Proverbs 24
1 Do not envy wicked men or desire their company;
Be not thou envious of wicked men, And desire not to be with them!
2 for their hearts devise violence, and their lips declare trouble.
For their heart studieth destruction, And their lips speak mischief.
3 By wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established;
Through wisdom is a house builded, And by understanding is it established;
4 through knowledge its rooms are filled with every precious and beautiful treasure.
Yea, by knowledge are the chambers filled With all precious and goodly substance.
5 A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge enhances his strength.
The wise man is strong; Yea, the man of understanding establisheth his strength.
6 Only with sound guidance should you wage war, and victory lies in a multitude of counselors.
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 does not open his mouth in the meeting place.
Wisdom is too high for the fool; He openeth not his mouth at the gate.
8 He who plots evil will be called a schemer.
He that deviseth to do evil Shall be called mischief-master.
9 A foolish scheme is sin, and a mocker is detestable to men.
The purpose of folly is sin; And a scoffer is an abomination to men.
10 If you faint in the day of distress, how small is your strength!
If thy spirit faint in the day of adversity, Faint will be thy strength.
11 Rescue those being led away to death, and restrain those stumbling toward the slaughter.
Deliver thou those who are dragged to death, And those who totter to the slaughter, —O keep them back!
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 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 Eat honey, my son, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to your taste.
Eat honey, my son, for it is good, And the honeycomb, which is 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 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 Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, near the dwelling 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 though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up; but the wicked stumble in bad times.
For though the righteous fall seven times, yet shall he rise up again; But the wicked shall fall into mischief.
17 Do not gloat when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles,
Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, And let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth;
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 anger from him.
19 Do not fret over evildoers, and do not be envious of the wicked.
Fret not thyself on account of evil men, Neither be thou envious of the wicked;
20 For the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.
For there shall be no posterity 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 the LORD and the king; And mingle not with them that are given to change!
22 For they will bring sudden destruction. Who knows what ruin they can bring?
For their calamity shall rise up suddenly, And their ruin, coming from them both, in a moment.
23 These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.
These also are words of the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
24 Whoever tells the guilty, “You are innocent”— peoples will curse him, and nations will denounce him;
He that saith to the wicked, “Thou art righteous,” Him shall the people curse; Nations shall abhor him.
25 but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come upon them.
But it shall be well with them that punish him, And the blessing of prosperity shall come upon them.
26 An honest answer given is like a kiss on the lips.
He that giveth a right answer Kisseth the lips.
27 Complete your outdoor work and prepare your field; after that, you may build your house.
Arrange thy work without, And prepare it in thy field: Afterwards thou mayst build thy house.
28 Do not testify against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips.
Be not a witness without cause against thy neighbor, 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, “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 past the field of a slacker and by the vineyard of a man lacking judgment.
I passed by the field of the slothful, 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 overgrown with thorns, And the face thereof was covered with nettles, And the stone wall thereof was broken down.
32 I observed and took it to heart; I looked and received instruction:
Then I saw, and considered it well; I looked upon it. and received instruction.
33 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,
“A little sleep, a little slumber! A little folding of the hands to rest!”
34 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.
So shall poverty come upon thee like a highwayman; Yea, want like an armed man.
