Proverbs 3

Bishops^{(i) 1} My sonne, forget not thou my lawe, but see that thine heart kepe my commaundementes ² For they shal prolong the dayes and yeres of thy lyfe, and bryng thee peace ³ Let mercie and faithfulnesse neuer go from thee: binde them about thy necke, and write them in the tables of thyne heart ⁴ So shalt thou finde fauour and good vnderstandyng in the sight of God and men ⁵ Put thy trust in God with all thine heart: & leane not vnto thine owne wit ⁶ In all thy wayes acknowledge him, and he shall order thy goynges ⁷ Be not wise in thine owne conceipt: but feare the Lorde, and depart from euyll ⁸ So shall thy nauell be whole, and thy bones strong ⁹ Honour the Lorde with thy substaunce, and with the firstlynges of all thyne encrease ¹⁰ So shall thy barnes be filled with plenteousnesse, and thy presses shall flowe ouer with sweete wine ¹¹ My sonne refuse not the chastening of the Lorde, neither faynt when thou art corrected of hym ¹² For whom the Lorde loueth, him he chasteneth, and yet deliteth in him, euen as a father in his owne sonne ¹³ Well is hym that findeth wysdome, and getteth vnderstandyng ¹⁴ For the marchaundise of it, is better then the marchaundise of siluer, and the gayne therof [is better] then golde ¹⁵ She is more worth then pretious stones: and all the thinges that thou canst desire, are not to be compared vnto her ¹⁶ In her right hande is long life, and in her left hande riches and honour ¹⁷ Her wayes are pleasaunt wayes, and all her pathes are peaceable ¹⁸ She is a tree of lyfe to them that lay holde vpon her: and blessed is he that kepeth her fast ¹⁹ With wysdome hath the Lorde layde the foundation of the earth, and thorow vnderstanding hath he stablished the heauens ²⁰ Thorow his knowledge the deapthes are broken vp, and the cloudes droppe downe the deawe ²¹ My sonne, let not these thinges depart from thyne eyes, but kepe wysdome and vnderstanding ²² So they shall be lyfe vnto thy soule, and grace vnto thy mouth ²³ Then shalt thou walke safely in thy way, and thy foote shall not stumble ²⁴ If thou sleepest, thou shalt not be afraide: but shalt take thy rest, and sleepe sweetely ²⁵ Thou shalt not be afraide of any sodayne feare, neither for the violent rushing in of the vngodly when it commeth ²⁶ For the Lorde shall stande by thy side, & kepe thy foote that thou be not taken ²⁷ Withdraw no good thyng from them that haue nede, so long as thyne hande is able to do it ²⁸ Say not vnto thy neyghbour, go thy way and come agayne, and to morowe wyll I geue thee: where as thou hast nowe to geue hym ²⁹ Intende no hurt against thy neyghbour, seing he hopeth to dwell in rest by thee ³⁰ Striue not with any man without a cause, where as he hath done thee no harme ³¹ Folowe not a wicked man, and chose none of his wayes ³² For the Lord abhorreth the froward: but his counsayle is among the righteous ³³ The curse of the Lord is in the house of the vngodly: but he blesseth the dwellinges of the righteous ³⁴ As for the scornfull, doth he not laugh them to scorne? but he geueth grace vnto the lowly ³⁵ The wyse shall haue honour in possession: but shame is the promotion that fooles shall haue