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Proverbs 3-5
King James Version
Proverbs 3-5
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.
4 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.
3 For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.
4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.
5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.
7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.
9 She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.
10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.
11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.
12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.
14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.
16 For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.
22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
5 My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding:
2 That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.
3 For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:
4 But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.
6 Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.
7 Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.
8 Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house:
9 Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel:
10 Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger;
11 And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,
12 And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;
13 And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!
14 I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.
15 Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.
16 Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.
17 Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee.
18 Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.
20 And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?
21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings.
22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.
23 He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.
Proverbs 3-5
New International Version
Proverbs 3-5
New International Version
Wisdom Bestows Well-Being
3 My son,(A) do not forget my teaching,(B)
but keep my commands in your heart,
2 for they will prolong your life many years(C)
and bring you peace and prosperity.(D)
3 Let love and faithfulness(E) never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.(F)
4 Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man.(G)
5 Trust in the Lord(H) with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths(I) straight.[a](J)
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;(K)
fear the Lord(L) and shun evil.(M)
8 This will bring health to your body(N)
and nourishment to your bones.(O)
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth,
with the firstfruits(P) of all your crops;
10 then your barns will be filled(Q) to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine.(R)
11 My son,(S) do not despise the Lord’s discipline,(T)
and do not resent his rebuke,
12 because the Lord disciplines those he loves,(U)
as a father the son he delights in.[b](V)
13 Blessed are those who find wisdom,
those who gain understanding,
14 for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold.(W)
15 She is more precious than rubies;(X)
nothing you desire can compare with her.(Y)
16 Long life is in her right hand;(Z)
in her left hand are riches and honor.(AA)
17 Her ways are pleasant ways,
and all her paths are peace.(AB)
18 She is a tree of life(AC) to those who take hold of her;
those who hold her fast will be blessed.(AD)
19 By wisdom(AE) the Lord laid the earth’s foundations,(AF)
by understanding he set the heavens(AG) in place;
20 by his knowledge the watery depths were divided,
and the clouds let drop the dew.
21 My son,(AH) do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight,(AI)
preserve sound judgment and discretion;
22 they will be life for you,(AJ)
an ornament to grace your neck.(AK)
23 Then you will go on your way in safety,(AL)
and your foot will not stumble.(AM)
24 When you lie down,(AN) you will not be afraid;(AO)
when you lie down, your sleep(AP) will be sweet.
25 Have no fear of sudden disaster
or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
26 for the Lord will be at your side(AQ)
and will keep your foot(AR) from being snared.(AS)
27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
when it is in your power to act.
28 Do not say to your neighbor,
“Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”—
when you already have it with you.(AT)
29 Do not plot harm against your neighbor,
who lives trustfully near you.(AU)
30 Do not accuse anyone for no reason—
when they have done you no harm.
31 Do not envy(AV) the violent
or choose any of their ways.
32 For the Lord detests the perverse(AW)
but takes the upright into his confidence.(AX)
33 The Lord’s curse(AY) is on the house of the wicked,(AZ)
but he blesses the home of the righteous.(BA)
34 He mocks(BB) proud mockers(BC)
but shows favor to the humble(BD) and oppressed.
35 The wise inherit honor,
but fools get only shame.
Get Wisdom at Any Cost
4 Listen, my sons,(BE) to a father’s instruction;(BF)
pay attention and gain understanding.(BG)
2 I give you sound learning,
so do not forsake my teaching.
3 For I too was a son to my father,
still tender, and cherished by my mother.
4 Then he taught me, and he said to me,
“Take hold(BH) of my words with all your heart;
keep my commands, and you will live.(BI)
5 Get wisdom,(BJ) get understanding;
do not forget my words or turn away from them.
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;(BK)
love her, and she will watch over you.(BL)
7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get[c] wisdom.
Though it cost all(BM) you have,[d] get understanding.(BN)
8 Cherish her, and she will exalt you;
embrace her, and she will honor you.(BO)
9 She will give you a garland to grace your head
and present you with a glorious crown.(BP)”
10 Listen, my son,(BQ) accept what I say,
and the years of your life will be many.(BR)
11 I instruct(BS) you in the way of wisdom
and lead you along straight paths.(BT)
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
when you run, you will not stumble.(BU)
13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
guard it well, for it is your life.(BV)
14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
or walk in the way of evildoers.(BW)
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
turn from it and go on your way.
16 For they cannot rest until they do evil;(BX)
they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.
17 They eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.(BY)
18 The path of the righteous(BZ) is like the morning sun,(CA)
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.(CB)
19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;(CC)
they do not know what makes them stumble.(CD)
20 My son,(CE) pay attention to what I say;
turn your ear to my words.(CF)
21 Do not let them out of your sight,(CG)
keep them within your heart;
22 for they are life to those who find them
and health to one’s whole body.(CH)
23 Above all else, guard(CI) your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.(CJ)
24 Keep your mouth free of perversity;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
25 Let your eyes(CK) look straight ahead;
fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Give careful thought to the[e] paths for your feet(CL)
and be steadfast in all your ways.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;(CM)
keep your foot from evil.
Warning Against Adultery
5 My son,(CN) pay attention to my wisdom,
turn your ear to my words(CO) of insight,
2 that you may maintain discretion
and your lips may preserve knowledge.
3 For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey,
and her speech is smoother than oil;(CP)
4 but in the end she is bitter as gall,(CQ)
sharp as a double-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death;
her steps lead straight to the grave.(CR)
6 She gives no thought to the way of life;
her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it.(CS)
7 Now then, my sons, listen(CT) to me;
do not turn aside from what I say.
8 Keep to a path far from her,(CU)
do not go near the door of her house,
9 lest you lose your honor to others
and your dignity[f] to one who is cruel,
10 lest strangers feast on your wealth
and your toil enrich the house of another.(CV)
11 At the end of your life you will groan,
when your flesh and body are spent.
12 You will say, “How I hated discipline!
How my heart spurned correction!(CW)
13 I would not obey my teachers
or turn my ear to my instructors.
14 And I was soon in serious trouble(CX)
in the assembly of God’s people.”(CY)
15 Drink water from your own cistern,
running water from your own well.
16 Should your springs overflow in the streets,
your streams of water in the public squares?
17 Let them be yours alone,
never to be shared with strangers.
18 May your fountain(CZ) be blessed,
and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.(DA)
19 A loving doe, a graceful deer(DB)—
may her breasts satisfy you always,
may you ever be intoxicated with her love.
20 Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife?
Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman?
Footnotes
- Proverbs 3:6 Or will direct your paths
- Proverbs 3:12 Hebrew; Septuagint loves, / and he chastens everyone he accepts as his child
- Proverbs 4:7 Or Wisdom is supreme; therefore get
- Proverbs 4:7 Or wisdom. / Whatever else you get
- Proverbs 4:26 Or Make level
- Proverbs 5:9 Or years
Proverbs 3-5
New King James Version
Proverbs 3-5
New King James Version
Guidance for the Young
3 My son, do not forget my law,
(A)But let your heart keep my commands;
2 For length of days and long life
And (B)peace they will add to you.
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake you;
(C)Bind them around your neck,
(D)Write them on the tablet of your heart,
4 (E)And so find favor and [a]high esteem
In the sight of God and man.
5 (F)Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
(G)And lean not on your own understanding;
6 (H)In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall [b]direct your paths.
7 Do not be wise in your own (I)eyes;
Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
8 It will be health to your [c]flesh,
And (J)strength[d] to your bones.
9 (K)Honor the Lord with your possessions,
And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
10 (L)So your barns will be filled with plenty,
And your vats will overflow with new wine.
11 (M)My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor detest His correction;
12 For whom the Lord loves He corrects,
(N)Just as a father the son in whom he delights.
13 (O)Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding;
14 (P)For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver,
And her gain than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies,
And (Q)all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.
16 (R)Length of days is in her right hand,
In her left hand riches and honor.
17 (S)Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace.
18 She is (T)a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who [e]retain her.
19 (U)The Lord by wisdom founded the earth;
By understanding He established the heavens;
20 By His knowledge the depths were (V)broken up,
And clouds 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 to your neck.
23 (W)Then you will walk safely in your way,
And your foot will not stumble.
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.
25 (X)Do not be afraid of sudden terror,
Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;
26 For the Lord will be your confidence,
And will keep your foot from being caught.
27 (Y)Do not withhold good from [f]those to whom it is due,
When it is in the power of your hand to do so.
28 (Z)Do not say to your neighbor,
“Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it,”
When you have it with you.
29 Do not devise evil against your neighbor,
For he dwells by you for safety’s sake.
30 (AA)Do not strive with a man without cause,
If he has done you no harm.
31 (AB)Do not envy the oppressor,
And choose none of his ways;
32 For the perverse person is an abomination to the Lord,
(AC)But His secret counsel is with the upright.
33 (AD)The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked,
But (AE)He blesses the home of the just.
34 (AF)Surely He scorns the scornful,
But gives grace to the humble.
35 The wise shall inherit glory,
But shame shall be the legacy of fools.
Security in Wisdom
4 Hear, (AG)my children, the instruction of a father,
And give attention to know understanding;
2 For I give you good doctrine:
Do not forsake my law.
3 When I was my father’s son,
(AH)Tender and the only one in the sight of my mother,
4 (AI)He also taught me, and said to me:
“Let your heart retain my words;
(AJ)Keep my commands, and live.
5 (AK)Get wisdom! Get understanding!
Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you;
(AL)Love her, and she will keep you.
7 (AM)Wisdom is the principal thing;
Therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting, get understanding.
8 (AN)Exalt her, and she will promote you;
She will bring you honor, when you embrace her.
9 She will place on your head (AO)an ornament of grace;
A crown of glory she will deliver to you.”
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings,
(AP)And the years of your life will be many.
11 I have (AQ)taught you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in right paths.
12 When you walk, (AR)your steps will not be hindered,
(AS)And when you run, you will not stumble.
13 Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go;
Keep her, for she is your life.
14 (AT)Do not enter the path of the wicked,
And do not walk in the way of evil.
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
Turn away from it and pass on.
16 (AU)For they do not sleep unless they have done evil;
And their sleep is [g]taken away unless they make someone fall.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness,
And drink the wine of violence.
18 (AV)But the path of the just (AW)is like the shining [h]sun,
That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.
19 (AX)The way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know what makes them stumble.
20 My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart;
22 For they are life to those who find them,
And health to all their flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of (AY)life.
24 Put away from you a [i]deceitful mouth,
And put perverse lips far from you.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead,
And your eyelids look right before you.
26 Ponder the path of your (AZ)feet,
And let all your ways be established.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;
Remove your foot from evil.
The Peril of Adultery
5 My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
[j]Lend your ear to my understanding,
2 That you may [k]preserve discretion,
And your lips (BA)may keep knowledge.
3 (BB)For the lips of [l]an immoral woman drip honey,
And her mouth is (BC)smoother than oil;
4 But in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death,
(BD)Her steps lay hold of [m]hell.
6 Lest you ponder her path of life—
Her ways are unstable;
You do not know them.
7 Therefore hear me now, my children,
And do not depart from the words of my mouth.
8 Remove your way far from her,
And do not go near the door of her house,
9 Lest you give your [n]honor to others,
And your years to the cruel one;
10 Lest aliens be filled with your [o]wealth,
And your labors go to the house of a foreigner;
11 And you mourn at last,
When your flesh and your body are consumed,
12 And say:
“How I have hated instruction,
And my heart despised correction!
13 I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers,
Nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me!
14 I was on the verge of total ruin,
In the midst of the assembly and congregation.”
15 Drink water from your own cistern,
And running water from your own well.
16 Should your fountains be dispersed abroad,
[p]Streams of water in the streets?
17 Let them be only your own,
And not for strangers with you.
18 Let your fountain be blessed,
And rejoice with (BE)the wife of your youth.
19 (BF)As a loving deer and a graceful doe,
Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
And always be [q]enraptured with her love.
20 For why should you, my son, be enraptured by (BG)an immoral woman,
And be embraced in the arms of a seductress?
21 (BH)For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord,
And He [r]ponders all his paths.
22 (BI)His own iniquities entrap the wicked man,
And he is caught in the cords of his sin.
23 (BJ)He shall die for lack of instruction,
And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 3:4 Lit. good understanding
- Proverbs 3:6 Or make smooth or straight
- Proverbs 3:8 Body, lit. navel
- Proverbs 3:8 Lit. drink
- Proverbs 3:18 hold her fast
- Proverbs 3:27 Lit. its owners
- Proverbs 4:16 Lit. robbed
- Proverbs 4:18 Lit. light
- Proverbs 4:24 devious
- Proverbs 5:1 Lit. Bow
- Proverbs 5:2 appreciate good judgment
- Proverbs 5:3 Lit. a strange
- Proverbs 5:5 Or Sheol
- Proverbs 5:9 vigor
- Proverbs 5:10 Lit. strength
- Proverbs 5:16 Channels
- Proverbs 5:19 Lit. intoxicated
- Proverbs 5:21 observes, lit. weighs
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.