Proverbs 3

¹My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: ²For length of days, and years of life, and peace, shall they add to thee. ³Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: ⁴So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. ⁵Trust in the LORD with all thine heart, and lean not upon thine own understanding: ⁶In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. ⁷Be not wise in thine own eyes; fear the LORD, and depart from evil: ⁸It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. ⁹Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: ¹⁰So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy vats shall overflow with new wine. ¹¹My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his reproof: ¹²For whom the LORD loveth he reproveth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. ¹³Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. ¹⁴For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. ¹⁵She is more precious than rubies: and none of the things thou canst desire are to be compared unto her. ¹⁶Length of days is in her right had; in her left hand are riches and honour. ¹⁷Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. ¹⁸She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her. ¹⁹The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens. ²⁰By his knowledge the depths were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew. ²¹My son, let not them depart from thine eyes; keep sound wisdom and discretion; ²²So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck. ²³Then shalt thou walk in thy way securely, and thy foot shall not stumble. ²⁴When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. ²⁵Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh: ²⁶For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken. ²⁷Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. ²⁸Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee. ²⁹Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee. ³⁰Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm. ³¹Envy thou not the man of violence, and choose none of his ways. ³²For the perverse is an abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the upright. ³³The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked; but he blesseth the habitation of the righteous. ³⁴Surely he scorneth the scorners, but he giveth grace unto the lowly. ³⁵The wise shall inherit glory; but shame shall be the promotion of fools.