Proverbs 3

1. ¹My son! my law forget not, And my commands let thy heart keep,
2. ²For length of days and years, Life and peace they do add to thee.
3. ³Let not kindness and truth forsake thee, Bind them on thy neck, Write them on the tablet of thy heart,
4. ⁴And find grace and good understanding In the eyes of God and man.
5. ⁵Trust unto Jehovah with all thy heart, And unto thine own understanding lean not.
6. ⁶In all thy ways know thou Him, And He doth make straight thy paths.
7. ⁷Be not wise in thine own eyes, Fear Jehovah, and turn aside from evil.
8. ⁸Healing it is to thy navel, And moistening to thy bones.
9. ⁹Honour Jehovah from thy substance, And from the beginning of all thine increase;
10. ¹⁰And filled are thy barns `with' plenty, And `with' new wine thy presses break forth.
11. ¹¹Chastisement of Jehovah, my son, despise not, And be not vexed with His reproof,
12. ¹²For whom Jehovah loveth He reproveth, Even as a father the son He is pleased with.
13. ¹³O the happiness of a man `who' hath found wisdom, And of a man `who' bringeth forth understanding.
14. ¹⁴For better `is' her merchandise Than the merchandise of silver, And than gold -- her increase.
15. ¹⁵Precious she `is' above rubies, And all thy pleasures are not comparable to her.
16. ¹⁶Length of days `is' in her right hand, In her left `are' wealth and honour.
17. ¹⁷Her ways `are' ways of pleasantness, And all her paths `are' peace.
18. ¹⁸A tree of life she `is' to those laying hold on her, And whoso is retaining her `is' happy.
19. ¹⁹Jehovah by wisdom did found the earth, He prepared the heavens by understanding.
20. ²⁰By His knowledge depths have been rent, And clouds do drop dew.
21. ²¹My son! let them not turn from thine eyes, Keep thou wisdom and thoughtfulness,
22. ²²And they are life to thy soul, and grace to thy neck.
23. ²³Then thou goest thy way confidently, And thy foot doth not stumble.
24. ²⁴If thou liest down, thou art not afraid, Yea, thou hast lain down, And sweet hath been thy sleep.
25. ²⁵Be not afraid of sudden fear, And of the desolation of the wicked when it cometh.
26. ²⁶For Jehovah is at thy side, And He hath kept thy foot from capture.
27. ²⁷Withhold not good from its owners, When thy hand `is' toward God to do `it'.
28. ²⁸Say not thou to thy friend, `Go, and return, and to-morrow I give,' And substance with thee.
29. ²⁹Devise not against thy neighbour evil, And he sitting confidently with thee.
30. ³⁰Strive not with a man without cause, If he have not done thee evil.
31. ³¹Be not envious of a man of violence, Nor fix thou on any of his ways.
32. ³²For an abomination to Jehovah `is' the perverted, And with the upright `is' His secret counsel.
33. ³³The curse of Jehovah `is' in the house of the wicked. And the habitation of the righteous He blesseth.
34. ³⁴If the scorners He doth scorn, Yet to the humble He doth give grace.
35. ³⁵Honour do the wise inherit, And fools are bearing away shame!

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