Proverbs 3

The Rewards of Wisdom

1 My son, do not forget my teaching,
But let your heart keep my commandments;

2 For length of days and years of life
And peace they will add to you.

3 Do not let kindness and truth leave you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart.

4 So you will find favor and good repute
In the sight of God and man.

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.

6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

8 It will be healing to your body
And refreshment to your bones.

9 Honor the LORD from your wealth
And from the first of all your produce;

10 So your barns will be filled with plenty
And your vats will overflow with new wine.

11 My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD
Or loathe His reproof,

12 For whom the LORD loves He reproves,
Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.

13 How blessed is the man who finds wisdom
And the man who gains understanding.

14 For her profit is better than the profit of silver
And her gain better than fine gold.

15 She is more precious than jewels;
And nothing you desire compares with her.

16 Long life is in her right hand;
In her left hand are riches and honor.

17 Her ways are pleasant ways
And all her paths are peace.

18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who hold her fast.

19 The LORD by wisdom founded the earth,
By understanding He established the heavens.

20 By His knowledge the deeps were broken up
And the skies drip with dew.

21 My son, let them not vanish from your sight;
Keep sound wisdom and discretion,

22 So they will be life to your soul
And adornment to your neck.

23 Then you will walk in your way securely
And your foot will not stumble.

24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

25 Do not be afraid of sudden fear
Nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes;

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,
When it is in your power to do it.

28 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 harm against your neighbor,
While he lives securely beside you.

30 Do not contend with a man without cause,
If he has done you no harm.

31 Do not envy a man of violence
And do not choose any of his ways.

32 For the devious are an abomination to the LORD;
But He is intimate with the upright.

33 The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked,
But He blesses the dwelling of the righteous.

34 Though He scoffs at the scoffers,
Yet He gives grace to the afflicted.

35 The wise will inherit honor,
But fools display dishonor.

Proverbs 3

1 My son, forget not my law; But let thy heart keep my commandments:

2 For length of days, and years of life, And peace, will they add to thee.

3 Let not kindness and truth forsake thee: Bind them about thy neck; Write them upon the tablet of thy heart:

4 So shalt thou find favor and good understanding In the sight of God and man.

5 Trust in Jehovah with all thy heart, And lean not upon thine own understanding:

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he will direct thy paths.

7 Be not wise in thine own eyes; Fear Jehovah, and depart from evil:

8 It will be health to thy navel, And marrow to thy bones.

9 Honor Jehovah with thy substance, And with the first-fruits of all thine increase:

10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, And thy vats shall overflow with new wine.

11 My son, despise not the chastening of Jehovah; Neither be weary of his reproof:

12 For whom Jehovah loveth he reproveth; 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 gaining of it is better than the gaining of silver, And the profit thereof than fine gold.

15 She is more precious than rubies: And none of the things thou canst desire are to be compared unto her.

16 Length of days is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honor.

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 Jehovah by wisdom founded the earth; By understanding he established the heavens.

20 By his knowledge the depths were broken up, And the skies drop down the dew.

21 My son, let them not 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 securely, 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 Jehovah will be thy confidence, And will keep thy foot from being taken.

27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, When it is in the power of thy hand to do it.

28 Say not unto thy neighbor, Go, and come again, And to-morrow I will give; When thou hast it by thee.

29 Devise not evil against thy neighbor, 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 man of violence, And choose none of his ways.

32 For the perverse is an abomination to Jehovah; But his friendship is with the upright.

33 The curse of Jehovah is in the house of the wicked; But he blesseth the habitation of the righteous.

34 Surely he scoffeth at the scoffers; But he giveth grace unto the lowly.

35 The wise shall inherit glory; But shame shall be the promotion of fools.