Proverbs 3

¹ MMy son, forget not my law, and let thy heart keep my commandments.

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

³ Let not mercy and truth leave thee, put them about thy neck, and write them in the tables of thy heart.

⁴ And thou shalt find grace, and good understanding before God and men.

⁵ Have confidence in the Lord with all thy heart, and lean not upon thy own prudence.

⁶ In all thy ways think on him, and he will direct thy steps.

⁷ Be not wise in thy own conceit: fear God, and depart from evil:

⁸ For it shall be health to thy navel, and moistening to thy bones.

⁹ Honour the Lord with thy substance, and give him of the first of all thy fruits;

¹⁰ And thy barns shall be filled with abundance, and thy presses shall run over with wine.

¹¹ My son, reject not the correction of the Lord: and do not faint when thou art chastised by him:

¹² For whom the Lord loveth, he chastiseth: and as a father in the son he pleaseth himself.

¹³ Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom, and is rich in prudence:

¹⁴ The purchasing thereof is better than the merchandise of silver, and her fruit than the chief and purest gold:

¹⁵ She is more precious than all riches: and all the things that are desired, are not to be compared to her.

¹⁶ Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and glory.

¹⁷ Her ways are beautiful ways, and all her paths are peaceable.

¹⁸ She is a tree of life to them that lay hold on her: and he that shall retain her is blessed.

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.