Proverbs 24
1 Be not thou envious against evil men, nor desire to be with them.
Be not thou envious of wicked men, And desire not to be with them!
2 For their heart meditates oppression, and their lips talk of mischief.
For their heart studieth destruction, And their lips speak mischief.
3 Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established,
Through wisdom is a house builded, And by understanding is it established;
4 and by knowledge the chambers are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
Yea, by knowledge are the chambers filled With all precious and goodly substance.
5 A wise man is strong, yea, a man of knowledge increases might.
The wise man is strong; Yea, the man of understanding establisheth his strength.
6 For by wise guidance thou shall make thy war, and in the multitude of counselors there is safety.
For by wise counsel shalt thou make war, And by the multitude of counsellors cometh success.
7 Wisdom is too high for a fool. He opens not his mouth in the gate.
Wisdom is too high for the fool; He openeth not his mouth at the gate.
8 He who devises to do evil, men shall call him a mischief-maker.
He that deviseth to do evil Shall be called mischief-master.
9 The thought of folly is sin. And the scoffer is an abomination to men.
The purpose of folly is sin; And a scoffer is an abomination to men.
10 If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.
If thy spirit faint in the day of adversity, Faint will be thy strength.
11 Deliver those who are carried away to death, and hold thou back those who are ready to be slain.
Deliver thou those who are dragged to death, And those who totter to the slaughter, —O keep them back!
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 sayst, “Behold, we knew it not!” Doth not he that weigheth the heart observe it? Yea, he that keepeth thy soul knoweth it. And he will render to every 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,
Eat honey, my son, for it is good, And the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste;
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 learn thou wisdom for thy soul! When thou hast found it, there shall be a reward, And thy expectation shall not be cut off.
15 Lay not in wait, O wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous. Do not destroy his resting place.
Plot not, O wicked man! against the habitation of the righteous; Spoil not his resting-place!
16 For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises up again, but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.
For though the righteous fall seven times, yet shall he rise up again; But the wicked shall fall into mischief.
17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falls, and let not thy heart be glad when he is overthrown,
Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, And let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth;
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 anger from him.
19 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, nor be thou envious at the wicked.
Fret not thyself on account of evil men, Neither be thou envious of the wicked;
20 For there shall be no reward to the evil man. The lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
For there shall be no posterity to the evil man; 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 thou the LORD and the king; And mingle not with them that are given to change!
22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly, and the destruction from them both, who knows it?
For their calamity shall rise up suddenly, And their ruin, coming from them both, in a moment.
23 These also are from the wise: To have respect of persons in judgment is not good.
These also are words of the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
24 He who says to a wicked man, Thou are righteous, peoples shall curse him, nations shall abhor him.
He that saith to the wicked, “Thou art righteous,” Him shall the people curse; Nations shall abhor him.
25 But to those who rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.
But it shall be well with them that punish him, And the blessing of prosperity shall come upon them.
26 He who gives a right answer kisses the lips.
He that giveth a right answer Kisseth the lips.
27 Prepare thy work outside, and make it ready for thee in the field, and afterwards build thy house.
Arrange thy work without, And prepare it in thy field: Afterwards thou mayst build thy house.
28 Be not a witness against thy neighbor without cause, and deceive not with thy lips.
Be not a witness without cause against thy neighbor, And deceive not 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, “As he hath done to me, So will I do to him; I will render to the man according to his doings.”
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, And by the vineyard of the man void of understanding,
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, lo! it was all overgrown with thorns, And the face thereof was covered with nettles, And the stone wall thereof was broken down.
32 Then I beheld, and considered well. I saw, and received instruction:
Then I saw, and considered it well; I looked upon it. and received instruction.
33 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep,
“A little sleep, a little slumber! A little folding of the hands to rest!”
34 so thy poverty shall come as a robber, and thy want as an armed man.
So shall poverty come upon thee like a highwayman; Yea, want like an armed man.
