Proverbs 3 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 My son, don't forget my instructions. Always keep my commands in mind.
1 My son, don’t forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments,
2 Then you will live a long time, and have a full life.
2 for they will add to you length of days, years of life, and peace.
3 Hold on to kindness and truth. Tie them around your neck; write them in your mind.
3 Don’t let kindness and truth forsake you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 That way you'll gain a good reputation and be appreciated by both God and people.
4 So you will find favor, and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
5 Put your trust totally in the Lord—don't rely on what you think you know!
5 Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding.
6 Remember him in everything you do, and he'll show you the right way.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
7 Don't think you're wise—respect God and avoid evil.
7 Don’t be wise in your own eyes. Fear Yahweh, and depart from evil.
8 Then you will be healed and made strong.
8 It will be health to your body, and nourishment to your bones.
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all the crops you grow.
9 Honor Yahweh with your substance, with the first fruits of all your increase;
10 Then your barns will be filled with produce, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
10 so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
11 My son, don't reject the Lord's discipline or resent it when he corrects you,
11 My son, don’t despise Yahweh’s discipline, neither be weary of his correction;
12 for the Lord corrects those he loves, as a father corrects a son who pleases him.
12 for whom Yahweh loves, he corrects, even as a father reproves the son in whom he delights.
13 Happy are those who find wisdom and gain understanding,
13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gets understanding.
14 for wisdom is worth more than silver, and pays better than gold.
14 For her good profit is better than getting silver, and her return is better than fine gold.
15 She is more valuable than rubies—everything you could ever want just doesn't compare!
15 She is more precious than rubies. None of the things you can desire are to be compared to her.
16 She offers long life in one hand, and riches and honor in the other.
16 Length of days is in her right hand. In her left hand are riches and honor.
17 She brings true happiness, and leads to peaceful prosperity.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness. All her paths are peace.
18 Wisdom is a tree of life to everyone who embraces her, blessing those who accept her.
18 She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her. Happy is everyone who retains her.
19 It was through wisdom that the Lord created the earth, and through understanding he set the heavens in place.
19 By wisdom Yahweh founded the earth. By understanding, he established the heavens.
20 It was through his knowledge the waters of the deep were broken open, and the clouds sent down the dew.
20 By his knowledge, the depths were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew.
21 My son, hold on to good judgment and wise decisions—don't let them out of your sight,
21 My son, let them not depart from your eyes. Keep sound wisdom and discretion,
22 for they will be life to you, and an ornament for your neck.
22 so they will be life to your soul, and grace for your neck.
23 You will be able to walk confidently on your way, and you won't trip up.
23 Then you shall walk in your way securely. Your foot won’t stumble.
24 When you rest, you won't be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid. Yes, you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet.
25 You won't be afraid of a sudden panic, or of disasters that hit the wicked,
25 Don’t be afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it comes;
26 for the Lord will be the one you can trust in, and he will prevent you being caught in a trap.
26 for Yahweh will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being taken.
27 Don't hold back good from those who deserve it when it's something you have the power to do.
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 Don't tell your neighbor, “Go away. Come back tomorrow and then I'll give it to you,” when you've already got it.
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 Don't plan to harm your neighbor who lives nearby and trusts you.
29 Don’t devise evil against your neighbor, since he dwells securely by you.
30 Don't quarrel with anybody for no reason, when they haven't done anything to hurt you.
30 Don’t strive with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm.
31 Don't be jealous of violent people—don't choose to follow their example!
31 Don’t envy the man of violence. Choose none of his ways.
32 For the Lord hates deceitful people, but he is a friend to those who do what is good.
32 For the perverse is an abomination to Yahweh, but his friendship is with the upright.
33 The houses of the wicked are cursed by the Lord, but he blesses the homes of those who live right.
33 Yahweh’s curse is in the house of the wicked, but he blesses the habitation of the righteous.
34 He mocks those who mock, but he is kind to the humble.
34 Surely he mocks the mockers, but he gives grace to the humble.
35 The wise will receive honor, but fools are held up in disgrace.
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)