Proverbs 24
1 Be not thou envious against evil men, nor desire to be with them.
Seek not to be like evil men, neither desire to be with them:
2 For their heart meditates oppression, and their lips talk of mischief.
Because their mind studieth robberies, and their lips speak deceits.
3 Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established,
By wisdom the house shall be built, and by prudence it shall be strengthened.
4 and by knowledge the chambers are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
By instruction the storerooms shall be filled with all precious and most beautiful wealth.
5 A wise man is strong, yea, a man of knowledge increases might.
A wise man is strong: and a knowing man, stout and valiant.
6 For by wise guidance thou shall make thy war, and in the multitude of counselors there is safety.
Because war is managed by due ordering: and there shall be safety where there are many counsels.
7 Wisdom is too high for a fool. He opens not his mouth in the gate.
Wisdom is too high for a fool, in the gate he shall not open his mouth.
8 He who devises to do evil, men shall call him a mischief-maker.
He that deviseth to do evils, shall be called a fool.
9 The thought of folly is sin. And the scoffer is an abomination to men.
The thought of a fool is sin: and the detracter is the abomination of men.
10 If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.
If thou lose hope being weary in the day of distress, thy strength shall be diminished.
11 Deliver those who are carried away to death, and hold thou back those who are ready to be slain.
Deliver them that are led to death: and those that are drawn to death forbear not to deliver.
12 If thou say, Behold, we did not know this, Does not he who weighs the hearts consider it? And he who keeps thy soul, does he not know it? And shall not he render to every man according to his work?
If thou say: I have not strength enough: he that seeth into the heart, he understandeth, and nothing deceiveth the keeper of thy soul, and he shall render to a man according to his works.
13 My son, eat thou honey, for it is good, and the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to thy taste,
Fat honey, my son, because it is good, and the honeycomb most sweet to thy throat:
14 so the knowledge of wisdom is to thy soul. If thou have found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy hope shall not be cut off.
So also is the doctrine of wisdom to thy soul: which when thou hast found, thou shalt have hope in the end, and thy hope shall not perish.
15 Lay not in wait, O wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous. Do not destroy his resting place.
Lie not in wait, nor seek after wickedness in the house of the just, nor spoil his rest.
16 For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises up again, but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.
For a just mall shall fall seven times and shall rise again: but the wicked shall fall down into evil.
17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falls, and let not thy heart be glad when he is overthrown,
When thy enemy shall fall, be not glad, and in his ruin let not thy heart rejoice:
18 lest Jehovah see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.
Lest the Lord see, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.
19 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, nor be thou envious at the wicked.
Contend not with the wicked, nor seek to be like the ungodly:
20 For there shall be no reward to the evil man. The lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
For evil men have no hope of things to come, and the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
21 My son, fear thou Jehovah and the king, and do not associate with those who are given to change.
My son, fear the Lord and the king: and have nothing to do with detracters.
22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly, and the destruction from them both, who knows it?
For their destruction shall rise suddenly: and who knoweth the ruin of both?
23 These also are from the wise: To have respect of persons in judgment is not good.
These things also to the wise: It is not good to have respect to persons in judgment.
24 He who says to a wicked man, Thou are righteous, peoples shall curse him, nations shall abhor him.
They that say to the wicked man: Thou art just: shall be cursed by the people, and the tribes shall abhor them.
25 But to those who rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.
They that rebuke him, shall be praised: and a blessing shall come upon them.
26 He who gives a right answer kisses the lips.
He shall kiss the lips, who answereth right words.
27 Prepare thy work outside, and make it ready for thee in the field, and afterwards build thy house.
Prepare thy work without, and diligently till thy ground: that afterward thou mayst build thy house.
28 Be not a witness against thy neighbor without cause, and deceive not with thy lips.
Be not witness without cause against thy neighbour: and deceive not any man with thy lips.
29 Say not, I will do so to him as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.
Say not: I will do to him as he hath done to me: I will render to every one according to his work.
30 I went by the field of the sluggard, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding.
I passed by the field of the slothful man, and by the vineyard of the foolish man:
31 And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns. The face of it was covered with nettles, and the stone wall of it was broken down.
And behold it was all filled with nettles, and thorns had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall was broken down.
32 Then I beheld, and considered well. I saw, and received instruction:
Which when I had seen, I laid it up in my heart, and by the example I received instruction.
33 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep,
Thou wilt sleep a little, said I, thou wilt slumber a little, thou wilt fold thy hands a little to rest:
34 so thy poverty shall come as a robber, and thy want as an armed man.
And poverty shall come to thee as a runner, and beggary as an armed man.
