Proverbs 24
1 Do not imitate evil men, nor desire to be among them.
Do not be envious of evil men, And do not desire to be with them.
2 For their mind meditates on robberies, and their lips speak deceptions.
For their heart meditates [on] destruction, And their lips speak perverseness.
3 By wisdom shall a house be built, and by prudence shall it be strengthened.
A house is built by wisdom, And it establishes itself by understanding.
4 By doctrine, the storerooms shall be filled with every substance that is precious and most beautiful.
And the inner parts are filled by knowledge, [With] all precious and pleasant wealth.
5 A wise man is strong, and a well-taught man is robust and valiant.
The wise [is] mighty in strength, And a man of knowledge is strengthening power,
6 For war is undertaken in an orderly manner, and safety shall be where there are many counsels.
For you make war for yourself by plans, And deliverance [is] in a multitude of counselors.
7 Wisdom is beyond the foolish; at the gate he will not open his mouth.
Wisdom [is] high for a fool, he does not open his mouth in the gate.
8 Whoever intends to do evil shall be called foolish.
Whoever is devising to do evil, They call him a master of wicked thoughts.
9 The intention of the foolish is sin. And the detractor is an abomination among men.
The thought of folly [is] sin, And a scorner [is] an abomination to man.
10 If you despair, being weary in the day of anguish, your strength will be diminished.
You have showed yourself weak in a day of adversity, Your power is restricted,
11 Rescue those who are led away to death. And do not cease from delivering those who are dragged away to a violent death.
If [from] delivering those taken to death, And you take back those slipping to the slaughter.
12 If you would say: “I do not have sufficient strength.” He who inspects the heart, the same one understands, and nothing slips past the one who preserves your soul. And he shall repay a man according to his works.
When you say, “Behold, we did not know this.” Is the Ponderer of hearts not He who understands? And the Keeper of your soul He who knows? And He has rendered to man according to his work.
13 My son, eat honey, because it is good, and the honeycomb, because it is so sweet to your throat.
My son, eat honey that [is] good, And the honeycomb [is] sweet to your palate.
14 So, too, is the doctrine of wisdom to your soul. When you have found it, you will have hope in the end, and your hope shall not perish.
So [is] the knowledge of wisdom to your soul, If you have found that there is a posterity And your hope is not cut off.
15 Do not lie in wait, and do not seek impiety in the house of the just, nor spoil his rest.
Do not lay wait, O wicked one, At the habitation of the righteous. Do not spoil his resting place.
16 For the just one will fall seven times, and he shall rise again. But the impious will fall into evil.
For the righteous fall and rise seven [times], And the wicked stumble in evil.
17 When your enemy will fall, do not be glad, and do not let your heart exult in his ruin,
Do not rejoice in the falling of your enemy, And do not let your heart be joyful in his stumbling,
18 lest perhaps the Lord see, and it displease him, and he may take away his wrath from him.
Lest YHWH see, and [it be] evil in His eyes, And He has turned His anger from off him.
19 Do not contend with the most wicked, and do not be a rival to the impious.
Do not fret yourself at evildoers, do not be envious at the wicked,
20 For the evil hold no hope in the future, and the lamp of the impious will be extinguished.
For there is not a posterity to the evil, The lamp of the wicked is extinguished.
21 My son, fear the Lord, as well as the king. And do not mingle with detractors.
Fear YHWH, my son, and the king, Do not mix yourself up with changers,
22 For their perdition shall rise up suddenly. And who knows what ruin will be for each of them?
For their calamity rises suddenly, And the ruin of them both—who knows!
23 Likewise, these things are for the wise. It is not good to base judgment on knowledge of character.
These are also for the wise: [It] is not good to discern faces in judgment.
24 Those who say to the impious, “You are just,” shall be cursed by the people, and the tribes shall detest them.
Whoever is saying to the wicked, “You [are] righteous,” Peoples execrate him—nations abhor him.
25 Those who argue against the impious shall be praised, and a blessing shall come upon them.
And it is pleasant to those reproving, And a good blessing comes on them.
26 He shall kiss the lips, who responds with upright words.
He who is returning straightforward words kisses lips.
27 Prepare your outdoor work, and diligently cultivate your field, so that afterward, you may build your house.
Prepare your work in an out-place, And make it ready in the field—go afterward, Then you have built your house.
28 Do not be a witness without cause against your neighbor. And do not mislead anyone with your lips.
Do not be a witness against your neighbor for nothing, Or you have enticed with your lips.
29 Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me.” I will repay each one according to his work.
Do not say, “As he did to me, so I do to him, I render to each according to his work.”
30 I passed by the field of a lazy man, and by the vineyard of a foolish man,
I passed by near the field of a slothful man, And near the vineyard of a man lacking heart.
31 and behold, it was entirely filled with nettles, and thorns had covered its surface, and the stonewall was destroyed.
And behold, it has gone up—all of it—thorns! Nettles have covered its face, And its stone wall has been broken down.
32 When I had seen this, I laid it up in my heart, and by this example, I received discipline.
And I see—I set my heart, I have seen—I have received instruction,
33 You will sleep a little,” I said. “You will slumber briefly. You will fold your hands a little, so as to rest.
A little sleep—a little slumber—A little folding of the hands to lie down.
34 And destitution will overtake you like a runner, and begging will overtake you like an armed man.”
And your poverty has come [as] a traveler, And your want as an armed man!
