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Proverbs 3

My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:

Proverbs 3:1 KJV

For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.

Proverbs 3:2 KJV

Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:

Proverbs 3:3 KJV

So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

Proverbs 3:4 KJV

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

Proverbs 3:5 KJV

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Proverbs 3:6 KJV

Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

Proverbs 3:7 KJV

It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

Proverbs 3:8 KJV

Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:

Proverbs 3:9 KJV

So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

Proverbs 3:10 KJV

My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:

Proverbs 3:11 KJV

For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

Proverbs 3:12 KJV

Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.

Proverbs 3:13 KJV

For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.

Proverbs 3:14 KJV

She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.

Proverbs 3:15 KJV

Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.

Proverbs 3:16 KJV

Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

Proverbs 3:17 KJV

She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.

Proverbs 3:18 KJV

The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.

Proverbs 3:19 KJV

By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.

Proverbs 3:20 KJV

My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:

Proverbs 3:21 KJV

So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.

Proverbs 3:22 KJV

Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.

Proverbs 3:23 KJV

When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

Proverbs 3:24 KJV

Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.

Proverbs 3:25 KJV

For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

Proverbs 3:26 KJV

Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.

Proverbs 3:27 KJV

Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.

Proverbs 3:28 KJV

Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.

Proverbs 3:29 KJV

Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.

Proverbs 3:30 KJV

Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.

Proverbs 3:31 KJV

For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous.

Proverbs 3:32 KJV

The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.

Proverbs 3:33 KJV

Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.

Proverbs 3:34 KJV

The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.

Proverbs 3:35 KJV

End of Proverbs 3

Continue reading Proverbs 4

What is Proverbs 3 about?

Proverbs 3 is a father's advice to his son about living wisely with God. It begins with a call to remember God's teaching and to keep mercy and truth close, "bind them about thy neck." Its best-known verses are 5 and 6: "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding." The chapter goes on to urge honoring God with our wealth and first fruits, accepting his correction as a loving father's discipline, and treasuring wisdom as more precious than rubies. Wisdom's ways are "ways of pleasantness," and she is "a tree of life" to those who hold her. It closes with practical counsel about treating neighbors well.

What does Proverbs 3 mean?

Proverbs 3:5

This verse comes from a father's advice to his son in the book of Proverbs, a collection of wisdom largely gathered by King Solomon. "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart" asks for whole-hearted confidence, not a partial trust held back for emergencies. In Hebrew thinking the heart meant the center of a person: mind, will, and feelings together. "Lean not unto thine own understanding" does not mean switching off our thinking. It means not resting our full weight on it, as if we could see every outcome. Human understanding is limited; God's is not. The verse invites us to rely on him most when life makes the least sense.

Proverbs 3:6

This verse completes the thought begun in Proverbs 3:5. To "acknowledge him" in all our ways means recognizing God in every part of life, not just on Sundays or in a crisis. It includes our work, our relationships, our plans, and our choices, bringing each one to him and asking what pleases him. The promise is that "he shall direct thy paths." The Hebrew can mean he will make our paths straight, clearing obstacles and keeping us on course. This is not a guarantee of an easy road, but of a guided one. People who keep God at the center find that he leads them faithfully.

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