3 Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart

3:1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, ²for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.

³Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. ⁴So you will find favor and good success[1] in the sight of God and man.

⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. ⁶In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. ⁷Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. ⁸It will be healing to your flesh[2] and refreshment[3] to your bones.

⁹Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; ¹⁰then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.

¹¹My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, ¹²for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.

Blessed Is the One Who Finds Wisdom

¹³Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, ¹⁴for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. ¹⁵She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. ¹⁶Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. ¹⁷Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. ¹⁸She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed.

¹⁹The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens; ²⁰by his knowledge the deeps broke open, and the clouds drop down the dew.

²¹My son, do not lose sight of these— keep sound wisdom and discretion, ²²and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck. ²³Then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble. ²⁴If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. ²⁵Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin 4] of the wicked, when it comes, ²⁶for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught. ²⁷Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,[5] when it is in your power to do it.

²⁸Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you. ²⁹Do not plan evil against your neighbor, who dwells trustingly beside you. ³⁰Do not contend with a man for no reason, when he has done you no harm. ³¹Do not envy a man of violence and do not choose any of his ways, ³²for the devious person is an abomination to the Lord, but the upright are in his confidence. ³³The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous. ³⁴Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor.^[6]³⁵The wise will inherit honor, but fools get[7] disgrace.

[1] Or repute [2] Hebrew navel [3] Or medicine [4] Hebrew storm [5] Hebrew Do not withhold good from its owners [6] Or grace [7] The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain

4A Father’s Wise Instruction

4:1 Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain[8] insight, ²for I give you good precepts; do not forsake my teaching. ³When I was a son with my father, tender, the only one in the sight of my mother, ⁴he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live. ⁵Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. ⁶Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you. ⁷The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. ⁸Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. ⁹She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”

¹⁰Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many. ¹¹I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness. ¹²When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble. ¹³Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life. ¹⁴Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil. ¹⁵Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on. ¹⁶For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong; they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble. ¹⁷For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. ¹⁸But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. ¹⁹The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.

²⁰My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. ²¹Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. ²²For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their[9] flesh. ²³Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. ²⁴Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. ²⁵Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. ²⁶Ponder[10] the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. ²⁷Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.

[8] Hebrew know [9] Hebrew his [10] Or Make level