Chapter 3

¹ My son, forget not my laws; but let thine heart keep my words: ² for length of existence, and years of life, and peace, shall they add to thee. ³ Let not mercy and truth forsake thee; but bind them about thy neck: ⁴ so shalt thou find favour:¹ and do thou ²provide things honest in the sight of the Lord, and of men.

⁵ Trust in God with all thine heart; and be not exalted in thine own wisdom. ⁶ In all thy ways acquaint thyself with her, that she may rightly ³direct thy paths. ⁷ Be not wise in thine own conceit; but fear God, and depart from all evil. ⁸ Then shall there be health to thy body, and good keeping to thy bones.

⁹ Honour the Lord with thy just labours, and give him the first of thy fruits of righteousness: ¹⁰ that thy storehouses may be completely filled with corn, and that thy presses may burst forth with wine.

^{11 4}My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: ¹² for whom the Lord loves, he rebukes, and scourges every son whom he receives.

¹³ Blessed is the man who has found wisdom, and the mortal who knows prudence. ¹⁴ For it is better to traffic for her, than for treasures of gold and silver. ¹⁵ And she is more valuable than precious stones: no evil thing shall resist her: she is well known to all that approach her, and no precious thing is equal to her in value. ¹⁶ For length of existence and years of life are in her right hand; and in her left hand are wealth and glory: out of her mouth proceeds righteousness, and she carries law and mercy upon her tongue. ¹⁷ Her ways are good ways, and all her paths are peaceful. ¹⁸ She is a tree of life to all that lay hold upon her; and she is a secure help to all that stay themselves on her, as on the Lord.

¹⁹ God by wisdom founded the earth, and by prudence he prepared the heavens. ²⁰ By understanding were the depths broken up, and the clouds dropped water.

²¹ My son, let them not ⁵pass from thee, but keep my counsel and understanding: ²² that thy soul may live, and that there may be grace round thy neck; and it shall be health to thy flesh, and safety to thy bones: ²³ that thou mayest go confidently in peace in all thy ways, and that thy foot may not stumble. ²⁴ For if thou ⁶rest, thou shalt be undismayed; and if thou sleep, thou shalt slumber sweetly. ²⁵ And thou shalt not be afraid of alarm coming upon thee, neither of approaching attacks of ungodly men. ²⁶ For the Lord shall be over all thy ways, and shall establish thy foot that thou be not moved.

²⁷ Forbear not to do good to the poor, whensoever thy hand may have power to help him. ²⁸ Say not, Come back another time, to-morrow I will give; while thou art able to do him good: for thou knowest not

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what the next day will bring forth. ²⁹ Devise not evil against thy friend, living near thee and trusting in thee.

³⁰ Be not ready to quarrel with a man without a cause, lest he do thee some harm.

³¹ Procure not the reproaches of bad men, neither do thou covet their ways. ³² For every transgressor is unclean before the Lord; neither does he sit among the righteous. ³³ The curse of God is in the houses of the ungodly; but the habitations of the just are blessed. ^{34 7}The Lord resists the proud; but he gives grace to the humble. ³⁵ The wise shall inherit glory; but the ungodly have exalted their own dishonour.