Proverbs · Geneva Bible (1599)
Proverbs 3 Geneva Bible (1599)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Original 16th-century spelling.
1 My sonne, forget not thou my Lawe, but let thine heart keepe my commandements.
1 My son, don’t forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments,
2 For they shall increase the length of thy dayes and the yeeres of life, and thy prosperitie.
2 for they will add to you length of days, years of life, and peace.
3 Let not mercie and trueth forsake thee: binde them on thy necke, and write them vpon the table of thine heart.
3 Don’t let kindness and truth forsake you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 So shalt thou finde fauour and good vnderstanding in the sight of God and man.
4 So you will find favor, and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and leane not vnto thine owne wisdome.
5 Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding.
6 In all thy wayes acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy wayes.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
7 Be not wise in thine owne eyes: but feare the Lord, and depart from euill.
7 Don’t be wise in your own eyes. Fear Yahweh, and depart from evil.
8 So health shalbe vnto thy nauel, and marowe vnto thy bones.
8 It will be health to your body, and nourishment to your bones.
9 Honour the Lord with thy riches, and with the first fruites of all thine increase.
9 Honor Yahweh with your substance, with the first fruits of all your increase;
10 So shall thy barnes be filled with abundance, and thy presses shall burst with newe wine.
10 so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
11 My sonne, refuse not the chastening of the Lord, neither be grieued with his correction.
11 My son, don’t despise Yahweh’s discipline, neither be weary of his correction;
12 For the Lord correcteth him, whome he loueth, euen as the father doeth the childe in whom he deliteth.
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 wisedome, and the man that getteth vnderstanding.
13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gets understanding.
14 For the marchandise thereof is better then the marchandise of siluer, and the gaine thereof is better then golde.
14 For her good profit is better than getting silver, and her return is better than fine gold.
15 It is more precious then pearles: and all things that thou canst desire, are not to be compared vnto her.
15 She is more precious than rubies. None of the things you can desire are to be compared to her.
16 Length of dayes is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and glory.
16 Length of days is in her right hand. In her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her wayes are wayes of pleasure, and all her pathes prosperitie.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness. All her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to them that lay holde on her, and blessed 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 The Lord by wisdome hath layde the foundation of the earth, and hath stablished the heauens through vnderstanding.
19 By wisdom Yahweh founded the earth. By understanding, he established the heavens.
20 By his knowledge the depthes are broken vp, and the cloudes droppe downe the dewe.
20 By his knowledge, the depths were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew.
21 My sonne, let not these things depart from thine eyes, but obserue wisdome, and counsell.
21 My son, let them not depart from your eyes. Keep sound wisdom and discretion,
22 So they shalbe life to thy soule, and grace vnto thy necke.
22 so they will be life to your soul, and grace for your neck.
23 Then shalt thou walke safely by thy way: and thy foote shall not stumble.
23 Then you shall walk in your way securely. Your foot won’t stumble.
24 If thou sleepest, thou shalt not bee afraide, and when thou sleepest, thy sleepe shalbe sweete.
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid. Yes, you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet.
25 Thou shalt not feare for any sudden feare, neither for the destruction of the wicked, when it commeth.
25 Don’t be afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it comes;
26 For the Lord shall be for thine assurance, and shall preserue thy foote from taking.
26 for Yahweh will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being taken.
27 Withhold not the good from the owners thereof, though there be power in thine hand to doe 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 vnto thy neighbour, Go and come againe, and to morow wil I giue thee, if thou now haue 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 Intend none hurt against thy neighbour, seeing he doeth dwell without feare by thee.
29 Don’t devise evil against your neighbor, since he dwells securely by you.
30 Striue not with a man causelesse, when he hath done thee no harme.
30 Don’t strive with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm.
31 Bee not enuious for the wicked man, neither chuse any of his wayes.
31 Don’t envy the man of violence. Choose none of his ways.
32 For the frowarde is abomination vnto the Lord: but his secret is with the righteous.
32 For the perverse is an abomination to Yahweh, but his friendship is with the upright.
33 The curse of the Lord 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 With the scornefull he scorneth, but hee giueth grace vnto the humble.
34 Surely he mocks the mockers, but he gives grace to the humble.
35 The wise shall inherite glorie: but fooles dishonour, though they be exalted.
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)