Proverbs

3 My son, mine instruction do not thou forget, And my commandment let thy heart observe;

2 For length of days and years of life, And blessedness shall they add to thee.

3 Lovingkindness and faithfulness let them not forsake thee,—Bind them upon thy neck, Write them upon the tablet of thy heart:

4 So find thou favour and good repute, In the eyes of God and man.

5 Trust thou in Yahweh with all thy heart, And unto thine own understanding do not lean:

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

7 Do not become wise in thine own eyes, Revere Yahweh and avoid evil:

8 Healing shall it be to thy body, And refreshing to thy bones.

9 Honour thou Yahweh with thy substance, And with the firstfruit of all thine increase;

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

11 The chastening of Yahweh my son do not reject, Nor loathe his rebuke;

12 For whom Yahweh loveth he correcteth, He causeth pain to the son in whom he delighteth.

13 How happy the man who hath found wisdom, And the man who draweth forth understanding,

14 For better is her merchandise than the merchandise of silver, Yea than gold her increase;

15 More precious is she than corals, Yea none of thy delightful things doth equal her:

16 Length of days is in her right hand, In her left are riches and honour;

17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace;

18 A tree of life is she to them who secure her,—And they who hold her fast are every one to be pronounced happy.

19 Yahweh in wisdom founded the earth, Establishing the heavens with understanding;

20 By his knowledge the resounding deeps were burst open, And the skies drop down dew.

21 My son, let them not depart from thine eyes, Guard thou counsel and purpose:

22 So shall they become life to thy soul, And an adorning to thy neck;

23 Then shalt thou walk securely in thy way, And thy foot shall not stumble;

24 When thou sittest down thou shalt have no dread, Yea thou shalt lie down and sweet shall be thy sleep.

25 Be not thou afraid of sudden dread, Nor of the desolation of the lawless, when it cometh.

26 For Yahweh will be in all thy ways, And will keep thy foot from the snare.

27 Withhold not good from them who ask it, When it is in power of thy hand to do it:

28 Do not say to thy neighbour, Go and come again And to-morrow I will give, When thou hast it by thee.

29 Devise not against thy neighbour an injury, Seeing that he dwelleth securely by thee.

30 Contend not with a man without cause, If he hath dealt thee no wrong.

31 Do not thou envy the man of violence, Neither choose thou any of his ways;

32 For an abomination to Yahweh is the tortuous man, But with the upright he is intimate.

33 The curse of Yahweh is in the house of the lawless one, But the home of the righteous he blesseth.

34 Though at scoffers he scoffeth Yet to the humbled he granteth favour.

35 Honour shall the wise inherit,—But as for dullards shame shall carry them away.