Proverbs 24
1 [My] son, envy not bad men, nor desire to be with them.
Be not thou envious against evil men, nor desire to be with them.
2 For their heart meditates falsehoods, and their lips speak mischiefs.
For their heart meditates oppression, and their lips talk of mischief.
3 A house is built by wisdom, and is set up by understanding.
Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established,
4 By discretion the chambers are filled with all precious and excellent wealth.
and by knowledge the chambers are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
5 A wise man is better than a strong man; and a man who has prudence than a large estate.
A wise man is strong, yea, a man of knowledge increases might.
6 War is carried on with generalship, and aid is supplied to the heart of a counsellor.
For by wise guidance thou shall make thy war, and in the multitude of counselors there is safety.
7 Wisdom and good understanding are in the gates of the wise: the wise turn not aside from the mouth of the Lord,
Wisdom is too high for a fool. He opens not his mouth in the gate.
8 but deliberate in council. Death befalls uninstructed [men].
He who devises to do evil, men shall call him a mischief-maker.
9 The fools also dies in sins; and uncleanness [attaches] to a pestilent man.
The thought of folly is sin. And the scoffer is an abomination to men.
10 He shall be defiled in the evil day, and in the day of affliction, until he be utterly consumed.
If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.
11 Deliver them that are led away to death, and redeem them that are appointed to be slain; spare not [thy help].
Deliver those who are carried away to death, and hold thou back those who are ready to be slain.
12 But if thou shouldest say, I know not this man; know that the Lord knows the hearts of all; and he that formed breath for all, he knows all things, who renders to every man according to his works.
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 [My] son, eat honey, for the honeycomb is good, that thy throat may be sweetened.
My son, eat thou honey, for it is good, and the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to thy taste,
14 Thus shalt thou perceive wisdom in thy soul: for if thou find it, thine end shall be good, and hope shall not fail thee.
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 Bring not an ungodly man into the dwelling of the righteous: neither be deceived by the feeding of the belly.
Lay not in wait, O wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous. Do not destroy his resting place.
16 For a righteous man will fall seven times, and rise [again]: but the ungodly shall be without strength in troubles.
For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises up again, but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.
17 If thine enemy should fall, rejoice not over him, neither be elated at his overthrow.
Rejoice not when thine enemy falls, and let not thy heart be glad when he is overthrown,
18 For the Lord will see [it], and it will not please him, and he will turn away his wrath from him.
lest Jehovah see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.
19 Rejoice not in evil-doers, neither be envious of sinners.
Fret not thyself because of evildoers, nor be thou envious at the wicked.
20 For the evil man shall have no posterity: and the light of the wicked shall be put out.
For there shall be no reward to the evil man. The lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
21 [My] son, fear God and the king; and do not disobey either of them.
My son, fear thou Jehovah and the king, and do not associate with those who are given to change.
22 For they will suddenly punish the ungodly, and who can know the vengeance [inflicted] by both?
For their calamity shall rise suddenly, and the destruction from them both, who knows it?
23 And this thing I say to you that are wise [for you] to learn: It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
These also are from the wise: To have respect of persons in judgment is not good.
24 He that says of the ungodly, He is righteous, shall be cursed by peoples, and hateful among the nations.
He who says to a wicked man, Thou are righteous, peoples shall curse him, nations shall abhor him.
25 But they that reprove [him] shall appear more excellent, and blessing shall come upon them;
But to those who rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.
26 and [men] will kiss lips that answer well.
He who gives a right answer kisses the lips.
27 Prepare thy works for [thy] going forth, and prepare thyself for the field; and come after me, and thou shalt rebuild thine house.
Prepare thy work outside, and make it ready for thee in the field, and afterwards build thy house.
28 Be not a false witness against thy [fellow] citizen, neither exaggerate with thy lips.
Be not a witness against thy neighbor without cause, and deceive not with thy lips.
29 Say not, As he has treated me, so will I treat him, and I will avenge myself on him for that wherein he has injured me.
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 A foolish man is like a farm, and a senseless man is like a vineyard.
I went by the field of the sluggard, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding.
31 If thou let him alone, he will altogether remain barren and covered with weeds; and he becomes destitute, and his stone walls are 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 Afterwards I reflected, I looked that I might receive instruction.
Then I beheld, and considered well. I saw, and received instruction:
33 [The sluggard says, ]I slumber a little, and I sleep a little, and for a little while I fold my arms across [my] breast.
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep,
34 But if thou do this, thy poverty will come speedily; and thy want like a swift courier.
so thy poverty shall come as a robber, and thy want as an armed man.
