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Proverbs 3 (Mishlei) in Hebrew and English

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Tenakh Study · Read Proverbs in Hebrew and English, one chapter per page. Our Tenakh study meets every Wednesday at 7 pm (Central Time) on Zoom. Text us for the Zoom link.

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Tenakh Study · Proverbs 3:1–35

Proverbs, Chapter 3

משלי ג

A son is told to keep the Torah and commandments, to trust in Hashem with all his heart, to honour Him with his substance and accept His correction; wisdom is praised as a tree of life by which Hashem founded the earth, and the son is warned to deal rightly with his neighbour.

Trust in Hashem

3:1My son, forget not my Torah; but let your heart keep my commandments:

אבְּ֭נִי תּוֹרָתִ֣י אַל־תִּשְׁכָּ֑ח וּ֝מִצְוֺתַ֗י יִצֹּ֥ר לִבֶּֽךָ׃

3:2For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to you.

בכִּ֤י אֹ֣רֶךְ יָ֭מִים וּשְׁנ֣וֹת חַיִּ֑ים וְ֝שָׁל֗וֹם יוֹסִ֥יפוּ לָֽךְ׃

3:3Let not mercy and truth forsake you: bind them about your neck; write them upon the table of your heart:

גחֶ֥סֶד וֶאֱמֶ֗ת אַֽל־יַעַ֫זְבֻ֥ךָ קָשְׁרֵ֥ם עַל־גַּרְגְּרוֹתֶ֑יךָ כָּ֝תְבֵ֗ם עַל־ל֥וּחַ לִבֶּֽךָ׃

3:4So shall you find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

דוּמְצָא־חֵ֖ן וְשֵֽׂכֶל־ט֑וֹב בְּעֵינֵ֖י אֱלֹהִ֣ים וְאָדָֽם׃

3:5Trust in Hashem with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding.

הבְּטַ֣ח אֶל־יְ֭הוָה בְּכָל־לִבֶּ֑ךָ וְאֶל־בִּֽ֝ינָתְךָ֗ אַל־תִּשָּׁעֵֽן׃

3:6In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

ובְּכָל־דְּרָכֶ֥יךָ דָעֵ֑הוּ וְ֝ה֗וּא יְיַשֵּׁ֥ר אֹֽרְחֹתֶֽיךָ׃

3:7Be not wise in your own eyes: fear Hashem, and depart from evil.

זאַל־תְּהִ֣י חָכָ֣ם בְּעֵינֶ֑יךָ יְרָ֥א אֶת־יְ֝הוָ֗ה וְס֣וּר מֵרָֽע׃

3:8It shall be health to your navel, and marrow to your bones.

חרִ֭פְאוּת תְּהִ֣י לְשָׁרֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝שִׁקּ֗וּי לְעַצְמוֹתֶֽיךָ׃

3:9Honour Hashem with your substance, and with the firstfruits of all your increase:

טכַּבֵּ֣ד אֶת־יְ֭הוָה מֵהוֹנֶ֑ךָ וּ֝מֵרֵאשִׁ֗ית כָּל־תְּבוּאָתֶֽךָ׃

3:10So shall your barns be filled with plenty, and your presses shall burst out with new wine.

יוְיִמָּלְא֣וּ אֲסָמֶ֣יךָ שָׂבָ֑ע וְ֝תִיר֗וֹשׁ יְקָבֶ֥יךָ יִפְרֹֽצוּ׃

3:11My son, despise not the chastening of Hashem; neither be weary of His correction:

יאמוּסַ֣ר יְ֭הוָה בְּנִ֣י אַל־תִּמְאָ֑ס וְאַל־תָּ֝קֹ֗ץ בְּתוֹכַחְתּֽוֹ׃

3:12For whom Hashem loves He corrects; even as a father the son in whom he delights.

יבכִּ֤י אֶ֥ת אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֶאֱהַ֣ב יְהוָ֣ה יוֹכִ֑יחַ וּ֝כְאָ֗ב אֶת־בֵּ֥ן יִרְצֶֽה׃

Happy is the man that finds wisdom

3:13Happy is the man that finds wisdom, and the man that gets understanding.

יגאַשְׁרֵ֣י אָ֭דָם מָצָ֣א חָכְמָ֑ה וְ֝אָדָ֗ם יָפִ֥יק תְּבוּנָֽה׃

3:14For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.

ידכִּ֤י ט֣וֹב סַ֭חְרָהּ מִסְּחַר־כָּ֑סֶף וּ֝מֵחָר֗וּץ תְּבוּאָתָֽהּ׃

3:15She is more precious than rubies: and all the things you can desire are not to be compared unto her.

טויְקָ֣רָה הִ֭יא מִפְּנִינִ֑ים (כתיב מפניים) וְכָל־חֲ֝פָצֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א יִֽשְׁווּ־בָֽהּ׃

3:16Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.

טזאֹ֣רֶךְ יָ֭מִים בִּֽימִינָ֑הּ בִּ֝שְׂמֹאולָ֗הּ עֹ֣שֶׁר וְכָבֽוֹד׃

3:17Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

יזדְּרָכֶ֥יהָ דַרְכֵי־נֹ֑עַם וְֽכָל־נְתִ֖יבוֹתֶ֣יהָ שָׁלֽוֹם׃

3:18She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retains her.

יחעֵץ־חַיִּ֣ים הִ֭יא לַמַּחֲזִיקִ֣ים בָּ֑הּ וְֽתֹמְכֶ֥יהָ מְאֻשָּֽׁר׃

3:19Hashem by wisdom has founded the earth; by understanding has He established the heavens.

יטיְֽהוָ֗ה בְּחָכְמָ֥ה יָֽסַד־אָ֑רֶץ כּוֹנֵ֥ן שָׁ֝מַ֗יִם בִּתְבוּנָֽה׃

3:20By His knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.

כבְּ֭דַעְתּוֹ תְּהוֹמ֣וֹת נִבְקָ֑עוּ וּ֝שְׁחָקִ֗ים יִרְעֲפוּ־טָֽל׃

Keep sound wisdom

3:21My son, let not them depart from your eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:

כאבְּ֭נִי אַל־יָלֻ֣זוּ מֵעֵינֶ֑יךָ נְצֹ֥ר תֻּ֝שִׁיָּ֗ה וּמְזִמָּֽה׃

3:22So shall they be life unto your soul, and grace to your neck.

כבוְיִֽהְי֣וּ חַיִּ֣ים לְנַפְשֶׁ֑ךָ וְ֝חֵ֗ן לְגַרְגְּרֹתֶֽיךָ׃

3:23Then shall you walk in your way safely, and your foot shall not stumble.

כגאָ֤ז תֵּלֵ֣ךְ לָבֶ֣טַח דַּרְכֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝רַגְלְךָ֗ לֹ֣א תִגּֽוֹף׃

3:24When you lie down, you shall not be afraid: yea, you shall lie down, and your sleep shall be sweet.

כדאִם־תִּשְׁכַּ֥ב לֹֽא־תִפְחָ֑ד וְ֝שָׁכַבְתָּ֗ וְֽעָרְבָ֥ה שְׁנָתֶֽךָ׃

3:25Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it comes.

כהאַל־תִּ֭ירָא מִפַּ֣חַד פִּתְאֹ֑ם וּמִשֹּׁאַ֥ת רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים כִּ֣י תָבֹֽא׃

3:26For Hashem shall be your confidence, and shall keep your foot from being taken.

כוכִּֽי־יְ֭הוָה יִהְיֶ֣ה בְכִסְלֶ֑ךָ וְשָׁמַ֖ר רַגְלְךָ֣ מִלָּֽכֶד׃

Your neighbour

3:27Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do it.

כזאַל־תִּמְנַע־ט֥וֹב מִבְּעָלָ֑יו בִּהְי֨וֹת לְאֵ֖ל יָדְךָ֣ (כתיב ידיך) לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃

3:28Say not unto your neighbour, “Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give;” when you have it by you.

כחאַל־תֹּ֘אמַ֤ר לְרֵֽעֲךָ֨ (כתיב לרעיך) ׀ לֵ֣ךְ וָ֭שׁוּב וּמָחָ֥ר אֶתֵּ֗ן וְיֵ֣שׁ אִתָּֽךְ׃

3:29Devise not evil against your neighbour, seeing he dwells securely by you.

כטאַל־תַּחֲרֹ֣שׁ עַל־רֵעֲךָ֣ רָעָ֑ה וְהֽוּא־יוֹשֵׁ֖ב לָבֶ֣טַח אִתָּֽךְ׃

3:30Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done you no harm.

לאַל־תָּרִ֣יב (כתיב תרוב) עִם־אָדָ֣ם חִנָּ֑ם אִם־לֹ֖א גְמָלְךָ֣ רָעָֽה׃

3:31Envy you not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.

לאאַל־תְּ֭קַנֵּא בְּאִ֣ישׁ חָמָ֑ס וְאַל־תִּ֝בְחַ֗ר בְּכָל־דְּרָכָֽיו׃

3:32For the froward is abomination to Hashem: but His secret is with the righteous.

לבכִּ֤י תוֹעֲבַ֣ת יְהוָ֣ה נָל֑וֹז וְֽאֶת־יְשָׁרִ֥ים סוֹדֽוֹ׃

3:33The curse of Hashem is in the house of the wicked: but He blesses the habitation of the just.

לגמְאֵרַ֣ת יְ֭הוָה בְּבֵ֣ית רָשָׁ֑ע וּנְוֵ֖ה צַדִּיקִ֣ים יְבָרֵֽךְ׃

3:34Surely He scorns the scorners: but He gives grace unto the lowly.

לדאִם־לַלֵּצִ֥ים הֽוּא־יָלִ֑יץ וְ֝לַעֲנָוִ֗ים (כתיב ולעניים) יִתֶּן־חֵֽן׃

3:35The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.

להכָּ֭בוֹד חֲכָמִ֣ים יִנְחָ֑לוּ וּ֝כְסִילִ֗ים מֵרִ֥ים קָלֽוֹן׃

Sources & method

Hebrew text
The Masoretic text with vowels (nikkud) and cantillation marks (ta’amim), from the Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain) as published by the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (CC BY 4.0). Where the written text (ketiv) differs from the reading (qere), the reading is shown and the written form follows in small type. A paragraph mark (ס or פ) inside a verse is shown in small type.
English translation
The King James Version (public domain), lightly modernized by Benei Avraham: “thee/thou/ye” become “you,” older verb forms are updated (“hath” to “has”), and archaic words are replaced only where the meaning would otherwise be unclear. People and places carry their Hebrew names, with the King James spelling in parentheses the first time on each page (e.g., Yehudah (Judah)). The Divine Name (יהוה, “the LORD” in the KJV) is written “Hashem”; “God” (Elohim) is unchanged, and “law” is “Torah” where the Hebrew is תּוֹרָה.
Verse numbers
Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible; in Proverbs they are the same as in most English Bibles.
Hebrew font
SBL Hebrew, by the Society of Biblical Literature.