Proverbs 3 Darby Translation
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 My son, forget not my teaching, and let thy heart observe my commandments;
1 My son, don’t forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments,
2 for length of days, and years of life, and peace shall they add to thee.
2 for they will add to you length of days, years of life, and peace.
3 Let not loving-kindness and truth forsake thee; bind them about thy neck, write them upon the tablet of thy heart:
3 Don’t let kindness and truth forsake you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 and thou shalt find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
4 So you will find favor, and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
5 Confide in Jehovah with all thy heart, and lean not unto thine own intelligence;
5 Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding.
6 in all thy ways acknowledge him, and he will make plain thy paths.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
7 Be not wise in thine own eyes; fear Jehovah, and depart from evil:
7 Don’t be wise in your own eyes. Fear Yahweh, and depart from evil.
8 it shall be health for thy navel, and moisture for thy bones.
8 It will be health to your body, and nourishment to your bones.
9 Honour Jehovah with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thine increase;
9 Honor Yahweh with your substance, with the first fruits of all your increase;
10 so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy vats shall overflow with new wine.
10 so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
11 My son, despise not the instruction of Jehovah, neither be weary of his chastisement;
11 My son, don’t despise Yahweh’s discipline, neither be weary of his correction;
12 for whom Jehovah loveth he chasteneth, even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
12 for whom Yahweh loves, he corrects, even as a father reproves the son in whom he delights.
13 Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gets understanding.
14 For the gain thereof is better than the gain of silver, and her revenue than fine gold.
14 For her good profit is better than getting silver, and her return is better than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies; and all the things thou canst desire are not equal unto her.
15 She is more precious than rubies. None of the things you can desire are to be compared to her.
16 Length of days is in her right hand; in her left hand riches and honour.
16 Length of days is in her right hand. In her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness. All her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her; and happy is he that retaineth her.
18 She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her. Happy is everyone who retains her.
19 Jehovah by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens.
19 By wisdom Yahweh founded the earth. By understanding, he established the heavens.
20 By his knowledge the deeps were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew.
20 By his knowledge, the depths were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew.
21 My son, let them not depart from thine eyes; keep sound wisdom and discretion:
21 My son, let them not depart from your eyes. Keep sound wisdom and discretion,
22 so shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace unto thy neck.
22 so they will be life to your soul, and grace for your neck.
23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way securely, and thy foot shall not stumble;
23 Then you shall walk in your way securely. Your foot won’t stumble.
24 when thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid, but thou shalt lie down and thy sleep shall be sweet.
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid. Yes, you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet.
25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the destruction of the wicked, when it cometh;
25 Don’t be afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it comes;
26 for Jehovah shall be thy confidence, and he will keep thy foot from being taken.
26 for Yahweh will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being taken.
27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thy hand to do it.
27 Don’t withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your 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.
28 Don’t say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again; tomorrow I will give it to you,” when you have it by you.
29 Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.
29 Don’t devise evil against your neighbor, since he dwells securely by you.
30 Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.
30 Don’t strive with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm.
31 Envy not the man of violence, and choose none of his ways.
31 Don’t envy the man of violence. Choose none of his ways.
32 For the perverse is an abomination to Jehovah; but his secret is with the upright.
32 For the perverse is an abomination to Yahweh, but his friendship is with the upright.
33 The curse of Jehovah is in the house of the wicked; but he blesseth the habitation of the righteous.
33 Yahweh’s curse is in the house of the wicked, but he blesses the habitation of the righteous.
34 He indeed scorneth the scorners; but he giveth grace unto the lowly.
34 Surely he mocks the mockers, but he gives grace to the humble.
35 The wise shall inherit glory; but shame shall be the promotion of the foolish.
35 The wise will inherit glory, but shame will be the promotion of fools.
Cross references (35)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 John 14:21–24; Proverbs 4:5; Deuteronomy 6:6–9; Psalm 119:16; Proverbs 1:8
- 2 Ephesians 6:1–3; Proverbs 4:10; Psalm 91:16; Psalm 128:6; Romans 15:13
- 3 Proverbs 7:3; 2 Corinthians 3:3; Hebrews 10:16; Deuteronomy 11:18–21; Malachi 2:6
- 4 Luke 2:52; 1 Samuel 2:26; Romans 14:18; Psalm 111:10; Genesis 39:2–4
- 5 Psalm 37:5; Jeremiah 17:7–8; Proverbs 28:26; Psalm 37:3; Psalm 62:8
- 6 Proverbs 16:3; Psalm 32:8; Philippians 4:6; Proverbs 16:9; Jeremiah 10:23
- 7 Job 28:28; Romans 12:16; Proverbs 26:12; Proverbs 16:6; Job 1:1
- 8 Proverbs 4:22; Psalm 147:3; Proverbs 16:24; Job 21:24; Ezekiel 16:4–5
- 9 Deuteronomy 26:2–15; 1 Corinthians 16:2; Proverbs 14:31; Exodus 23:19; Philippians 4:17–18
- 10 Proverbs 19:17; Deuteronomy 28:8; Proverbs 11:24–25; Joel 2:24; Proverbs 22:9
- 11 Job 5:17; Revelation 3:19; Hebrews 12:5–12; Psalm 94:12; Isaiah 40:30–31
- 12 Deuteronomy 8:5; Revelation 3:19; Proverbs 29:17; Proverbs 13:24; Psalm 103:13
- 13 Proverbs 8:32–35; Proverbs 4:5–9; Ecclesiastes 9:15–18; Proverbs 2:4; 1 Kings 10:1–9
- 14 Proverbs 8:10–11; Proverbs 16:16; Proverbs 8:19; Job 28:13–19; Revelation 3:18
- 15 Proverbs 8:11; Proverbs 31:10; Job 28:18; Romans 8:18; Psalm 73:25–26
- 16 Proverbs 3:2; 2 Corinthians 6:10; Proverbs 22:4; 1 Kings 3:13; 1 Timothy 4:8
- 17 Luke 1:79; Isaiah 26:3; Philippians 4:8–9; Proverbs 2:10; Psalm 119:165
- 18 Proverbs 11:30; Proverbs 15:4; Revelation 2:7; Genesis 2:9; Proverbs 13:12
- 19 Psalm 104:24; Jeremiah 10:12; John 1:3; Jeremiah 51:15; Psalm 136:5
- 20 Genesis 7:11; Psalm 65:9–12; Job 36:27–28; Genesis 1:9; Genesis 27:28
- 21 Joshua 1:8; Deuteronomy 6:6–9; Deuteronomy 32:46–47; Proverbs 4:21; Hebrews 2:1–3
- 22 Proverbs 4:22; Proverbs 1:9; Isaiah 38:16; John 12:49–50
- 23 Proverbs 4:12; Proverbs 10:9; Psalm 121:3; Psalm 91:11–12; Psalm 37:31
- 24 Psalm 4:8; Psalm 3:5; Proverbs 6:22; Job 11:19; Psalm 121:4–7
- 25 Isaiah 41:10–14; Psalm 112:7; 1 Peter 3:14; Psalm 91:5; Isaiah 8:12–13
- 26 Psalm 91:3; Proverbs 14:26; 1 Samuel 2:9; Psalm 91:9–10; Habakkuk 3:17–18
- 27 Galatians 6:10; James 2:15–16; Romans 13:7; James 5:4; Genesis 31:29
- 28 Leviticus 19:13; Deuteronomy 24:12–15; 2 Corinthians 8:11; Ecclesiastes 9:10; Ecclesiastes 11:6
- 29 Proverbs 6:14; Psalm 55:20; Micah 2:1–2; Proverbs 16:29–30; Psalm 59:3
- 30 2 Timothy 2:24; Proverbs 29:22; Romans 12:18–21; Proverbs 25:8–9; Proverbs 18:6
- 31 Proverbs 24:1; Psalm 37:1; Galatians 5:21; Ecclesiastes 5:8; Proverbs 23:17
- 32 Psalm 25:14; Proverbs 11:20; John 15:15; Proverbs 17:15; Proverbs 8:13
- 33 Psalm 37:22; Leviticus 26:14–46; Psalm 91:10; Job 8:6–7; Malachi 2:2
- 34 James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5; Psalm 138:6; Proverbs 9:12; Isaiah 57:15
- 35 Psalm 132:18; Isaiah 65:13–15; 1 Samuel 2:30; Daniel 12:2–3; Psalm 73:24
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
"For God," saith [the Scripture], "resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble." Let us cleave, then, to those to whom grace has been given by God.
By His knowledge the depths burst forth, and the clouds dropped down the dew." And again: "The Lord created me the beginning of His ways in His work: He set me up from everlasting, in the beginning, before He made the earth, before He established the depths, and before the fountains of waters gushed forth; before the mountains were made …
For Thou hast said unto man, "Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;" and desire not to seem wise, because, "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools." But I had now found the goodly pearl, which, selling all that I had, I ought to have bought; and I hesitated.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
For thus saith the holy Word: "The Lord hath severely chastened me, yet hath not given me over to death." "For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth." "The righteous," saith it, "shall chasten me in mercy, and reprove me; but let not the oil of sinners make fat my head." And again he …
So that the tree of life would seem to have been in the terrestrial Paradise what the wisdom of God is in the spiritual, of which it is written, "She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her."
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)