Chapter 3

First paragraph:  Son, listen well.  Don't forget these things, and you will have a long and peaceful life.  Then some basic keys to this are listed:

First instruction: 3, 4, First, have steadfast love and faithfulness, and so find favor in the sight of God and man.  These should be the character traits that you are known by. 

Second instruction: 5-8, Trust in the Lord completely.  Look always to Him.  Don't depend on yourself at all.  Find your answers in His Word, not in your own intelligence, not from Greek Philosophers.  From God alone.  The result will be a healthy life.

Third instruction:  9, 10, Honor God with your wealth, possessions, and so on.  Tithe.  Be generous in tithing.  Give to God, and He will give back to you.

Fourth instruction: 11, 12, If you are "reproved", accept it as God's way of teaching those He loves.  This is not punishment so much as reproof.  Refining.  Guiding.  Figure out what you are being reproved about, and work on that part of your character. 

Verses : 13-18, On the benefits of searching for wisdom as a way of life.

Vss 19,20,

19 The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens; 20 by his knowledge the deeps broke open, and the clouds drop down the dew. [Pro 3:19-20 ESV]

Wisdom is the basis of God's created universe.  Order, logic, predictability were all built in from the very beginning.  Sin introduced chance.  Sin produced effects without cause.  Because of randomness, evil profit and righteous suffer sometimes.  Disease attacks both the evil and the good.  Since wisdom was fundamental in creation, it needs to be foundational in our thinking. 

Vss 21-27, Hang on to wisdom and discretion, and so have peace when others fear.  You won't have to be afraid because your confidence is in God, and you can be generous, rather than worrying about keeping everything close, just in case.  Seems like this should only go through 26, and that 27 belongs with the next section...but maybe not.

Vss  28-35, We seem to shift (at 27 really) into more practical day to day statements of advice, each one verse long.  There are five of these.  The first two about neighbors, then about dealing with strangers, and then about evil men. 

God's curse is on the evil.  Results to those who choose evil are that God scorns them.

27 says do good to others when they deserve it, and when it is in your power.

28 says pay your debts as soon as you have the ability to do so.  Keep current accounts.

29 says get along with your neighbor!

30 Don't start trouble for no good reason.  Don't be aggressive for aggression's sake. 

31 Don't wish you had what the violent have.  Don't covet this way of living. 

32-35 are about results.  The effects that go with the cause.  They are about how God sees these things, and about how God works.  God curses the wicked, blesses the righteous.  A straight up easy to comprehend contrast.  Here again, as in the FB post from Psalms, God gives us back what we dish out.  He scorns the scorners.  He honors the humble - as they do not honor themselves. 

2021 - Vs. 34:

34 Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor. [Pro 3:34 ESV].  Looked up scornful because it is not that common a word for us today.  It is an interesting word.  It means what it says, certainly.  It is from a Hebrew word pronounced "loots".  In its most literal sense, it means "to make mouths".  In that regard it is associated with interpreting a foreign language.  Try reading Spanish or French, and see if you don't twist your  mouth and tongue into some pretty awkward and unusual positions.  It also means to scorn, to talk arrogantly.  What bothered me about this is it said that God is scornful in this situation.  So I don't think we should use arrogant.  God can't be arrogant.  Here is what Merriam-Webster says about "scorn"

              1    : open dislike and disrespect or mockery often mixed with indignation                                                              

              2    : an expression of contempt or derision                                                              

              3    : an object of extreme disdain, contempt, or derision : something contemptible                          

I think the verse could as easily, and more understandably to me, say "Toward the contemptuous he is contemptuous".   Or something like that...But it would be bad translation.  Looking at Merriam-Webster again, it creates a problem in that contemptuous is an adjective, and "loots" is a verb.  Can't really do that.  I think the bottom line, after all that, is that you don't want God scorning you.