Proverbs 3

¹My son, don’t forget my teaching; but let your heart keep my commandments: ²for length of days, and years of life, and peace, will they add to you. ³Don’t let kindness and truth forsake you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart. ⁴So you will find favor, and good understanding in the sight of God and man. ⁵Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding. ⁶In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. ⁷Don’t be wise in your own eyes. Fear Yahweh, and depart from evil. ⁸It will be health to your body, and nourishment to your bones. ⁹Honor Yahweh with your substance, with the first fruits of all your increase: ¹⁰so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine. ¹¹My son, don’t despise Yahweh’s discipline, neither be weary of his reproof: ¹²for whom Yahweh loves, he reproves; even as a father reproves the son in whom he delights. ¹³Happy is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gets understanding. ¹⁴For her good profit is better than getting silver, and her return is better than fine gold. ¹⁵She is more precious than rubies. None of the things you can desire are to be compared to her. ¹⁶Length of days is in her right hand. In her left hand are riches and honor. ¹⁷Her ways are ways of pleasantness. All her paths are peace. ¹⁸She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her. Happy is everyone who retains her. ¹⁹By wisdom Yahweh founded the earth. By understanding, he established the heavens. ²⁰By his knowledge, the depths were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew. ²¹My son, let them not depart from your eyes. Keep sound wisdom and discretion: ²²so they will be life to your soul, and grace for your neck. ²³Then you shall walk in your way securely. Your foot won’t stumble. ²⁴When you lie down, you will not be afraid. Yes, you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet. ²⁵Don’t be afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it comes: ²⁶for Yahweh will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being taken. ²⁷Don’t withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do it. ²⁸Don’t say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again; tomorrow I will give it to you,” when you have it by you. ²⁹Don’t devise evil against your neighbor, since he dwells securely by you. ³⁰Don’t strive with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm. ³¹Don’t envy the man of violence. Choose none of his ways. ³²For the perverse is an abomination to Yahweh, but his friendship is with the upright. ³³Yahweh’s curse is in the house of the wicked, but he blesses the habitation of the righteous. ³⁴Surely he mocks the mockers, but he gives grace to the humble. ³⁵The wise will inherit glory, but shame will be the promotion of fools.

World English Bible (public domain)