My son, do not forget my
teaching,but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life
many years and bring you prosperity. Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you
will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on
your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your
paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health
to your body and nourishment to your bones. Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits
of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats
will brim over with new wine. My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline and do not
resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in. Blessed is the
man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more
profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more
precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in
her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant
ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who embrace
her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed. By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations, by
understanding he set the heavens in place; by his knowledge the deeps were
divided, and the clouds let drop the dew. My son, preserve sound judgment and
discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you, an
ornament to grace your neck. Then you will go on your way in safety, and your
foot will not stumble; when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie
down, your sleep will be sweet. Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin
that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep
your foot from being snared. Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when
it is in your power to act. Do not say to your neighbor, “Come back later; I’ll
give it tomorrow”— when you now have it with you. Do not plot harm against your
neighbor, who lives trustfully near you. Do not accuse a man for no reason— when
he has done you no harm. Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways, for
the Lord detests a perverse man but takes the
upright into his confidence. The Lord’s
curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous. He
mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble. The wise inherit honor, but
fools he holds up to shame.
