Proverbs 24
1 Do not imitate evil men, nor desire to be among them.
Be not thou envious of wicked men, And desire not to be with them!
2 For their mind meditates on robberies, and their lips speak deceptions.
For their heart studieth destruction, And their lips speak mischief.
3 By wisdom shall a house be built, and by prudence shall it be strengthened.
Through wisdom is a house builded, And by understanding is it established;
4 By doctrine, the storerooms shall be filled with every substance that is precious and most beautiful.
Yea, by knowledge are the chambers filled With all precious and goodly substance.
5 A wise man is strong, and a well-taught man is robust and valiant.
The wise man is strong; Yea, the man of understanding establisheth his strength.
6 For war is undertaken in an orderly manner, and safety shall be where there are many counsels.
For by wise counsel shalt thou make war, And by the multitude of counsellors cometh success.
7 Wisdom is beyond the foolish; at the gate he will not open his mouth.
Wisdom is too high for the fool; He openeth not his mouth at the gate.
8 Whoever intends to do evil shall be called foolish.
He that deviseth to do evil Shall be called mischief-master.
9 The intention of the foolish is sin. And the detractor is an abomination among men.
The purpose of folly is sin; And a scoffer is an abomination to men.
10 If you despair, being weary in the day of anguish, your strength will be diminished.
If thy spirit faint in the day of adversity, Faint will be thy strength.
11 Rescue those who are led away to death. And do not cease from delivering those who are dragged away to a violent death.
Deliver thou those who are dragged to death, And those who totter to the slaughter, —O keep them back!
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.
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 My son, eat honey, because it is good, and the honeycomb, because it is so sweet to your throat.
Eat honey, my son, for it is good, And the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste;
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 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, and do not seek impiety in the house of the just, nor spoil his rest.
Plot not, O wicked man! against the habitation of the righteous; Spoil not 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 though the righteous fall seven times, yet shall he rise up again; But the wicked shall fall into mischief.
17 When your enemy will fall, do not be glad, and do not let your heart exult in his ruin,
Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, And let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth;
18 lest perhaps the Lord see, and it displease him, and he may take away his wrath from him.
Lest the LORD see, and it displease him, And he turn away his anger from him.
19 Do not contend with the most wicked, and do not be a rival to the impious.
Fret not thyself on account of evil men, Neither be thou envious of the wicked;
20 For the evil hold no hope in the future, and the lamp of the impious 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, as well as the king. And do not mingle with detractors.
My son, fear thou the LORD and the king; And mingle not with them that are given to change!
22 For their perdition shall rise up suddenly. And who knows what ruin will be for each of them?
For their calamity shall rise up suddenly, And their ruin, coming from them both, in a moment.
23 Likewise, these things are for the wise. It is not good to base judgment on knowledge of character.
These also are words of the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
24 Those who say to the impious, “You are just,” shall be cursed by the people, and the tribes shall detest them.
He that saith to the wicked, “Thou art righteous,” Him shall the people curse; Nations shall abhor him.
25 Those who argue against the impious shall be praised, and a blessing shall come upon them.
But it shall be well with them that punish him, And the blessing of prosperity shall come upon them.
26 He shall kiss the lips, who responds with upright words.
He that giveth a right answer Kisseth the lips.
27 Prepare your outdoor work, and diligently cultivate your field, so that afterward, you may build your house.
Arrange thy work without, And prepare it in thy field: Afterwards thou mayst build thy house.
28 Do not be a witness without cause against your neighbor. And do not mislead anyone 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 each one 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 passed by the field of a lazy man, and by the vineyard of a foolish man,
I passed by the field of the slothful, And by the vineyard of the man void of understanding,
31 and behold, it was entirely filled with nettles, and thorns had covered its surface, and the stonewall was destroyed.
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 When I had seen this, I laid it up in my heart, and by this example, I received discipline.
Then I saw, and considered it well; I looked upon it. and 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 rest!”
34 And destitution will overtake you like a runner, and begging will overtake you like an armed man.”
So shall poverty come upon thee like a highwayman; Yea, want like an armed man.
