NAS - Proverbs Chapter 3 to 4

3 The Rewards of Wisdom

¹My 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. ³Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart. ⁴So you will find favor and good repute 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 your paths straight. ⁷Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil. ⁸It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones. ⁹Honor the LORD from your wealth And from the first of all your produce; ¹⁰So your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will overflow with new wine. ¹¹ My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD Or loathe His reproof, ¹² For whom the LORD loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.

¹³How blessed is the man who finds wisdom And the man who gains understanding. ¹⁴ For her profit is better than the profit of silver And her gain better than fine gold. ¹⁵ She is more precious than jewels; And nothing you desire compares with her. ¹⁶ Long life is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honor. ¹⁷ Her ways are pleasant ways And all her paths are peace. ¹⁸She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who hold her fast. ¹⁹ The LORD by wisdom founded the earth, By understanding He established the heavens. ²⁰ By His knowledge the deeps were broken up And the skies drip with dew. ²¹ My son, let them not vanish from your sight; Keep sound wisdom and discretion, ²² So they will be life to your soul And adornment to your neck. ²³Then you will walk in your way securely And your foot will not stumble. ²⁴ When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. ²⁵ Do not be afraid of sudden fear Nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes; ²⁶ For 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, When it is in your power to do it. ²⁸ Do not say to your neighbor, "Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it," When you have it with you. ²⁹Do not devise harm against your neighbor, While he lives securely beside you. ³⁰ Do not contend with a man without cause, If he has done you no harm. ³¹ Do not envy a man of violence And do not choose any of his ways. ³²For the devious are an abomination to the LORD; But He is intimate with the upright. ³³ The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the dwelling of the righteous. ³⁴ Though He scoffs at the scoffers, Yet He gives grace to the afflicted. ³⁵ The wise will inherit honor, But fools display dishonor.

4 A Father's Instruction

¹Hear, O sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention that you may gain understanding, ² For I give you sound teaching; Do not abandon my instruction. ³When I was a son to my father, Tender and the only son in the sight of my mother, ⁴ Then he taught me and said to me, "Let your heart hold fast my words; Keep my commandments and live; ⁵Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth. ⁶ "Do not forsake her, and she will guard you; Love her, and she will watch over you. ⁷ "The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get understanding. ⁸ "Prize her, and she will exalt you; She will honor you if you embrace her. ⁹ "She will place on your head a garland of grace; She will present you with a crown of beauty."

¹⁰Hear, my son, and accept my sayings And the years of your life will be many. ¹¹I have directed you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in upright paths. ¹² When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; And if you run, you will not stumble. ¹³ Take hold of instruction; do not let go. Guard her, for she is your life. ¹⁴ Do not enter the path of the wicked And do not proceed in the way of evil men. ¹⁵ Avoid it, do not pass by it; Turn away from it and pass on. ¹⁶For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; And they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble. ¹⁷ For they eat the bread of wickedness And drink the wine of violence. ¹⁸ But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until the full day. ¹⁹ The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know over what they stumble.

²⁰My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. ²¹Do not let them depart from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart. ²² For they are life to those who find them And health to all their body. ²³ Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life. ²⁴ Put away from you a deceitful mouth And put devious speech far from you. ²⁵ Let your eyes look directly ahead And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. ²⁶ Watch the path of your feet And all your ways will be established. ²⁷Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil.