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Proverbs 3
Expanded Bible
Proverbs 3
Expanded Bible
Advice to Children
3 My ·child [L son], do not forget my ·teaching [instruction; law],
but ·keep my commands in mind [L let your heart/mind protect my commands].
2 Then ·you will live a long time,
and your life will be successful [L length of days and years of life and peace will be added to you].
3 Don’t ·ever forget kindness and truth [L let loyalty and faithfulness abandon you].
·Wear [Bind] them ·like a necklace [L on your neck].
Write them on your heart as if on a tablet.
4 Then you will ·be respected [find favor]
and will please both God and people.
5 Trust the Lord with all your heart,
and don’t ·depend [rely] on your own understanding.
6 ·Remember the Lord [L Know him] ·in all you do [L on all your paths],
and he will ·give you success [L keep your roads straight].
7 Don’t ·depend on your own wisdom [L be wise in your own eyes].
·Respect [Fear; Hold in awe] the Lord and ·refuse to do wrong [L turn away from evil].
8 Then your body will be healthy,
and your bones will be ·strong [refreshed].
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth
and the firstfruits from all your crops.
10 Then your barns will be full,
and your wine barrels will ·overflow [burst] with new wine.
11 My ·child [L son], do not reject the Lord’s discipline,
and don’t ·get angry [loathe] when he corrects you.
12 The Lord corrects those he loves,
just as ·parents [L fathers] correct the child they delight in.
13 ·Happy [Blessed] is the person who finds wisdom,
the one who ·gets [gains] understanding.
14 ·Wisdom [L Her profit] is worth more than silver;
·it brings more profit [L her yield more] than gold.
15 Wisdom is more precious than ·rubies [or pearls];
nothing you could want is equal to it.
16 ·With [In] her right hand ·wisdom offers you a long life [L are length of days],
and ·with [in] her left hand ·she gives you [are] riches and honor.
17 ·Wisdom will make your life [L Her paths are] pleasant
and ·will bring you [L her trails are] peace.
18 As a tree produces fruit, wisdom gives life to those who use it,
and everyone who uses it will be happy.
19 The Lord ·made [L laid the foundations of] the earth, ·using his wisdom [or with Wisdom; 8:22–31].
He set the ·sky [heavens] in place, using his ·understanding [competence].
20 With his knowledge, ·he made springs flow into rivers [L the deeps burst open]
and the clouds drop ·rain on the earth [L dew].
21 My ·child [L son], ·hold on to [protect] ·wisdom [resourcefulness] and ·good sense [discretion].
Don’t let them ·out of your sight [L slip from your eyes].
22 They will give you life
and ·beauty like a necklace [L an ornament] around your neck.
23 Then you will ·go your way [walk on your path; C of life] in safety,
and ·you will not get hurt [L your foot will not stumble].
24 When you lie down, you won’t be afraid;
when you lie down, you will sleep in peace.
25 You won’t be afraid of sudden ·trouble [terror];
you won’t fear the ruin that comes to the wicked,
26 because the Lord will ·keep you safe [be your confidence].
He will ·keep you from being trapped [guard your feet from capture].
27 Whenever you are able,
·do [L do not withhold] good to people who ·need help [or deserve it].
28 If you have what your neighbor asks for,
don’t say, “Come back later.
I will give it to you tomorrow.”
29 Don’t ·make plans to hurt [intend evil toward] your neighbor
who lives nearby and trusts you.
30 Don’t accuse a person for no good reason;
don’t accuse someone who has not harmed you.
31 Don’t be jealous of those who use violence,
and don’t ·choose to be like them [L prefer their path; C of life].
32 ·The Lord hates those who do wrong [L The devious are an abomination to the Lord],
but he is a ·friend [confidant] to those who are ·honest [virtuous].
33 The Lord will curse the evil person’s house,
but he will bless the home of ·those who do right [the righteous].
34 The Lord ·laughs at [mocks] those who ·laugh at [mock] him,
but he ·gives grace [shows favor] to ·those who are not proud [the humble].
35 Wise people ·will receive honor [possess glory],
but fools ·will be disgraced [give off/exude shame].
Proverbs 3
New International Version
Proverbs 3
New International Version
Wisdom Bestows Well-Being
3 My son,(A) do not forget my teaching,(B)
but keep my commands in your heart,
2 for they will prolong your life many years(C)
and bring you peace and prosperity.(D)
3 Let love and faithfulness(E) never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.(F)
4 Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man.(G)
5 Trust in the Lord(H) with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths(I) straight.[a](J)
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;(K)
fear the Lord(L) and shun evil.(M)
8 This will bring health to your body(N)
and nourishment to your bones.(O)
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth,
with the firstfruits(P) of all your crops;
10 then your barns will be filled(Q) to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine.(R)
11 My son,(S) do not despise the Lord’s discipline,(T)
and do not resent his rebuke,
12 because the Lord disciplines those he loves,(U)
as a father the son he delights in.[b](V)
13 Blessed are those who find wisdom,
those who gain understanding,
14 for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold.(W)
15 She is more precious than rubies;(X)
nothing you desire can compare with her.(Y)
16 Long life is in her right hand;(Z)
in her left hand are riches and honor.(AA)
17 Her ways are pleasant ways,
and all her paths are peace.(AB)
18 She is a tree of life(AC) to those who take hold of her;
those who hold her fast will be blessed.(AD)
19 By wisdom(AE) the Lord laid the earth’s foundations,(AF)
by understanding he set the heavens(AG) in place;
20 by his knowledge the watery depths were divided,
and the clouds let drop the dew.
21 My son,(AH) do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight,(AI)
preserve sound judgment and discretion;
22 they will be life for you,(AJ)
an ornament to grace your neck.(AK)
23 Then you will go on your way in safety,(AL)
and your foot will not stumble.(AM)
24 When you lie down,(AN) you will not be afraid;(AO)
when you lie down, your sleep(AP) will be sweet.
25 Have no fear of sudden disaster
or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
26 for the Lord will be at your side(AQ)
and will keep your foot(AR) from being snared.(AS)
27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
when it is in your power to act.
28 Do not say to your neighbor,
“Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”—
when you already have it with you.(AT)
29 Do not plot harm against your neighbor,
who lives trustfully near you.(AU)
30 Do not accuse anyone for no reason—
when they have done you no harm.
31 Do not envy(AV) the violent
or choose any of their ways.
32 For the Lord detests the perverse(AW)
but takes the upright into his confidence.(AX)
33 The Lord’s curse(AY) is on the house of the wicked,(AZ)
but he blesses the home of the righteous.(BA)
34 He mocks(BB) proud mockers(BC)
but shows favor to the humble(BD) and oppressed.
35 The wise inherit honor,
but fools get only shame.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 3:6 Or will direct your paths
- Proverbs 3:12 Hebrew; Septuagint loves, / and he chastens everyone he accepts as his child
Proverbs 3
King James Version
Proverbs 3
King James Version
3 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.
8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
9 Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
11 My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction:
12 For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.
19 The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.
20 By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.
21 My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:
22 So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.
23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.
24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.
26 For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.
27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.
28 Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.
29 Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.
30 Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.
31 Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.
32 For the froward is abomination to the Lord: but his secret is with the righteous.
33 The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.
34 Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.
35 The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.
Expanded Bible (EXB)
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.