Proverbs 3-4

New King James Version

Guidance for the Young

3 My son, do not forget my law,
^(A)But let your heart keep my commands;
²For length of days and long life
And ^(B)peace they will add to you.

³Let not mercy and truth forsake you;
^(C)Bind them around your neck,
^(D)Write them on the tablet of your heart,
⁴^(E)And so find favor and ^[a]high esteem
In the sight of God and man.

⁵^(F)Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
^(G)And lean not on your own understanding;
⁶^(H)In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall ^[b]direct your paths.

⁷Do not be wise in your own ^(I)eyes;
Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
⁸It will be health to your ^[c]flesh,
And ^(J)strength^[d] to your bones.

⁹^(K)Honor the Lord with your possessions,
And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
¹⁰^(L)So your barns will be filled with plenty,
And your vats will overflow with new wine.

¹¹^(M)My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor detest His correction;
¹²For whom the Lord loves He corrects,
^(N)Just as a father the son in whom he delights.

¹³^(O)Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding;
¹⁴^(P)For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver,
And her gain than fine gold.
¹⁵She is more precious than rubies,
And ^(Q)all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.
¹⁶^(R)Length of days is in her right hand,
In her left hand riches and honor.
¹⁷^(S)Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace.
¹⁸She is ^(T)a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who ^[e]retain her.

¹⁹^(U)The Lord by wisdom founded the earth;
By understanding He established the heavens;
²⁰By His knowledge the depths were ^(V)broken up,
And clouds drop down the dew.

²¹My son, let them not depart from your eyes—
Keep sound wisdom and discretion;
²²So they will be life to your soul
And grace to your neck.
²³^(W)Then you will walk safely in your way,
And your foot will not stumble.
²⁴When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.
²⁵^(X)Do not be afraid of sudden terror,
Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;
²⁶For the Lord will be your confidence,
And will keep your foot from being caught.

²⁷^(Y)Do not withhold good from ^[f]those to whom it is due,
When it is in the power of your hand to do so.
²⁸^(Z)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 evil against your neighbor,
For he dwells by you for safety’s sake.
³⁰^(AA)Do not strive with a man without cause,
If he has done you no harm.

³¹^(AB)Do not envy the oppressor,
And choose none of his ways;
³²For the perverse person is an abomination to the Lord,
^(AC)But His secret counsel is with the upright.
³³^(AD)The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked,
But ^(AE)He blesses the home of the just.
³⁴^(AF)Surely He scorns the scornful,
But gives grace to the humble.
³⁵The wise shall inherit glory,
But shame shall be the legacy of fools.

Security in Wisdom

4 Hear, ^(AG)my children, the instruction of a father,
And give attention to know understanding;
²For I give you good doctrine:
Do not forsake my law.
³When I was my father’s son,
^(AH)Tender and the only one in the sight of my mother,
⁴^(AI)He also taught me, and said to me:
“Let your heart retain my words;
^(AJ)Keep my commands, and live.
⁵^(AK)Get wisdom! Get understanding!
Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
⁶Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you;
^(AL)Love her, and she will keep you.
⁷^(AM)Wisdom is the principal thing;
Therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting, get understanding.
⁸^(AN)Exalt her, and she will promote you;
She will bring you honor, when you embrace her.
⁹She will place on your head ^(AO)an ornament of grace;
A crown of glory she will deliver to you.”

¹⁰Hear, my son, and receive my sayings,
^(AP)And the years of your life will be many.
¹¹I have ^(AQ)taught you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in right paths.
¹²When you walk, ^(AR)your steps will not be hindered,
^(AS)And when you run, you will not stumble.
¹³Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go;
Keep her, for she is your life.

¹⁴^(AT)Do not enter the path of the wicked,
And do not walk in the way of evil.
¹⁵Avoid it, do not travel on it;
Turn away from it and pass on.
¹⁶^(AU)For they do not sleep unless they have done evil;
And their sleep is ^[g]taken away unless they make someone fall.
¹⁷For they eat the bread of wickedness,
And drink the wine of violence.

¹⁸^(AV)But the path of the just ^(AW)is like the shining ^[h]sun,
That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.
¹⁹^(AX)The way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know what makes them stumble.

²⁰My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
²¹Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart;
²²For they are life to those who find them,
And health to all their flesh.
²³Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of ^(AY)life.
²⁴Put away from you a ^[i]deceitful mouth,
And put perverse lips far from you.
²⁵Let your eyes look straight ahead,
And your eyelids look right before you.
²⁶Ponder the path of your ^(AZ)feet,
And let all your ways be established.
²⁷Do not turn to the right or the left;
Remove your foot from evil.