Proverbs 3

Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel

Proverbs 3

1My son, forget not my laws; but let your heart keep my words:Υἱὲ, ἐμῶννομίμων μὴ ἐπιλανθάνου, τὰ δὲ ῥήματά μου τηρείτω σὴ καρδία·

2for length of existence, and years of life, and peace, shall they add to you.Μῆκος γὰρ βίου, καὶ ἔτη ζωῆς, καὶ εἰρήνην προσθήσουσί σοι.

3Let not mercy and truth forsake you; but bind them about your neck:Ἐλεημοσύναι καὶ πίστεις μὴ ἐκλειπέτωσάν σε· ἄφαψαι δὲ αὐτὰς ἐπὶ σῷ τραχήλῳ, καὶ εὑρήσεις χάριν·

4so shall you find favor: * and do you † provide things honest in the sight of the Lord, and of men.καὶ προνοοῦ καλὰ ἐνώπιον Κυρίου καὶ ἀνθρώπων.

5Trust in God with all your heart; and be not exalted in your own wisdom.Ἴσθι πεποιθὼς ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ καρδίᾳ ἐπὶ Θεῷ, ἐπὶ δὲ σῇ σοφίᾳ μὴ ἐπαίρου.

6In all your ways acquaint yourself with her, that she may rightly ‡ direct your paths.Πάσαις ὁδοῖς σου γνώριζε αὐτὴν, ἵνα ὀρθοτομῇ τὰς ὁδούς σου.

7Be not wise in your own conceit; but fear God, and depart from all evil.Μὴ ἴσθι φρόνιμος παρὰ σεαυτῷ, φοβοῦ δὲ τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ἔκκλινε ἀπὸ παντὸς κακοῦ.

8Then shall there be health to your body, and good keeping to your bones.Τότε ἴασις ἔσται τῷ σώματί σου, καὶ ἐπιμέλεια τοῖς ὀστέοις σου.

9Honor the Lord with your just labors, and give him the first of your fruits of righteousness:Τίμα τὸν Κύριον ἀπὸ σῶν δικαίων πόνων, καὶ ἀπάρχου αὐτῷ ἀπὸ σῶν καρπῶν δικαιοσύνης·

10that your storehouses may be completely filled with corn, and that your presses may burst forth with wine.Ἵνα πίμπληται τὰ ταμιεῖά σου πλησμονῆς σίτῳ, οἴνῳ δὲ αἱ ληνοί σου ἐκβλύζωσιν.

11§ My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; nor faint when you are rebuked of him:Υἱὲ, μὴ ὀλιγώρει παιδείας Κυρίου, μηδὲ ἐκλύου ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ ἐλεγχόμενος.

12for whom the Lord loves, he rebukes, and scourges every son whom he receives.Ὃν γὰρ ἀγαπᾷ Κύριος, ἐλέγχει, μαστιγοῖ δὲ πάντα υἱὸν ὃν παραδέχεται.

13Blessed is the man who has found wisdom, and the mortal who knows prudence.Μακάριος ἄνθρωπος ὃς εὗρε σοφίαν, καὶ θνητὸς ὃς εἶδε φρόνησιν.

14For it is better to traffic for her, than for treasures of gold and silver.Κρεῖσσον γὰρ αὐτὴν ἐμπορεύεσθαι, ἢ χρυσίου καὶ ἀργυρίου θησαυρούς.

15And she is more valuable than precious stones: no evil thing shall resist her: she is well known to all that approach her, and no precious thing is equal to her in value.Τιμιωτέρα δέ ἐστι λίθων πολυτελῶν, οὐκ ἀντιτάξεται αὐτῇ οὐδὲν πονηρόν· εὔγνωστός ἐστι πᾶσι τοῖς ἐγγίζουσιν αὐτῇ, πᾶν δὲ τίμιον οὐκ ἄξιον αὐτῆς ἐστι.

16For length of existence and years of life are in her right hand; and in her left hand are wealth and glory: out of her mouth proceeds righteousness, and she carries law and mercy upon her tongue.Μῆκος γὰρ βίου καὶ ἔτη ζωῆς ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ αὐτῆς, ἐν δὲ τῇ ἀριστερᾷ αὐτῆς πλοῦτος καὶ δόξα·

16aἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτῆς ἐκπορεύεται δικαιοσύνη, νόμον δὲ καὶ ἔλεον ἐπὶ γλώσσης φορεῖ.

17Her ways are good ways, and all her paths are peaceful.Αἱ ὁδοὶ αὐτῆς ὁδοὶ καλαί, καὶ πάσαι αἱ τρίβοι αὐτῆς ἐν εἰρήνῃ.

18She is a tree of life to all that lay hold upon her; and she is a secure help to all that stay themselves on her, as on the Lord.Ξύλον ζωῆς ἐστι πᾶσι τοῖς ἀντεχομένοις αὐτῆς, καὶ τοῖς ἐπερειδομένοις ἐπʼ αὐτὴν ὡς ἐπὶ Κύριον ἀσφαλής.

19God by wisdom founded the earth, and by prudence he prepared the heavens.Ὁ Θεὸς τῇ σοφίᾳ ἐθεμελίωσε τὴν γῆν, ἡτοίμασε δὲ οὐρανοὺς φρονήσει.

20By understanding were the depths broken up, and the clouds dropped water.Ἐν αἰσθήσει ἄβυσσοι ἐῤῥάγησαν, νέφη δὲ ἐῤῥύησαν δρόσους.

21My son, let them not ** pass from you, but keep my counsel and understanding:Υἱὲ, μὴ παραῤῥυῇς, τήρησον δὲ ἐμὴν βουλὴν καὶ ἔννοιαν·

22that your soul may live, and that there may be grace round your neck; and it shall be health to your flesh, and safety to your bones:ἵνα ζήσῃ ἡ ψυχή σου, καὶ χάρις ᾖ περὶ σῷ τραχήλῳ·

22aἔσται δὲ ἴασις ταῖς σαρξί σου, καὶ ἐπιμέλεια τοῖς σοῖς ὀστέοις·

23that you may go confidently in peace in all your ways, and that your foot may not stumble.ἵνα πορεύῃ πεποιθὼς ἐν εἰρήνῃ πάσας τὰς ὁδούς σου, ὁ δὲ πούς σου οὐ μὴ προσκόψῃ.

24For if you †† rest, you shall be undismayed; and if you sleep, you shall slumber sweetly.Ἐὰν γὰρ κάθῃ, ἄφοβος ἔσῃ· ἐὰν δὲ καθεύδῃς, ἡδέως ὑπνώσεις.

25And you shall not be afraid of alarm coming upon you, neither of approaching attacks of ungodly men.Καὶ οὐ φοβηθήσῃ πτόησιν ἐπελθοῦσαν, οὐδὲ ὁρμὰς ἀσεβῶν ἐπερχομένας.

26For the Lord shall be over all your ways, and shall establish your foot that you be not moved.Ὁ γὰρ Κύριος ἔσται ἐπὶ πασῶν ὁδῶν σου, καὶ ἐρείσει σὸν πόδα ἵνα μὴ σαλευθῇς.

27Forbear not to do good to the poor, whenever your hand may have power to help him.Μὴ ἀπόσχῃ εὖ ποιεῖν ἐνδεῆ, ἡνίκα ἂν ἔχῃ ἡ χείρ σου βοηθεῖν.

28Say not, Come back another time, to-morrow I will give; while you are able to do him good: for you know not what the next day will bring forth.Μὴ εἴπῃς, ἐπανελθὼν ἐπάνηκε, αὔριον δώσω, δυνατοῦ σου ὄντος εὖ ποιεῖν· οὐ γὰρ οἶδας τί τέξεται ἡ ἐπιοῦσα.

29Devise not evil against your friend, living near you and trusting in you.Μὴ τεκτῄνῃ ἐπὶ σὸν φίλον κακὰ παροικοῦντα καὶ πεποιθότα ἐπὶ σοί.

30Be not ready to quarrel with a man without a cause, lest he do you some harm.Μὴ φιλεχθρήσῃς πρὸς ἄνθρωπον μάτην, μήτί σε ἐργάσηται κακόν.

31Procure not the reproaches of bad men, neither do you covet their ways.Μὴ κτήσῃ κακῶν ἀνδρῶν ὀνείδη, μηδὲ ζηλώσῃς τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτῶν.

32For every transgressor is unclean before the Lord; neither does he sit among the righteous.Ἀκάθαρτος γὰρ ἔναντι Κυρίου πᾶς παράνομος, ἐν δὲ δικαίοις οὐ συνεδριάζει.

33The curse of God is in the houses of the ungodly; but the habitations of the just are blessed.Κατάρα Θεοῦ ἐν οἴκοις ἀσεβῶν, ἐπαύλεις δὲ δικαίων εὐλογοῦνται.

34‡‡ The Lord resists the proud; but he gives grace to the humble.Κύριος ὑπερηφάνοις ἀντιτάσσεται, ταπεινοῖς δὲ δίδωσι χάριν.

35The wise shall inherit glory; but the ungodly have exalted their own dishonor.Δόξαν σοφοὶ κληρονομήσουσιν, οἱ δὲ ἀσεβεῖς ὕψωσαν ἀτιμίαν.

Translator's Notes

These notes come from the printed edition of Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), and record where the Greek differs from the English rendering or admits more than one reading.

• v. 4*Alex. + 'and write them on the table of your heart.'
• v. 4†See Rom 12:17.
• v. 6‡Gr. divide. See 2 Tim 2:13.
• v. 11§Heb 12. 5, 6.
• v. 21**See Heb 2:1.
• v. 24††Gr. sit down.
• v. 34‡‡See 1 Pet 5:5.