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Trust, Fear, and Honor Yahweh

My son, (A)do not forget my [a]law,
But let your heart (B)guard my commandments;
For (C)length of days and years of life
And peace they will add to you.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 3:1 Or instruction

Third Address to a Son:
Wisdom Leads to the Lord’s Blessing

My son, do not forget my teaching.
Let your heart keep my commands,
because they will add long days and many years to your life,
and peace and prosperity[a] will come to you.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 3:2 The Hebrew word shalom here contains both meanings.

13 (A)How blessed is the man who finds wisdom
And the man who obtains discernment.
14 For her (B)profit is better than the profit of silver
And her produce better than fine gold.
15 She is (C)more precious than [a]pearls;
And nothing you desire compares with her.
16 (D)Length of days is in her right hand;
In her left hand are (E)riches and glory.
17 Her (F)ways are pleasant ways
And all her pathways are (G)peace.
18 She is a (H)tree of life to those who seize her,
And all those who hold her fast are blessed.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 3:15 Or corals

13 How blessed is the person who finds wisdom,[a]
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,[b]
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.

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Footnotes

  1. 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.
  2. Proverbs 3:15 The meaning of this word is uncertain. It may refer to a specific gemstone, such as rubies or red coral.

23 For (A)the commandment is a lamp and the [a]law is light;
And reproofs for discipline are the way of life

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 6:23 Or instruction

23 because a command is a lamp, teaching is a light,
and the warnings given by discipline are a road to life.

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35 For (A)he who finds me finds life
And (B)obtains favor from Yahweh.

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35 because whoever finds me finds life,
and he obtains favor from the Lord,

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17 He (A)is on the path of life who keeps discipline,
But he who forsakes reproof makes [a]himself wander about.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:17 Or others

17 Whoever practices discipline is on the path to life,
but whoever rejects a warning goes astray.

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19 He who is steadfast in (A)righteousness will attain to life,
And (B)he who pursues evil will bring about his own death.

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19 Just as righteousness leads to life,
pursuing evil leads to death.

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30 The fruit of the righteous is (A)a tree of life,
And (B)he who is wise [a]wins souls.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 11:30 Lit takes

30 The fruit of a righteous person is a tree of life,
and one who harvests souls is wise.

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28 (A)In the path of righteousness is life,
And in its pathway there is no death.

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28 In the path of righteousness there is life,
and there is no death in following this path.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 12:28 The translation follows the main Hebrew reading. A variant in some Hebrew manuscripts and the ancient versions reads and another path leads to death.

A tongue that brings healing is a tree of life,
But perversion in it breaks the spirit.

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A healing tongue is a tree of life,
but a perverse tongue shatters the spirit.

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15 In the light of a king’s face is life,
And his favor is like a cloud with the [a](A)late rain.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 16:15 Spring

15 There is life in the light from a king’s face,
and his favor is like a cloud that brings spring rain.

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22 Insight is a fountain of life to one who has it,
But the discipline of ignorant fools is [a]folly.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 16:22 A lack of wisdom due to negligence or carelessness; the activity of an ignorant fool

22 Good sense is a fountain of life for the person who possesses it,
but the instruction given by stubborn fools is stupidity.

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21 (A)Death and life are in the [a]power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its (B)fruit.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 18:21 Lit hand

21 Life and death lie in the power of a tongue,
and those who love to use it will eat its fruit.

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