem, and depart from rah.
8 It shall be rife’ut (health) to thy navel, and marrow to thy atzmot.
9 Honor Hashem with thy substance, and with the reshit (firstfruit) of all thine increase;
10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy vats shall burst out with tirosh.
11 Beni (my son), despise not the musar Hashem; neither be weary of His tokhakhah (reproof);
12 For whom Hashem loveth, He correcteth; even as an av the ben in whom he delighteth.
13 Ashrei (happy) is the man that findeth chochmah, and the man that getteth tevunah (understanding).
14 For the gain of it is better than the gain of kesef, and the increase thereof than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than peninim (pearls); and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
16 Orekh yamim is in her right hand; and in her left hand osher and kavod.
17 Her drakhim are drakhim of pleasantness, and all her netivot (trodden paths) are shalom.
18 She is an Etz Chayyim (Tree of Life) to them that lay hold upon her; and me’usher (blessed) is every one that holdeth her fast.
19 Hashem by chochmah hath founded Eretz (Earth); by tevunah (understanding) hath He established Shomayim.
20 By His da’as (knowledge) the tehomot (oceanic depths) were divided, and the clouds drop down the tal (dew).
21 Beni (my son), let not them depart from thine eyes; keep sound judgment and mezimah (discretion);
22 So shall they be chayyim unto thy nefesh, and chen to thy neck.
23 Then shalt thou walk in thy derech safely, and thy regel shall not stumble.
24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid; when thou liest down, thy sheynah (sleep) shall be sweet.
25 Be not afraid of sudden pachad (terror), neither of the desolation of the resha’im (wicked ones), when it cometh.
26 For Hashem shall be thy confidence, and shall be shomer over thy regel from the snare.
27 Withhold not tov from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine yad to do it.
28 Say not unto thy neighbor, Go, and come again, and makhar (tomorrow) I will give; when thou hast it by thee.
29 Devise not ra’ah against thy re’a, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.
30 Strive not with adam without cause, if he have done thee no ra’ah.
31 Envy thou not the ish chamas, and choose none of his drakhim.
32 For the perverse person is to’avat (detestable) to Hashem; but His sod (secret, intimate counsel) is with the yesharim (upright ones).
33 The curse of Hashem is in the bais of the rasha; but He puts a bracha on the dwelling of the tzaddikim.
34 Surely He scorneth the scorners; but He giveth chen (grace, favor) unto the anayim (lowly, humble ones).
35 The chachamim shall inherit kavod, but shame shall be the promotion of kesilim (fools).
Proverbes 3
La Bible du Semeur
La confiance en l’Eternel
3 Mon fils, n’oublie pas l’éducation que je t’ai donnée
et que ton cœur retienne mes préceptes,
2 car ils rallongeront tes jours et ajouteront des années à la durée de ta vie
et t’assureront le bonheur.
3 Que l’amour et la fidélité ne te fassent jamais défaut ;
attache-les autour de ton cou, grave-les sur les tablettes de ton cœur,
4 et tu obtiendras la faveur de Dieu et des hommes,
tu auras la réputation d’être un homme de bon sens.
5 Mets ta confiance en l’Eternel de tout ton cœur,
et ne te repose pas sur ta propre intelligence.
6 Tiens compte de lui pour tout ce que tu entreprends,
et il te conduira sur le droit chemin.
7 Ne te prends pas pour un sage,
crains l’Eternel et détourne-toi du mal[a].
8 Ce sera une bonne médecine qui t’assurera la santé du corps
et la vitalité de tout ton être.
9 Honore l’Eternel en lui donnant une part de tes biens
et en lui offrant les prémices de tous tes revenus.
10 Alors tes greniers regorgeront de nourriture
et tes cuves déborderont de vin.
11 Mon fils, si l’Eternel te corrige, n’en fais pas fi,
s’il te reprend, ne t’impatiente pas[b],
12 car c’est celui qu’il aime que l’Eternel reprend,
agissant avec lui comme un père avec l’enfant qu’il chérit.
Un trésor sans prix
13 Heureux l’homme qui a trouvé la sagesse !
Heureux celui qui acquiert l’intelligence !
14 Acquérir la sagesse vaut mieux que gagner beaucoup d’argent.
Les avantages qu’elle donne sont plus précieux que l’or le plus fin.
15 Elle a plus de prix que les perles,
et aucun trésor que tu pourrais désirer n’égale sa valeur[c].
16 La sagesse t’offre, dans sa main droite, une longue vie,
et dans sa main gauche, la richesse et la considération.
17 Les voies dans lesquelles elle conduit sont agréables,
tous ses chemins convergent vers le bonheur.
18 La sagesse est un arbre de vie[d] pour ceux qui s’attachent à elle,
et ceux qui savent la garder sont heureux[e].
19 C’est avec la sagesse que l’Eternel a fondé la terre,
et avec l’intelligence qu’il a disposé le ciel.
20 Par sa science, il a fait jaillir l’eau des sources
et ordonné aux nuages de répandre la rosée.
21 Mon fils, garde les yeux fixés
sur la sagesse et la réflexion, retiens-les,
22 car elles t’apporteront la vie,
elles seront une parure pour ton cou.
23 Alors tu iras ton chemin en toute sécurité,
sans trébucher.
24 Quand tu te coucheras, tu n’éprouveras aucune crainte,
et ton sommeil sera paisible,
25 tu n’auras pas à redouter un désastre imprévu,
ni la ruine qui ne manquera pas de fondre sur les méchants ;
26 car l’Eternel sera ton assurance,
il gardera ton pied de tout piège.
L’amour du prochain
27 Si tu en as le moyen, ne refuse pas de faire du bien à celui qui est dans le besoin,
28 ne dis pas à ton prochain :
« Va-t’en et reviens plus tard,
demain je te donnerai »,
alors que tu peux le faire tout de suite.
29 Ne manigance rien de mal contre ton prochain,
alors qu’il vit sans défiance près de toi.
30 Ne cherche pas querelle à quelqu’un sans raison
alors qu’il ne t’a fait aucun mal.
31 N’envie pas les violents
et n’adopte aucun de leurs procédés,
32 car l’Eternel a en horreur les gens pervers,
mais il réserve son intimité aux hommes droits.
33 La malédiction de l’Eternel pèse sur la maison du méchant,
mais il bénit la demeure des justes.
34 Il se moque des moqueurs,
mais il accorde sa faveur aux humbles[f].
35 L’honneur sera la part des sages,
mais les insensés porteront la honte.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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