| Chapter 3 |
1 | My son! my law forget not, And my commands let thy heart keep,
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2 | For length of days and years, Life and peace they do add to thee.
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3 | Let not kindness and truth forsake thee, Bind them on thy neck, Write them on the tablet of thy heart,
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4 | And find grace and good understanding In the eyes of God and man.
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5 | Trust unto Jehovah with all thy heart, And unto thine own understanding lean not.
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6 | In all thy ways know thou Him, And He doth make straight thy paths.
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7 | Be not wise in thine own eyes, Fear Jehovah, and turn aside from evil.
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8 | Healing it is to thy navel, And moistening to thy bones.
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9 | Honour Jehovah from thy substance, And from the beginning of all thine increase;
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10 | And filled are thy barns [with] plenty, And [with] new wine thy presses break forth.
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11 | Chastisement of Jehovah, my son, despise not, And be not vexed with His reproof,
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12 | For whom Jehovah loveth He reproveth, Even as a father the son He is pleased with.
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13 | O the happiness of a man [who] hath found wisdom, And of a man [who] bringeth forth understanding.
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14 | For better [is] her merchandise Than the merchandise of silver, And than gold -- her increase.
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15 | Precious she [is] above rubies, And all thy pleasures are not comparable to her.
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16 | Length of days [is] in her right hand, In her left [are] wealth and honour.
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17 | Her ways [are] ways of pleasantness, And all her paths [are] peace.
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18 | A tree of life she [is] to those laying hold on her, And whoso is retaining her [is] happy.
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19 | Jehovah by wisdom did found the earth, He prepared the heavens by understanding.
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20 | By His knowledge depths have been rent, And clouds do drop dew.
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21 | My son! let them not turn from thine eyes, Keep thou wisdom and thoughtfulness,
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22 | And they are life to thy soul, and grace to thy neck.
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23 | Then thou goest thy way confidently, And thy foot doth not stumble.
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24 | If thou liest down, thou art not afraid, Yea, thou hast lain down, And sweet hath been thy sleep.
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25 | Be not afraid of sudden fear, And of the desolation of the wicked when it cometh.
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26 | For Jehovah is at thy side, And He hath kept thy foot from capture.
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27 | Withhold not good from its owners, When thy hand [is] toward God to do [it].
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28 | Say not thou to thy friend, 'Go, and return, and to-morrow I give,' And substance with thee.
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29 | Devise not against thy neighbour evil, And he sitting confidently with thee.
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30 | Strive not with a man without cause, If he have not done thee evil.
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31 | Be not envious of a man of violence, Nor fix thou on any of his ways.
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32 | For an abomination to Jehovah [is] the perverted, And with the upright [is] His secret counsel.
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33 | The curse of Jehovah [is] in the house of the wicked. And the habitation of the righteous He blesseth.
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34 | If the scorners He doth scorn, Yet to the humble He doth give grace.
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35 | Honour do the wise inherit, And fools are bearing away shame!
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