Proverbs 24
1 Do not envy wicked men or desire their company;
Have no envy for evil men, or any desire to be with them:
2 for their hearts devise violence, and their lips declare trouble.
For the purposes of their hearts are destruction, and their lips are talking of trouble.
3 By wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established;
The building of a house is by wisdom, and by reason it is made strong:
4 through knowledge its rooms are filled with every precious and beautiful treasure.
And by knowledge its rooms are full of all dear and pleasing things.
5 A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge enhances his strength.
A wise man is strong; and a man of knowledge makes strength greater.
6 Only with sound guidance should you wage war, and victory lies in a multitude of counselors.
For by wise guiding you will overcome in war: and in a number of wise guides there is salvation.
7 Wisdom is too high for a fool; he does not open his mouth in the meeting place.
Wisdom is outside the power of the foolish: he keeps his mouth shut in the public place.
8 He who plots evil will be called a schemer.
He whose purposes are bad will be named a man of evil designs.
9 A foolish scheme is sin, and a mocker is detestable to men.
The purpose of the foolish is sin: and the hater of authority is disgusting to others.
10 If you faint in the day of distress, how small is your strength!
If you give way in the day of trouble, your strength is small.
11 Rescue those being led away to death, and restrain those stumbling toward the slaughter.
Be the saviour of those who are given up to death, and do not keep back help from those who are slipping to destruction.
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 you say, See, we had no knowledge of this: does not the tester of hearts give thought to it? and he who keeps your soul, has he no knowledge of it? and will he not give to every man the reward of his work?
13 Eat honey, my son, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to your taste.
My son, take honey, for it is good; and the flowing honey, which is sweet to your 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 let your desire be for wisdom: if you have it, there will be a future, and your hope will 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.
Do not keep a secret watch, O evil-doer, against the fields of the upright man, or send destruction on 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 an upright man, after falling seven times, will get up again: but trouble is the downfall of the evil.
17 Do not gloat when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles,
Do not be glad at the fall of your hater, and let not your heart have joy at his downfall:
18 or the LORD will see and disapprove, and turn His wrath away from him.
For fear that the Lord may see it, and it may be evil in his eyes, and his wrath may be turned away from him.
19 Do not fret over evildoers, and do not be envious of the wicked.
Do not be troubled because of evil-doers, or have envy of sinners:
20 For the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.
For there will be no future for the evil man; the light of sinners will be put out.
21 My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not associate with the rebellious.
My son, go in fear of the Lord and the king: have nothing to do with those who are in high positions:
22 For they will bring sudden destruction. Who knows what ruin they can bring?
For their downfall will come suddenly; and who has knowledge of the destruction of those in high positions?
23 These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.
These are more sayings of the wise: To have respect for a person's position when judging is not good.
24 Whoever tells the guilty, “You are innocent”— peoples will curse him, and nations will denounce him;
He who says to the evil-doer, You are upright, will be cursed by peoples and hated by nations.
25 but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come upon them.
But those who say sharp words to him will have delight, and a blessing of good will come on them.
26 An honest answer given is like a kiss on the lips.
He gives a kiss with his lips who gives a right answer.
27 Complete your outdoor work and prepare your field; after that, you may build your house.
Put your work in order outside, and make it ready in the field; and after that, see to the building of your house.
28 Do not testify against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips.
Do not be a violent witness against your neighbour, or let your lips say what is false.
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 to him as he has done to me; I will give the man the reward of 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 hater of work, and by the vine-garden of the man without sense;
31 Thorns had grown up everywhere, thistles had covered the ground, and the stone wall was broken down.
And it was all full of thorns, and covered with waste plants, and its stone wall was broken down.
32 I observed and took it to heart; I looked and received instruction:
Then looking at it, I gave thought: I saw, and I got teaching from it.
33 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,
A little sleep, a little rest, a little folding of the hands in sleep:
34 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.
So loss will come on you like an outlaw, and your need like an armed man.
