Mien Sän, doo mien Jesats nijch fejäte; oba lot dien Hoat mien Aunkomendeare hoole;

dan dee woare to diene Doag toolaje, un langet Läwe un Fräd to die jäwe.

Erboarme un Woarheit woare die nijch felote; binj dee romm dien Jnekj; schreiw dee opp dien Hoat Tofel;

dan woascht du Gonst un goodet Festentnis finje enn Gott un Mensche äa Aunseene.

Fetrü enn Gott met dien gaunset Hoat; un doo nijch opp dien eajnet Festentnis läne.

Doo Am enn aul diene Wäaj aunerkjane, un Hee woat dien Stijch lenkje.

Sie nijch Weis enn dien eajnet Aunseene; doo däm Herr Gott ferjchte, en felot daut Beeset.

Heelinj woat to dien Nowel senne, un Moakj to diene Knoakes.

Doo däm Herr Gott eare met dien Hab en Goot, un met daut easchte fonn waut du krijchst;

10 un diene Spikjasch woare jefelt senne met Hab en Goot; un dee Wienprass met niehe Wien.

11 Mien Sän doo däm Herr Gott sien Strofe nijch feachte; un doo sien Trajchthalpe nijch hausse.

12 Dan dee Herr Gott deit dän trajchthalpe dän Hee leef haft, soo aus en Foda sien Sän dän hee leef haft.

13 Jesäajent es dee Maun dee Weisheit finjt, un dee Maun dee Festentnis kjrijcht.

14 Dan daut Jewenst doafonn es bäta aus dee Jewenst fonn Selwa; un dee Arnt doafonn aus feinet Golt;

15 see es kjestlijcha aus deare Steena; un aules daut die jankre kaun es nijch to fejlikje met ar.

16 Langet Läwe es enn äare rajchte Haunt; Rikjdom un Ea es enn äare linkje Haunt.

17 Äare Wäaj sent Wäaj fonn Scheenet, un äa gaunsa Stijch es Fräd.

18 See es en Läwesboom to dän dee ar to hoole kjriehe; un froo sent dee, dee ar faust hoole.

19 Dee Herr Gott haft dee Ead jejrint derjch Weisheit; Hee deed dee Himmels jrinde derjch Festentnis;

20 Daut deepet es oppjebroake derjch Siene Wissenschoft; un dee Wolkje lote dän Deiw rauf faule.

21 Mien Sän, lot dee nijch fonn diene Uage wajch gone; hool jesunde Weisheit un Jerejcht;

22 un dee selle Läwe senne to diene Seel, un Jnod to dien Jnekj;

23 dan woascht du sejcha enn dien Wajch gone, un dien Foot woat nijch stolpre.

24 Wan du die dol lajchst, woascht du nijch Angst habe; jo, du woascht die dol laje un dien Schlop woat seet senne.

25 Ha nijch Angst fonn haustjet Schrakj; oda fonn dee Beese äa Fenijchte wan daut kjemt.

26 Dan dee Herr Gott woat bie diene Sied senne; un Hee woat dien Foot bewoare fonn jejräpe woare.

27 Hool daut Goodet nijch trigj fonn dän dee daut fedeent ha, wan du dee Macht enn diene Haunt hast daut to doone.

28 Saj nijch to dien Noba, "Go, un komm trigj, ekj woa die daut Morje jäwe;" wan du daut besied die hast.

29 Doo nijch Beeset plone jäajen dien Noba, sentamol hee truhoatijch biesied die wont.

30 Doo nijch met en Maun sträwe oone Uasoak wan hee die kjeen Schode jedone haft.

31 Sie nijch neidisch äwa en ommenschlijcha Maun, un wäl nijch fonn siene Wäaj.

32 Dan dee Herr Gott hausst en fekjeada Mensch; oba sien Jeheemet es met dee Jerajchte.

33 Däm Herr Gott sien Fluch es opp dee Beese äa Hus; oba Hee säajent dee Jerajchte äare Woninj.

34 Sejchalijch deit Hee dee Spatta feachte; oba Hee jeft Jnod to dee Jerinje.

35 Dee Weise woare Ea oawe, oba dee Noarische doone Schaund huach häwe.

Wisdom Bestows Well-Being

My son,(A) do not forget my teaching,(B)
    but keep my commands in your heart,
for they will prolong your life many years(C)
    and bring you peace and prosperity.(D)

Let love and faithfulness(E) never leave you;
    bind them around your neck,
    write them on the tablet of your heart.(F)
Then you will win favor and a good name
    in the sight of God and man.(G)

Trust in the Lord(H) with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths(I) straight.[a](J)

Do not be wise in your own eyes;(K)
    fear the Lord(L) and shun evil.(M)
This will bring health to your body(N)
    and nourishment to your bones.(O)

Honor the Lord with your wealth,
    with the firstfruits(P) of all your crops;
10 then your barns will be filled(Q) to overflowing,
    and your vats will brim over with new wine.(R)

11 My son,(S) do not despise the Lord’s discipline,(T)
    and do not resent his rebuke,
12 because the Lord disciplines those he loves,(U)
    as a father the son he delights in.[b](V)

13 Blessed are those who find wisdom,
    those who gain understanding,
14 for she is more profitable than silver
    and yields better returns than gold.(W)
15 She is more precious than rubies;(X)
    nothing you desire can compare with her.(Y)
16 Long life is in her right hand;(Z)
    in her left hand are riches and honor.(AA)
17 Her ways are pleasant ways,
    and all her paths are peace.(AB)
18 She is a tree of life(AC) to those who take hold of her;
    those who hold her fast will be blessed.(AD)

19 By wisdom(AE) the Lord laid the earth’s foundations,(AF)
    by understanding he set the heavens(AG) in place;
20 by his knowledge the watery depths were divided,
    and the clouds let drop the dew.

21 My son,(AH) do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight,(AI)
    preserve sound judgment and discretion;
22 they will be life for you,(AJ)
    an ornament to grace your neck.(AK)
23 Then you will go on your way in safety,(AL)
    and your foot will not stumble.(AM)
24 When you lie down,(AN) you will not be afraid;(AO)
    when you lie down, your sleep(AP) will be sweet.
25 Have no fear of sudden disaster
    or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
26 for the Lord will be at your side(AQ)
    and will keep your foot(AR) from being snared.(AS)

27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
    when it is in your power to act.
28 Do not say to your neighbor,
    “Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”—
    when you already have it with you.(AT)
29 Do not plot harm against your neighbor,
    who lives trustfully near you.(AU)
30 Do not accuse anyone for no reason—
    when they have done you no harm.

31 Do not envy(AV) the violent
    or choose any of their ways.

32 For the Lord detests the perverse(AW)
    but takes the upright into his confidence.(AX)
33 The Lord’s curse(AY) is on the house of the wicked,(AZ)
    but he blesses the home of the righteous.(BA)
34 He mocks(BB) proud mockers(BC)
    but shows favor to the humble(BD) and oppressed.
35 The wise inherit honor,
    but fools get only shame.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 3:6 Or will direct your paths
  2. Proverbs 3:12 Hebrew; Septuagint loves, / and he chastens everyone he accepts as his child

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 shall burst out with new wine.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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