Proverbs 24
1 Be not thou envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them;
Seek not to be like evil men, neither desire to be with them:
2 for their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.
Because their mind studieth robberies, and their lips speak deceits.
3 Through wisdom is a house built, and by understanding it is established;
By wisdom the house shall be built, and by prudence it shall be strengthened.
4 and by knowledge are the chambers filled with all precious and pleasant substance.
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 increaseth strength.
A wise man is strong: and a knowing man, stout and valiant.
6 For with good advice shalt thou make thy war; and in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.
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 will not open his mouth in the gate.
Wisdom is too high for a fool, in the gate he shall not open his mouth.
8 He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a master of intrigues.
He that deviseth to do evils, shall be called a fool.
9 The purpose of folly is sin, and the scorner is an abomination to men.
The thought of a fool is sin: and the detracter is the abomination of men.
10 [If] thou losest courage in the day of trouble, thy strength is small.
If thou lose hope being weary in the day of distress, thy strength shall be diminished.
11 Deliver them that are taken forth unto death, and withdraw not from them that stagger to slaughter.
Deliver them that are led to death: and those that are drawn to death forbear not to deliver.
12 If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not, will not he that weigheth the hearts consider it? And he that preserveth thy soul, he knoweth it; and he rendereth to man according to his work.
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 a honeycomb is sweet to thy taste:
Fat honey, my son, because it is good, and the honeycomb most sweet to thy throat:
14 so consider wisdom for thy soul; if thou hast found it, there shall be a result, and thine expectation shall not 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 Lay not wait, O wicked [man], against the dwelling of the righteous; lay not waste his resting-place.
Lie not in wait, nor seek after wickedness in the house of the just, nor spoil his rest.
16 For the righteous falleth seven times, and riseth up again; but the wicked stumble into disaster.
For a just mall shall fall seven times and shall rise again: but the wicked shall fall down into evil.
17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth;
When thy enemy shall fall, be not glad, and in his ruin let not thy heart rejoice:
18 lest Jehovah see it, and it be evil in his sight, and he turn away his anger from him.
Lest the Lord see, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.
19 Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, [and] be not envious of the wicked:
Contend not with the wicked, nor seek to be like the ungodly:
20 for there shall be no future to the evil [man]; the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
For evil men have no hope of things to come, and the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
21 My son, fear Jehovah and the king: meddle not with them that are given to change.
My son, fear the Lord and the king: and have nothing to do with detracters.
22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?
For their destruction shall rise suddenly: and who knoweth the ruin of both?
23 These things also come from the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
These things also to the wise: It is not good to have respect to persons in judgment.
24 He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous, peoples shall curse him, nations shall abhor 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 to them that rebuke [him] shall be delight, and a good blessing cometh upon them.
They that rebuke him, shall be praised: and a blessing shall come upon them.
26 He kisseth the lips who giveth a right answer.
He shall kiss the lips, who answereth right words.
27 Prepare thy work without, and put thy field in order, and afterwards build thy house.
Prepare thy work without, and diligently till thy ground: that afterward thou mayst build thy house.
28 Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and wouldest thou deceive with thy lips?
Be not witness without cause against thy neighbour: and deceive not any man with thy lips.
29 Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me, I will render to 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 by the field of a sluggard, and by the vineyard of a man void of understanding;
I passed by the field of the slothful man, and by the vineyard of the foolish man:
31 and lo, it was all grown over with thistles, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and its 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 Then I looked, I took it to heart; I saw, I 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 So shall thy poverty come [as] a roving plunderer, and thy penury as an armed man.
And poverty shall come to thee as a runner, and beggary as an armed man.
