Proverbs · Young's Literal Translation
Proverbs 3 Young's Literal Translation
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 My son! my law forget not, And my commands let thy heart keep,
1 My son, don’t forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments,
2 For length of days and years, Life and peace they do add to thee.
2 for they will add to you length of days, years of life, and peace.
3 Let not kindness and truth forsake thee, Bind them on thy neck, Write them on 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 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 unto Jehovah with all thy heart, And unto thine own understanding lean not.
5 Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding.
6 In all thy ways know thou Him, And He doth make straight 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 turn aside from evil.
7 Don’t be wise in your own eyes. Fear Yahweh, and depart from evil.
8 Healing it is to thy navel, And moistening to thy bones.
8 It will be health to your body, and nourishment to your bones.
9 Honour Jehovah from thy substance, And from the beginning of all thine increase;
9 Honor Yahweh with your substance, with the first fruits of all your increase;
10 And filled are thy barns [with] plenty, And [with] new wine thy presses break forth.
10 so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
11 Chastisement of Jehovah, my son, despise not, And be not vexed with His reproof,
11 My son, don’t despise Yahweh’s discipline, neither be weary of his correction;
12 For whom Jehovah loveth He reproveth, 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 happiness of a man [who] hath found wisdom, And of a man [who] bringeth 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 Precious she [is] above rubies, And all thy 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 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 A tree of life she [is] to those laying hold on her, And whoso is retaining her [is] happy.
18 She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her. Happy is everyone who retains her.
19 Jehovah by wisdom did found the earth, 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 rent, And clouds do drop dew.
20 By his knowledge, the depths were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew.
21 My son! let them not turn from thine eyes, Keep thou wisdom and thoughtfulness,
21 My son, let them not depart from your eyes. Keep sound wisdom and discretion,
22 And they are life to thy soul, and grace to thy neck.
22 so they will be life to your soul, and grace for your neck.
23 Then thou goest thy way confidently, And thy foot doth not stumble.
23 Then you shall walk in your way securely. Your foot won’t stumble.
24 If thou liest down, thou art not afraid, Yea, thou hast lain down, And sweet hath been thy sleep.
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, And of the desolation 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 is at thy side, And He hath kept thy foot from capture.
26 for Yahweh will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being taken.
27 Withhold not good from its owners, When thy 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 Say not thou to thy friend, 'Go, and return, and to-morrow I give,' And substance with 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 against thy neighbour evil, And he sitting confidently with 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 not done thee evil.
30 Don’t strive with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm.
31 Be not envious of a man of violence, Nor fix thou on any of his ways.
31 Don’t envy the man of violence. Choose none of his ways.
32 For an abomination to Jehovah [is] the perverted, And with the upright [is] His secret counsel.
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. And the habitation of the righteous He blesseth.
33 Yahweh’s curse is in the house of the wicked, but he blesses the habitation of the righteous.
34 If the scorners He doth scorn, Yet to the humble He doth give grace.
34 Surely he mocks the mockers, but he gives grace to the humble.
35 Honour do the wise inherit, 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)