rd

Proverbs 3

1 The word of God giveth life. 5 Trust in God. 7 Fear him. 9 honour him. 11 Suffer his correction. 22 To them that follow the word of God, all things shall succeed well.
1.My *son, forget not thou my Law, but let thine heart keep my commandments.
2.For they shall increase the length of thy adays and years of life, and thy prosperity.
3.Let not bmercy and truth forsake thee: bind them on thy cneck, and write them upon the table of thine dheart.
4.So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
5.¶ Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own wisdom.
6.In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy ways.
7.¶ Be not wise in thine own eyes: but fear the Lord, and depart from evil.
8.So health shalbe unto thy enavel, and marrow unto thy bones.
9.fHonour the Lord with thy riches, and with the first fruits of all thine increase.
10.So shall thy barns be filled with abundance, and thy presses shall gburst with new wine.
11.¶ My son, refuse not the chastening of the Lord, neither be grieved with his correction.
12.*For the Lord correcteth him, whom he loveth, even as the father doeth the child in whom he deliteth.
13.Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
14.For the merchandise thereof is better then the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof is better then gold.
15.It is more precious then pearls: and all things that thou canst desire, are not to be compared unto her.
16.Length of days is in her right hand, hand in her left hand riches and glory.
17.Her ways are ways of pleasure, and all her paths prosperitie.
18.She is a tree iof life to them that lay hold on her, and blessed is he that retaineth her.
19.The Lord by wisdom hath laid the kfoundation of the earth, and hath stablished the heavens through understanding.
20.By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.
21.My son, let not these things depart from thine eyes, but observe wisdom, and counsel.
22.So they shalbe life to thy soul, and grace unto thy ^neck.
23.Then shalt thou walk safely by thy way: and thy foot shall not stumble.
24.If thou sleepest, thou shalt not be afraid, and when thou sleepest, thy sleep shalbe sweet.
25.Thou shalt not fear for any sudden fear, neither for the ldestruction of the wicked, when it cometh.
26.For the Lord shalbe for thine assurance, and shall preserve thy foot from taking.
27.¶ Withhold not the good from mthe owners thereof, though there be power of thine hand to do it.
28.Say not unto thy neighbour, Go and come again, and to morrow will I give thee, if thou now have it.
29.¶ Intend not hurt against thy neighbour, seeing he doeth dwell nwithout fear by thee.
30.¶ Strive not with a man causeless, when he hath done thee no harm.
31.¶ Be not oenvious for the wicked man, neither choose any of his ways.
32.For the froward is abomination unto the Lord: but his psecret is with the righteous.
33.The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the righteous.
34.With the scornful qhe scorneth, but he giveth grace unto the humble.
35.The wise shall inherit glory: but fools dishonour, though they be exalted.

Notes

1-*.
Deut. 8.1 and 30.16
2-a.
Long life is the blessing of God which he gives to his, so far forth as it is expedient for them.
3-b.
By mercy and truth, he means the commandments of the first and second table: or else the mercy and faithfulness that we ought to use toward our neighbours.
3-c.
Keep them as a most precious jewel.
3-d.
Have them ever in remembrance.
8-e.
By this pair he comprehends the whole body, as by health he means all the benefits promised in the Law both corporal and spiritual.
9-f.
As was commanded in the Law, Exod. 23.19, Deut. 26.2 and by this they acknowledged that God was the giver of all things, and that they were ready to bestow all at his commandment.
10-g.
For to the faithful distributor God gives in greater abundance.
12-*.
Ebr., 12.5, Revel. 3.19.
16-h.
Meaning that he that seeks wisdom: that is, suffers himself to be governed by the word of God, shall have all prosperity both corporal & spiritual.
18-i.
Which brings forth such fruit that they that eat thereof, have life: and he alludes to the tree of life in Paradise.
19-k.
Hereby he shows that this wisdom, whereof he speaks, is everlasting, because it was before all creatures, and that all things, even the whole world were made by it.
22-^.
Or, throat, read chap. 1.9.
25-l.
For when God destroys the wicked, he will save his, as he did Lot in Sodom.
27-m.
Not only from them to whom the possession belongs, but also you shall not keep it from them, which have need of the use thereof.
29-n.
That is, puts his trust in you.
31-o.
Desire not to be like unto him.
32-p.
That is, his covenant and fatherly affection which is hid and secret from the world.
34-q.
He will show by his plagues that their scorns shall turn to their own destruction, as Chap. 1.26.