Proverbs 3:3 (ASV)

Passage

Let not kindness and truth forsake thee: Bind them about thy neck; Write them upon the tablet of thy heart:

Nearby Context

Proverbs 3:1 My son, forget not my law; But let thy heart keep my commandments:

Proverbs 3:2 For length of days, and years of life, And peace, will they add to thee.

Proverbs 3:3 Let not kindness and truth forsake thee: Bind them about thy neck; Write them upon the tablet of thy heart:

Proverbs 3:4 So shalt thou find favor and good understanding In the sight of God and man.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in Jehovah with all thy heart, And lean not upon thine own understanding:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "kindness", "truth", "forsake", "thee", "bind", "neck", "write", and "upon". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "kindness" and "truth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "For length of days and years of..." into verse 4's "So shalt thou find favor and good...", so "kindness" and "truth" belong inside that flow. In Proverbs context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "kindness" and "truth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.