Proverbs, 3

¹ My son, my law do not forget, and my commandments may your heart observe,

² because length of days and years of life and peace will be added^*1 to you.

³ May loving-kindness^*1 and trueness^*2 themselves not leave you. Tie them about your throat. Write them upon the tablet of your heart,

⁴ and so find favor and good insight in the eyes of God^*1 and of earthling man.^*2

⁵ Trust in Jehovah with all your heart and do not lean upon your own understanding.

⁶ In all your ways take notice of him, and he himself will make your paths straight.

⁷ Do not become wise in your own eyes. Fear Jehovah and turn away from bad.

⁸ May it become a healing to your navel and a refreshment^*1 to your bones.

⁹ Honor Jehovah with your valuable things and with the firstfruits of all your produce.

¹⁰ Then your stores of supply will be filled with plenty; and with new wine your own press vats will overflow.^*1

¹¹ The discipline of Jehovah, O my son, do not reject; and do not abhor his reproof,

¹² because the one whom Jehovah loves he reproves, even as a father does a son in whom he finds pleasure.

¹³ Happy is the man that has found wisdom, and the man that gets discernment,

¹⁴ for having it as gain is better than having silver as gain and having it as produce than gold^*1 itself.

¹⁵ It^*1 is more precious than corals, and all other delights of yours cannot be made equal to it.

¹⁶ Length of days is in its right hand; in its left hand there are riches and glory.^*1

¹⁷ Its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its roadways are peace.

¹⁸ It is a tree of life to those taking hold of it, and those keeping fast hold of it are to be called happy.

¹⁹ Jehovah himself in wisdom founded the earth. He solidly fixed the heavens in discernment.

²⁰ By his knowledge the watery deeps^*1 themselves were split apart, and the cloudy skies keep dripping down light rain.

²¹ My son, may they not get away from your eyes. Safeguard practical wisdom and thinking ability,

²² and they will prove to be life to your soul and charm to your throat.

²³ In that case you will walk in security on your way, and even your foot will not strike against anything.

²⁴ Whenever you lie down you will feel no dread; and you will certainly lie down, and your sleep must be pleasurable.

²⁵ You will not need to be afraid of any sudden dreadful thing, nor of the storm upon the wicked ones, because it is coming.

²⁶ For Jehovah himself will prove to be, in effect, your confidence,^*1 and he will certainly keep your foot against capture.

²⁷ Do not hold back good from those to whom it is owing,^*1 when it happens to be in the power of your hand to do [it].

²⁸ Do not say to your fellowman: “Go, and come back and tomorrow I shall give,” when there is something with you.

²⁹ Do not fabricate against your fellowman anything bad, when he is dwelling in a sense of security with you.

³⁰ Do not quarrel with a man^*1 without cause, if he has rendered no bad to you.

³¹ Do not become envious of the man^*1 of violence, nor choose any of his ways.

³² For the devious person is a detestable thing to Jehovah, but His intimacy is with the upright ones.

³³ The curse of Jehovah is on the house of the wicked one, but the abiding place of the righteous ones he blesses.

³⁴ If it has to do with ridiculers, he himself will deride; but to the meek ones he will show favor.

³⁵ Honor^*1 is what the wise ones will come to possess, but the stupid ones are exalting dishonor.