Proverbs 24
1 Do not envy wicked men or desire their company;
Be not thou envious against evil men, nor desire to be with them.
2 for their hearts devise violence, and their lips declare trouble.
For their heart meditates oppression, and their lips talk of mischief.
3 By wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established;
Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established,
4 through knowledge its rooms are filled with every precious and beautiful treasure.
and by knowledge the chambers are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
5 A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge enhances his strength.
A wise man is strong, yea, a man of knowledge increases might.
6 Only with sound guidance should you wage war, and victory lies in a multitude of counselors.
For by wise guidance thou shall make thy war, and in the multitude of counselors there is safety.
7 Wisdom is too high for a fool; he does not open his mouth in the meeting place.
Wisdom is too high for a fool. He opens not his mouth in the gate.
8 He who plots evil will be called a schemer.
He who devises to do evil, men shall call him a mischief-maker.
9 A foolish scheme is sin, and a mocker is detestable to men.
The thought of folly is sin. And the scoffer is an abomination to men.
10 If you faint in the day of distress, how small is your strength!
If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.
11 Rescue those being led away to death, and restrain those stumbling toward the slaughter.
Deliver those who are carried away to death, and hold thou back those who are ready to be slain.
12 If you say, “Behold, we did not know about this,” does not He who weighs hearts consider it? Does not the One who guards your life know? Will He not repay a man according to his deeds?
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?
13 Eat honey, my son, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to your taste.
My son, eat thou honey, for it is good, and the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to thy taste,
14 Know therefore that wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, there is a future for you, and your hope will never be cut off.
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.
15 Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, near the dwelling of the righteous; do not destroy his resting place.
Lay not in wait, O wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous. Do not destroy his resting place.
16 For though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up; but the wicked stumble in bad times.
For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises up again, but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.
17 Do not gloat when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles,
Rejoice not when thine enemy falls, and let not thy heart be glad when he is overthrown,
18 or the LORD will see and disapprove, and turn His wrath away from him.
lest Jehovah see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.
19 Do not fret over evildoers, and do not be envious of the wicked.
Fret not thyself because of evildoers, nor be thou envious at the wicked.
20 For the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.
For there shall be no reward to the evil man. The lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
21 My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not associate with the rebellious.
My son, fear thou Jehovah and the king, and do not associate with those who are given to change.
22 For they will bring sudden destruction. Who knows what ruin they can bring?
For their calamity shall rise suddenly, and the destruction from them both, who knows it?
23 These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.
These also are from the wise: To have respect of persons in judgment is not good.
24 Whoever tells the guilty, “You are innocent”— peoples will curse him, and nations will denounce him;
He who says to a wicked man, Thou are righteous, peoples shall curse him, nations shall abhor him.
25 but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come upon them.
But to those who rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.
26 An honest answer given is like a kiss on the lips.
He who gives a right answer kisses the lips.
27 Complete your outdoor work and prepare your field; after that, you may build your house.
Prepare thy work outside, and make it ready for thee in the field, and afterwards build thy house.
28 Do not testify against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips.
Be not a witness against thy neighbor without cause, and deceive not with thy lips.
29 Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will repay the man according to his work.”
Say not, I will do so to him as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.
30 I went past the field of a slacker and by the vineyard of a man lacking judgment.
I went by the field of the sluggard, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding.
31 Thorns had grown up everywhere, thistles had covered the ground, and the stone wall was broken down.
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.
32 I observed and took it to heart; I looked and received instruction:
Then I beheld, and considered well. I saw, and received instruction:
33 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep,
34 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.
so thy poverty shall come as a robber, and thy want as an armed man.
