Proverbs 3–5

Chapter 3

Trusting in the Lord

¹My child, never forget the things I have taught you.

Store my commands in your heart.

²If you do this, you will live many years,

and your life will be satisfying.

³Never let loyalty and kindness leave you!

Tie them around your neck as a reminder.

Write them deep within your heart.

⁴Then you will find favor with both God and people,

and you will earn a good reputation.

⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart;

do not depend on your own understanding.

⁶Seek his will in all you do,

and he will show you which path to take.

⁷Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.

Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

⁸Then you will have healing for your body

and strength for your bones.

⁹Honor the Lord with your wealth

and with the best part of everything you produce.

¹⁰Then he will fill your barns with grain,

and your vats will overflow with good wine.

¹¹My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline,

and don’t be upset when he corrects you.

¹²For the Lord corrects those he loves,

just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.

¹³Joyful is the person who finds wisdom,

the one who gains understanding.

¹⁴For wisdom is more profitable than silver,

and her wages are better than gold.

¹⁵Wisdom is more precious than rubies;

nothing you desire can compare with her.

¹⁶She offers you long life in her right hand,

and riches and honor in her left.

¹⁷She will guide you down delightful paths;

all her ways are satisfying.

¹⁸Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her;

happy are those who hold her tightly.

¹⁹By wisdom the Lord founded the earth;

by understanding he created the heavens.

²⁰By his knowledge the deep fountains of the earth burst forth,

and the dew settles beneath the night sky.

²¹My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment.

Hang on to them,

²²for they will refresh your soul.

They are like jewels on a necklace.

²³They keep you safe on your way,

and your feet will not stumble.

²⁴You can go to bed without fear;

you will lie down and sleep soundly.

²⁵You need not be afraid of sudden disaster

or the destruction that comes upon the wicked,

²⁶for the Lord is your security.

He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap.

²⁷Do not withhold good from those who deserve it

when it’s in your power to help them.

²⁸If you can help your neighbor now, don’t say,

“Come back tomorrow, and then I’ll help you.”

²⁹Don’t plot harm against your neighbor,

for those who live nearby trust you.

³⁰Don’t pick a fight without reason,

when no one has done you harm.

³¹Don’t envy violent people

or copy their ways.

³²Such wicked people are detestable to the Lord,

but he offers his friendship to the godly.

³³The Lord curses the house of the wicked,

but he blesses the home of the upright.

³⁴The Lord mocks the mockers

but is gracious to the humble.

³⁵The wise inherit honor,

but fools are put to shame!

Chapter 4

A Father’s Wise Advice

¹My children, listen when your father corrects you.

Pay attention and learn good judgment,

²for I am giving you good guidance.

Don’t turn away from my instructions.

³For I, too, was once my father’s son,

tenderly loved as my mother’s only child.

⁴My father taught me,

“Take my words to heart.

Follow my commands, and you will live.

⁵Get wisdom; develop good judgment.

Don’t forget my words or turn away from them.

⁶Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you.

Love her, and she will guard you.

⁷Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do!

And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.

⁸If you prize wisdom, she will make you great.

Embrace her, and she will honor you.

⁹She will place a lovely wreath on your head;

she will present you with a beautiful crown.”

¹⁰My child, listen to me and do as I say,

and you will have a long, good life.

¹¹I will teach you wisdom’s ways

and lead you in straight paths.

¹²When you walk, you won’t be held back;

when you run, you won’t stumble.

¹³Take hold of my instructions; don’t let them go.

Guard them, for they are the key to life.

¹⁴Don’t do as the wicked do,

and don’t follow the path of evildoers.

¹⁵Don’t even think about it; don’t go that way.

Turn away and keep moving.

¹⁶For evil people can’t sleep until they’ve done their evil deed for the day.

They can’t rest until they’ve caused someone to stumble.

¹⁷They eat the food of wickedness

and drink the wine of violence!

¹⁸The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,

which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.

¹⁹But the way of the wicked is like total darkness.

They have no idea what they are stumbling over.

²⁰My child, pay attention to what I say.

Listen carefully to my words.

²¹Don’t lose sight of them.

Let them penetrate deep into your heart,

²²for they bring life to those who find them,

and healing to their whole body.

²³Guard your heart above all else,

for it determines the course of your life.

²⁴Avoid all perverse talk;

stay away from corrupt speech.

²⁵Look straight ahead,

and fix your eyes on what lies before you.

²⁶Mark out a straight path for your feet;

stay on the safe path.

²⁷Don’t get sidetracked;

keep your feet from following evil.

Chapter 5

Avoid Immoral Women

¹My son, pay attention to my wisdom;

listen carefully to my wise counsel.

²Then you will show discernment,

and your lips will express what you’ve learned.

³For the lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey,

and her mouth is smoother than oil.

⁴But in the end she is as bitter as poison,

as dangerous as a double-edged sword.

⁵Her feet go down to death;

her steps lead straight to the grave.

⁶For she cares nothing about the path to life.

She staggers down a crooked trail and doesn’t realize it.

⁷So now, my sons, listen to me.

Never stray from what I am about to say:

⁸Stay away from her!

Don’t go near the door of her house!

⁹If you do, you will lose your honor

and will lose to merciless people all you have achieved.

¹⁰Strangers will consume your wealth,

and someone else will enjoy the fruit of your labor.

¹¹In the end you will groan in anguish

when disease consumes your body.

¹²You will say, “How I hated discipline!

If only I had not ignored all the warnings!

¹³Oh, why didn’t I listen to my teachers?

Why didn’t I pay attention to my instructors?

¹⁴I have come to the brink of utter ruin,

and now I must face public disgrace.”

¹⁵Drink water from your own well—

share your love only with your wife.

¹⁶Why spill the water of your springs in the streets,

having sex with just anyone?

¹⁷You should reserve it for yourselves.

Never share it with strangers.

¹⁸Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you.

Rejoice in the wife of your youth.

¹⁹She is a loving deer, a graceful doe.

Let her breasts satisfy you always.

May you always be captivated by her love.

²⁰Why be captivated, my son, by an immoral woman,

or fondle the breasts of a promiscuous woman?

²¹For the Lord sees clearly what a man does,

examining every path he takes.

²²An evil man is held captive by his own sins;

they are ropes that catch and hold him.

²³He will die for lack of self-control;

he will be lost because of his great foolishness.