Proverbs 3
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My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.
8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
9 Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
11 My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction:
12 For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.
19 The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.
20 By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.
21 My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:
22 So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.
23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.
24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.
26 For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.
27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.
28 Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.
29 Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.
30 Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.
31 Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.
32 For the froward is abomination to the Lord: but his secret is with the righteous.
33 The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.
34 Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.
35 The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.
Public Domain KJV text from Wordproject.org
Proverbs 3:1-35
Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart
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.
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
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
and refreshment 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 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,
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.
35The wise will inherit honor,
but fools get disgrace.
ESV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Prov. 3:1-35
Wisdom Bestows Well-Being
1My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart,
2for they will prolong your life many years
and bring you peace and prosperity.
3Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man.
5Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
7Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil.
8This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.
9Honor the Lord with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops;
10then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine.
11My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline,
and do not resent his rebuke,
12because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
as a father the son he delights in.
13Blessed are those who find wisdom,
those who gain understanding,
14for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold.
15She is more precious than rubies;
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 pleasant ways,
and all her paths are peace.
18She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her;
those who hold her fast will be blessed.
19By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations,
by understanding he set the heavens in place;
20by his knowledge the watery depths were divided,
and the clouds let drop the dew.
21My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight,
preserve sound judgment and discretion;
22they will be life for you,
an ornament to grace your neck.
23Then you will go on your way in safety,
and your foot will not stumble.
24When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
25Have no fear of sudden disaster
or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
26for the Lord will be at your side
and will keep your foot from being snared.
27Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
when it is in your power to act.
28Do not say to your neighbor,
“Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”—
when you already have it with you.
29Do not plot harm against your neighbor,
who lives trustfully near you.
30Do not accuse anyone for no reason—
when they have done you no harm.
31Do not envy the violent
or choose any of their ways.
32For the Lord detests the perverse
but takes the upright into his confidence.
33The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the home of the righteous.
34He mocks proud mockers
but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.
35The wise inherit honor,
but fools get only shame.
NIV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Commentary
I was eighteen and dithering between staying home or leaving for college. Dad pulled off the road and had me get out of the car. He asked, "What do you see?" ‘Grass, dirt . . . nothing', I replied. "Exactly. Do you want to stare at nothing for the rest of your life?" I understood his silent command. He wanted me to embrace what he knew I could become. I left for England. When I wed, he told me, "Remember where you came from (my family) and whom you belong to (God)." Later, as my little family prepared to live abroad, Mom told me, "Keep God close, always." How does a parent let go?
"Keep my commands, bind them around your neck, and write them on your heart." Solomon advised his son to never forget God and His word. Deuteronomy 6:6-9 parallels Solomon: God’s commands are to be bound upon our hands and foreheads, written on our doorposts, and impressed upon our children. God's law is to become a fabric of our being, so interwoven into our character that it becomes our very nature. With my own children, I now understand the heartache of letting go. Yet I have the confidence of letting God, for He is their foundation.
Jennifer Galiza Hernandez
Women's Ministries Director, Florida Conference of Seventh-day Adventists USA (as of this writing)
