Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart

¹yMy son, do not forget my teaching,

zbut let your heart keep my commandments,

²for alength of days and years of life

and bpeace they will add to you.

³Let not csteadfast love and dfaithfulness forsake you;

ebind them around your neck;

fwrite them on the tablet of your heart.

⁴So you will gfind favor and hgood success1

in the sight of God and man.

⁵iTrust in the Lord with all your heart,

and jdo not lean on your own understanding.

⁶In all your ways kacknowledge him,

and he lwill make straight your paths.

⁷mBe not wise in your own eyes;

nfear the Lord, and turn away from evil.

⁸It will be ohealing to your flesh2

and prefreshment3 to your bones.

⁹Honor the Lord with your wealth

and with qthe firstfruits of all your produce;

¹⁰then your rbarns will be filled with plenty,

and your vats will be bursting with wine.

¹¹sMy son, do not despise the Lord's discipline

or be weary of his reproof,

¹²for the Lord reproves him whom he loves,

as ta father the son in whom he delights.

Blessed Is the One Who Finds Wisdom

¹³uBlessed is the one who finds wisdom,

and the one who gets understanding,

¹⁴vfor the gain from her is better than gain from silver

and her profit better than wgold.

¹⁵She is more precious than xjewels,

and ynothing you desire can compare with her.

¹⁶zLong life is in her right hand;

in her left hand are ariches and honor.

¹⁷Her bways are ways of pleasantness,

and all her paths are peace.

¹⁸She is ca tree of life to those who dlay hold of her;

those who hold her fast are called blessed.

¹⁹eThe Lord by wisdom founded the earth;

by understanding ehe established the heavens;

²⁰by his knowledge fthe deeps broke open,

and gthe clouds drop down the dew.

²¹My son, hdo not lose sight of these—

keep sound wisdom and discretion,

²²and they will be ilife for your soul

and jadornment for your neck.

²³kThen you will walk on your way securely,

land your foot will not stumble.

²⁴mIf you lie down, you will not be afraid;

when you lie down, nyour sleep will be sweet.

²⁵oDo not be afraid of sudden terror

or of pthe ruin4 of the wicked, when it comes,

²⁶for the Lord will be your confidence

and will qkeep your foot from being caught.

²⁷rDo not withhold good from those to whom it is due,5

when it is in your power to do it.

²⁸sDo not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again,

tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you.

²⁹tDo not plan evil against your neighbor,

who udwells trustingly beside you.

³⁰vDo not contend with a man for no reason,

when he has done you no harm.

³¹wDo not envy xa man of violence

and do not choose any of his ways,

³²for ythe devious person is an abomination to the Lord,

but the upright are zin his confidence.

³³aThe Lord's curse is on the house of the wicked,

but he bblesses the dwelling of the righteous.

³⁴Toward the cscorners he dis scornful,

ebut to the humble he gives favor.6

³⁵The wise will inherit honor,

but fools get7 disgrace.