Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart

3 yMy son, do not forget my teaching,

zbut let your heart keep my commandments,

2  for alength of days and years of life

and bpeace they will add to you.

3  Let not csteadfast love and dfaithfulness forsake you;

ebind them around your neck;

fwrite them on the tablet of your heart.

4  So you will gfind favor and hgood success1

in the sight of God and man.

5  iTrust in the Lord with all your heart,

and jdo not lean on your own understanding.

6  In all your ways kacknowledge him,

and he lwill make straight your paths.

7  mBe not wise in your own eyes;

nfear the Lord, and turn away from evil.

8  It will be ohealing to your flesh2

and prefreshment3 to your bones.

9  Honor the Lord with your wealth

and with qthe firstfruits of all your produce;

10  then your rbarns will be filled with plenty,

and your vats will be bursting with wine.

11  sMy son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline

or be weary of his reproof,

12  for the Lord reproves him whom he loves,

as ta father the son in whom he delights.

Blessed Is the One Who Finds Wisdom

13  uBlessed is the one who finds wisdom,

and the one who gets understanding,

14  vfor the gain from her is better than gain from silver

and her profit better than wgold.

15  She is more precious than xjewels,

and ynothing you desire can compare with her.

16  zLong life is in her right hand;

in her left hand are ariches and honor.

17  Her bways are ways of pleasantness,

and all her paths are peace.

18  She is ca tree of life to those who dlay hold of her;

those who hold her fast are called blessed.

19  eThe Lord by wisdom founded the earth;

by understanding ehe established the heavens;

20  by his knowledge fthe deeps broke open,

and gthe clouds drop down the dew.

21  My son, hdo not lose sight of these—

keep sound wisdom and discretion,

22  and they will be ilife for your soul

and jadornment for your neck.

23  kThen you will walk on your way securely,

land your foot will not stumble.

24  mIf you lie down, you will not be afraid;

when you lie down, nyour sleep will be sweet.

25  oDo not be afraid of sudden terror

or of pthe ruin4 of the wicked, when it comes,

26  for the Lord will be your confidence

and will qkeep your foot from being caught.

27  rDo not withhold good from those to whom it is due,5

when it is in your power to do it.

28  sDo not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again,

tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you.

29  tDo not plan evil against your neighbor,

who udwells trustingly beside you.

30  vDo not contend with a man for no reason,

when he has done you no harm.

31  wDo not envy xa man of violence

and do not choose any of his ways,

32  for ythe devious person is an abomination to the Lord,

but the upright are zin his confidence.

33  aThe Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked,

but he bblesses the dwelling of the righteous.

34  Toward the cscorners he dis scornful,

ebut to the humble he gives favor.6

35  The wise will inherit honor,

but fools get7 disgrace.

A Father’s Wise Instruction

4 fHear, O sons, a father’s instruction,

and be attentive, that you may ggain1 insight,

2  for I give you good hprecepts;

do not forsake my teaching.

3  When I was a son with my father,

itender, jthe only one in the sight of my mother,

4  he ktaught me and said to me,

l“Let your heart hold fast my words;

mkeep my commandments, and live.

5  nGet wisdom; get ginsight;

do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.

6  Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;

olove her, and she will guard you.

7  pThe beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,

and whatever you get, get ginsight.

8  Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;

she will qhonor you rif you embrace her.

9  She will place on your head sa graceful garland;

she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”

10  fHear, tmy son, and accept my words,

that uthe years of your life may be many.

11  I have vtaught you the way of wisdom;

I have led you in the paths of uprightness.

12  When you walk, wyour step will not be hampered,

and xif you run, you will not stumble.

13  yKeep hold of instruction; do not let go;

guard her, for she is your zlife.

14  aDo not enter the path of the wicked,

and do not walk in the way of the evil.

15  Avoid it; do not go on it;

turn away from it and pass on.

16  For they bcannot sleep unless they have done wrong;

they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.

17  For they eat the bread of wickedness

cand drink the wine of violence.

18  But dthe path of the righteous is like ethe light of dawn,

which shines fbrighter and brighter until gfull day.

19  hThe way of the wicked is like deep idarkness;

they do not know over what they jstumble.

20  kMy son, be attentive to my words;

incline your ear to my sayings.

21  lLet them not escape from your sight;

mkeep them within your heart.

22  For they are nlife to those who find them,

and healing to all their2 flesh.

23  Keep your heart with all vigilance,

for ofrom it flow pthe springs of life.

24  Put away from you qcrooked speech,

and put rdevious talk far from you.

25  sLet your eyes look directly forward,

and your gaze be straight before you.

26  tPonder3 the path of your feet;

uthen all your ways will be sure.

27  vDo not swerve to the right or to the left;

turn your foot away from evil.