Provérbios 3

¹ My sonne, forget not thou my Lawe, but let thine heart keepe my commandements.

² For length ofLong life is the blessing of God which he gives to his, so far as it is expedient for them.days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.

³ Let notBy mercy and truth he means the commandments of the first and second table, or else the mercy and faithfulness that we ought to use toward our neighbours.mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thyKeep them as a precious jewel.neck; write them upon the table of thineHave them ever in remembrance.heart:

⁴ So shalt thou finde fauour and good vnderstanding in the sight of God and man.

⁵ Trust in the Lorde with all thine heart, and leane not vnto thine owne wisdome.

⁶ In all thy wayes acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy wayes.

⁷ Be not wise in thine owne eyes: but feare the Lord, and depart from euill.

⁸ It shall be health to thyBy this part he comprehends the whole body, as by health he means all the benefits promised in the law both corporal and spiritual.navel, and marrow to thy bones.

⁹ As was commanded in the law, (Exo_23:19; Deu_26:2) and by this they acknowledged that God was the giver of all things, and that they were ready to bestow all at his commandment.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 shallFor the faithful distributor God gives in greater abundance.burst out with new wine.

¹¹ My sonne, refuse not the chastening of the Lord, neither be grieued with his correction.

¹² For the Lord correcteth him, whome he loueth, euen as the father doeth the childe in whom he deliteth.

¹³ Blessed is the man that findeth wisedome, and the man that getteth vnderstanding.

¹⁴ For the marchandise thereof is better then the marchandise of siluer, and the gaine thereof is better then golde.

¹⁵ It is more precious then pearles: and all things that thou canst desire, are not to be compared vnto her.

¹⁶ Length of days [is] in her right hand;Meaning, that he seeks wisdom, that is, suffers himself to be governed by the Word of God, will have all prosperity both corporal and spiritual.[and] in her left hand riches and honour.

¹⁷ Her wayes are wayes of pleasure, and all her pathes prosperitie.

¹⁸ She [is] a treeWhich brings forth such fruit that they who eat of it have life and he alludes to the tree of life in paradise.of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy [is every one] that retaineth her.

¹⁹ The LORD by wisdom hathBy this he shows that this wisdom of which he speaks is everlasting, because it was before all creatures and that all things even the whole world were made by it.founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.

²⁰ By his knowledge the depthes are broken vp, and the cloudes droppe downe the dewe.

²¹ My sonne, let not these things depart from thine eyes, but obserue wisdome, and counsell.

²² So they shalbe life to thy soule, and grace vnto thy necke.

²³ Then shalt thou walke safely by thy way: and thy foote shall not stumble.

²⁴ If thou sleepest, thou shalt not bee afraide, and when thou sleepest, thy sleepe shalbe sweete.

²⁵ For when God destroys the wicked he will save his as he did Lot in Sodom.Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.

²⁶ For the Lorde shall be for thine assurance, and shall preserue thy foote from taking.

²⁷ Withhold not good fromNot only from them to whom the possession belongs but also you shall not keep it from them who have need of the use of it.them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do [it].

²⁸ Say not vnto thy neighbour, Go and come againe, and to morow wil I giue thee, if thou now haue it.

²⁹ Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwellethThat is, puts his trust in you.securely by thee.

³⁰ Striue not with a man causelesse, when he hath done thee no harme.

³¹ Do not wish to be like him.Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.

³² For the froward [is] abomination to the LORD: but hisThat is, his covenant and fatherly affection which is hid and secret from the world.secret [is] with the righteous.

³³ The curse of the Lorde is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the righteous.

³⁴ SurelyHe will show by his plagues that their scorn will turn to their own destruction, (Pro_1:26).he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.

³⁵ The wise shall inherite glorie: but fooles dishonour, though they be exalted.