Proverbs 3–4

Advice to Children

3My child, do not forget my teaching,

but keep my commands in mind.

²Then you will live a long time,

and your life will be successful.

³Don’t ever forget kindness and truth.

Wear them like a necklace.

Write them on your heart as if on a tablet.

⁴Then you will be respected

and will please both God and people.

⁵Trust the Lord with all your heart,

and don’t depend on your own understanding.

⁶Remember the Lord in all you do,

and he will give you success.

⁷Don’t depend on your own wisdom.

Respect the Lord and refuse to do wrong.

⁸Then your body will be healthy,

and your bones will be strong.

⁹Honor the Lord with your wealth

and the firstfruits from all your crops.

¹⁰Then your barns will be full,

and your wine barrels will overflow with new wine.

¹¹My child, do not reject the Lord’s discipline,

and don’t get angry when he corrects you.

¹²The Lord corrects those he loves,

just as parents correct the child they delight in.

¹³Happy is the person who finds wisdom,

the one who gets understanding.

¹⁴Wisdom is worth more than silver;

it brings more profit than gold.

¹⁵Wisdom is more precious than rubies;

nothing you could want is equal to it.

¹⁶With her right hand wisdom offers you a long life,

and with her left hand she gives you riches and honor.

¹⁷Wisdom will make your life pleasant

and will bring you peace.

¹⁸As a tree produces fruit, wisdom gives life to those who use it,

and everyone who uses it will be happy.

¹⁹The Lord made the earth, using his wisdom.

He set the sky in place, using his understanding.

²⁰With his knowledge, he made springs flow into rivers

and the clouds drop rain on the earth.

²¹My child, hold on to wisdom and good sense.

Don’t let them out of your sight.

²²They will give you life

and beauty like a necklace around your neck.

²³Then you will go your way in safety,

and you will not get hurt.

²⁴When you lie down, you won’t be afraid;

when you lie down, you will sleep in peace.

²⁵You won’t be afraid of sudden trouble;

you won’t fear the ruin that comes to the wicked,

²⁶because the Lord will keep you safe.

He will keep you from being trapped.

²⁷Whenever you are able,

do good to people who need help.

²⁸If you have what your neighbor asks for,

don’t say, “Come back later.

I will give it to you tomorrow.”

²⁹Don’t make plans to hurt your neighbor

who lives nearby and trusts you.

³⁰Don’t accuse a person for no good reason;

don’t accuse someone who has not harmed you.

³¹Don’t be jealous of those who use violence,

and don’t choose to be like them.

³²The Lord hates those who do wrong,

but he is a friend to those who are honest.

³³The Lord will curse the evil person’s house,

but he will bless the home of those who do right.

³⁴The Lord laughs at those who laugh at him,

but he gives grace to those who are not proud.

³⁵Wise people will receive honor,

but fools will be disgraced.

Wisdom Is Important

4My children, listen to your father’s teaching;

pay attention so you will understand.

²What I am telling you is good,

so do not forget what I teach you.

³When I was a young boy in my father’s house

and like an only child to my mother,

⁴my father taught me and said,

“Hold on to my words with all your heart.

Keep my commands and you will live.

⁵Get wisdom and understanding.

Don’t forget or ignore my words.

⁶Hold on to wisdom, and it will take care of you.

Love it, and it will keep you safe.

⁷Wisdom is the most important thing; so get wisdom.

If it costs everything you have, get understanding.

⁸Treasure wisdom, and it will make you great;

hold on to it, and it will bring you honor.

⁹It will be like flowers in your hair

and like a beautiful crown on your head.”

¹⁰My child, listen and accept what I say.

Then you will have a long life.

¹¹I am guiding you in the way of wisdom,

and I am leading you on the right path.

¹²Nothing will hold you back;

you will not be overwhelmed.

¹³Always remember what you have been taught,

and don’t let go of it.

Keep all that you have learned;

it is the most important thing in life.

¹⁴Don’t follow the ways of the wicked;

don’t do what evil people do.

¹⁵Avoid their ways, and don’t follow them.

Stay away from them and keep on going,

¹⁶because they cannot sleep until they do evil.

They cannot rest until they harm someone.

¹⁷They feast on wickedness and cruelty

as if they were eating bread and drinking wine.

¹⁸The way of the good person is like the light of dawn,

growing brighter and brighter until full daylight.

¹⁹But the wicked walk around in the dark;

they can’t even see what makes them stumble.

²⁰My child, pay attention to my words;

listen closely to what I say.

²¹Don’t ever forget my words;

keep them always in mind.

²²They are the key to life for those who find them;

they bring health to the whole body.

²³Be careful what you think,

because your thoughts run your life.

²⁴Don’t use your mouth to tell lies;

don’t ever say things that are not true.

²⁵Keep your eyes focused on what is right,

and look straight ahead to what is good.

²⁶Be careful what you do,

and always do what is right.

²⁷Don’t turn off the road of goodness;

keep away from evil paths.