Proverbs 3:19-35
New American Standard Bible
19 The Lord founded the earth (A)by wisdom,
He (B)established the heavens by understanding.
20 By His knowledge the (C)ocean depths were burst open,
And the (D)clouds drip with dew.
21 My son, see that (E)they do not escape from your sight;
Comply with sound wisdom and discretion,
22 And they will be (F)life to your soul
And (G)adornment to your neck.
23 Then you will (H)walk in your way securely,
And your foot will not (I)stumble.
24 When you (J)lie down, you will not be afraid;
When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
25 (K)Do not be afraid of sudden danger,
Nor of (L)trouble from the wicked when it comes;
26 For the Lord will be [a]your confidence,
And will (M)keep your foot from being caught.
27 (N)Do not withhold good from [b]those to whom it is due,
When it is in your power to do it.
28 (O)Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it to you,”
When you have it with you.
29 (P)Do not devise harm against your neighbor,
While he lives securely beside you.
30 (Q)Do not contend with a person for no reason,
If he has done you no harm.
31 (R)Do not envy a violent person,
And do not choose any of his ways.
32 For the (S)devious are an abomination to the Lord;
But [c]He is (T)intimate with the upright.
33 The (U)curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked,
But He (V)blesses the home of the righteous.
34 Though (W)He scoffs at the scoffers,
Yet (X)He gives grace to the needy.
35 (Y)The wise will inherit honor,
But fools [d]increase dishonor.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 3:26 Or at your side
- Proverbs 3:27 Lit its owners
- Proverbs 3:32 Lit His private counsel is
- Proverbs 3:35 Lit raise high
Proverbs 3:19-35
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
God’s Wisdom in Creation
19 The Lord by wisdom founded the earth;
by understanding he established the heavens;(A)
20 by his knowledge the deeps broke open,
and the clouds drop down the dew.(B)
The True Security
21 My child, do not let these escape from your sight:
keep sound wisdom and prudence,
22 and they will be life for your soul
and adornment for your neck.(C)
23 Then you will walk on your way securely,
and your foot will not stumble.(D)
24 If you sit down,[a] you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
25 Then you will not be afraid of sudden panic
or of the storm that strikes the wicked,(E)
26 for the Lord will be your confidence
and will keep your foot from being caught.
27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,[b]
when it is in your power to do it.(F)
28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Go and come again;
tomorrow I will give it,” when you have it with you.(G)
29 Do not plan harm against your neighbor
who lives trustingly beside you.(H)
30 Do not quarrel with anyone without cause,
when no harm has been done to you.(I)
31 Do not envy the violent,
and do not choose any of their ways,(J)
32 for the perverse are an abomination to the Lord,
but the upright are in his confidence.(K)
33 The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the abode of the righteous.(L)
34 Toward the scorners he is scornful,
but to the humble he shows favor.(M)
35 The wise will inherit honor,
but stubborn fools, disgrace.
Proverbs 3:19-35
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
19 The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth, hath established the heavens by prudence.
20 By his wisdom the depths have broken out, and the clouds grow thick with dew.
21 My son, let not these things depart from thy eyes: keep the law and counsel:
22 And there shall be life to thy soul, and grace to thy mouth.
23 Then shalt thou walk confidently in thy way, and thy foot shall not stumble:
24 If thou sleep, thou shalt not fear: thou shalt rest, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, nor of the power of the wicked falling upon thee.
26 For the Lord will be at thy side, and will keep thy foot that thou be not taken.
27 Do not withhold him from doing good, who is able: if thou art able, do good thyself also.
28 Say not to thy friend: Go, and come again: and to morrow I will give to thee: when thou canst give at present.
29 Practise not evil against thy friend, when he hath confidence in thee.
30 Strive not against a man without cause, when he hath done thee no evil.
31 Envy not the unjust man, and do not follow his ways:
32 For every mocker is an abomination to the Lord, and his communication is with the simple.
33 Want is from the Lord in the house of the wicked: but the habitations of the just shall be blessed.
34 He shall scorn the scorners, and to the meek he will give grace.
35 The wise shall possess glory: the promotion of fools is disgrace.
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Proverbs 3:19-35
The Message
19-20 With Lady Wisdom, God formed Earth;
with Madame Insight, he raised Heaven.
They knew when to signal rivers and springs to the surface,
and dew to descend from the night skies.
Never Walk Away
21-26 Dear friend, guard Clear Thinking and Common Sense with your life;
don’t for a minute lose sight of them.
They’ll keep your soul alive and well,
they’ll keep you fit and attractive.
You’ll travel safely,
you’ll neither tire nor trip.
You’ll take afternoon naps without a worry,
you’ll enjoy a good night’s sleep.
No need to panic over alarms or surprises,
or predictions that doomsday’s just around the corner,
Because God will be right there with you;
he’ll keep you safe and sound.
27-29 Never walk away from someone who deserves help;
your hand is God’s hand for that person.
Don’t tell your neighbor “Maybe some other time”
or “Try me tomorrow”
when the money’s right there in your pocket.
Don’t figure ways of taking advantage of your neighbor
when he’s sitting there trusting and unsuspecting.
30-32 Don’t walk around with a chip on your shoulder,
always spoiling for a fight.
Don’t try to be like those who shoulder their way through life.
Why be a bully?
“Why not?” you say. Because God can’t stand twisted souls.
It’s the straightforward who get his respect.
33-35 God’s curse blights the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the home of the righteous.
He gives proud skeptics a cold shoulder,
but if you’re down on your luck, he’s right there to help.
Wise living gets rewarded with honor;
stupid living gets the booby prize.
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Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson