Proverbs 24
1 Do not envy wicked men or desire their company;
Seek not to be like evil men, neither desire to be with them:
2 for their hearts devise violence, and their lips declare trouble.
Because their mind studieth robberies, and their lips speak deceits.
3 By 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 through knowledge its rooms are filled with every precious and beautiful treasure.
By instruction the storerooms shall be filled with all precious and most beautiful wealth.
5 A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge enhances his strength.
A wise man is strong: and a knowing man, stout and valiant.
6 Only with sound guidance should you wage war, and victory lies in a multitude of counselors.
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 does not open his mouth in the meeting place.
Wisdom is too high for a fool, in the gate he shall not open his mouth.
8 He who plots evil will be called a schemer.
He that deviseth to do evils, shall be called a fool.
9 A foolish scheme is sin, and a mocker is detestable to men.
The thought of a fool is sin: and the detracter is the abomination of men.
10 If you faint in the day of distress, how small is your strength!
If thou lose hope being weary in the day of distress, thy strength shall be diminished.
11 Rescue those being led away to death, and restrain those stumbling toward the slaughter.
Deliver them that are led to death: and those that are drawn to death forbear not to deliver.
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: 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 Eat honey, my son, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to your taste.
Fat honey, my son, because it is good, and the honeycomb most sweet to thy throat:
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 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 Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, near the dwelling 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 though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up; but the wicked stumble in bad times.
For a just mall shall fall seven times and shall rise again: but the wicked shall fall down into evil.
17 Do not gloat when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles,
When thy enemy shall fall, be not glad, and in his ruin let not thy heart rejoice:
18 or the LORD will see and disapprove, and turn His wrath away from him.
Lest the Lord see, 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.
Contend not with the wicked, nor seek to be like the ungodly:
20 For the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.
For evil men have no hope of things to come, and 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 the Lord and the king: and have nothing to do with detracters.
22 For they will bring sudden destruction. Who knows what ruin they can bring?
For their destruction shall rise suddenly: and who knoweth the ruin of both?
23 These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.
These things also to the wise: It is not good to have respect to persons in judgment.
24 Whoever tells the guilty, “You are innocent”— peoples will curse him, and nations will denounce 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 it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come upon them.
They that rebuke him, shall be praised: and a blessing shall come upon them.
26 An honest answer given is like a kiss on the lips.
He shall kiss the lips, who answereth right words.
27 Complete your outdoor work and prepare your field; after that, you may build your house.
Prepare thy work without, and diligently till thy ground: that afterward thou mayst build thy house.
28 Do not testify against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips.
Be not witness without cause against thy neighbour: and deceive not any man 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 to him as he hath done to me: I will render to every one according to his work.
30 I went past the field of a slacker and by the vineyard of a man lacking judgment.
I passed by the field of the slothful man, and by the vineyard of the foolish man:
31 Thorns had grown up everywhere, thistles had covered the ground, and the stone wall 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 I observed and took it to heart; I looked and received instruction:
Which when I had seen, I laid it up in my heart, and by the example I received instruction.
33 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,
Thou wilt sleep a little, said I, thou wilt slumber a little, thou wilt fold thy hands a little to rest:
34 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.
And poverty shall come to thee as a runner, and beggary as an armed man.
