Proverbs · Literal Standard Version
Proverbs 3 Literal Standard Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 My son! Do not forget my law, || And let your heart keep my commands,
1 My son, don’t forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments,
2 For [the] length of [your] days and years, || Life and peace they add to you.
2 for they will add to you length of days, years of life, and peace.
3 Do not let kindness and truth forsake you, || Bind them on your neck, || Write them on the tablet of your 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 find grace and good understanding || In the eyes of God and man.
4 So you will find favor, and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
5 Trust to YHWH with all your heart, || And do not lean to your own understanding.
5 Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways know Him, || And He makes your paths straight.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes, || Fear YHWH, and turn aside from evil.
7 Don’t be wise in your own eyes. Fear Yahweh, and depart from evil.
8 It is healing to your navel, || And moistening to your bones.
8 It will be health to your body, and nourishment to your bones.
9 Honor YHWH from your substance, || And from the beginning of all your increase;
9 Honor Yahweh with your substance, with the first fruits of all your increase;
10 And your barns are filled [with] plenty, || And your presses break forth [with] new wine.
10 so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
11 Discipline of YHWH, my son, do not despise, || And do not be distressed with His reproof,
11 My son, don’t despise Yahweh’s discipline, neither be weary of his correction;
12 For whom YHWH loves He reproves, || Even as a father the son He is pleased with.
12 for whom Yahweh loves, he corrects, even as a father reproves the son in whom he delights.
13 O the blessedness of a man [who] has found wisdom, || And of a man [who] brings forth understanding.
13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gets understanding.
14 For better [is] her merchandise || Than the merchandise of silver, || And than gold—her increase.
14 For her good profit is better than getting silver, and her return is better than fine gold.
15 She [is] precious above rubies, || And all your pleasures are not comparable to 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 [are] wealth and honor.
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 those laying hold on her, || And whoever is retaining her [is] blessed.
18 She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her. Happy is everyone who retains her.
19 YHWH founded the earth by wisdom, || He prepared the heavens by understanding.
19 By wisdom Yahweh founded the earth. By understanding, he established the heavens.
20 By His knowledge depths have been broken, || And clouds drop dew.
20 By his knowledge, the depths were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew.
21 My son! Do not let them turn from your eyes, || Keep wisdom and thoughtfulness,
21 My son, let them not depart from your eyes. Keep sound wisdom and discretion,
22 And they are life to your soul, and grace to your neck.
22 so they will be life to your soul, and grace for your neck.
23 Then you go your way confidently, || And your foot does not stumble.
23 Then you shall walk in your way securely. Your foot won’t stumble.
24 If you lie down, you are not afraid, || Indeed, you have lain down, || And your sleep has been sweet.
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid. Yes, you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet.
25 Do not be afraid of sudden fear, || And of the desolation of the wicked when it comes.
25 Don’t be afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it comes;
26 For YHWH is at your side, || And He has kept your foot from capture.
26 for Yahweh will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being taken.
27 Do not withhold good from its owners, || When your hand [is] toward God 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 Do not say to your friend, || “Go, and return, and tomorrow I give,” || When substance [is] with you.
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 Do not devise evil against your neighbor, || And he sitting confidently with you.
29 Don’t devise evil against your neighbor, since he dwells securely by you.
30 Do not strive with a man without cause, || If he has not done you evil.
30 Don’t strive with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm.
31 Do not be envious of a man of violence, || Nor fix on any of his ways.
31 Don’t envy the man of violence. Choose none of his ways.
32 For the perverted [is] an abomination to YHWH, || And His secret counsel [is] with the upright.
32 For the perverse is an abomination to Yahweh, but his friendship is with the upright.
33 The curse of YHWH [is] in the house of the wicked. And He blesses 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 If He scorns the scorners, || Yet He gives grace to the humble.
34 Surely he mocks the mockers, but he gives grace to the humble.
35 The wise inherit glory, || And fools are bearing away shame!
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)