Proverbs 24
1 Seek not to be like evil men, neither desire to be with them:
Do not envy wicked men or desire their company;
2 Because their mind studieth robberies, and their lips speak deceits.
for their hearts devise violence, and their lips declare trouble.
3 By wisdom the house shall be built, and by prudence it shall be strengthened.
By wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established;
4 By instruction the storerooms shall be filled with all precious and most beautiful wealth.
through knowledge its rooms are filled with every precious and beautiful treasure.
5 A wise man is strong: and a knowing man, stout and valiant.
A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge enhances his strength.
6 Because war is managed by due ordering: and there shall be safety where there are many counsels.
Only with sound guidance should you wage war, and victory lies in a multitude of counselors.
7 Wisdom is too high for a fool, in the gate he shall not open his mouth.
Wisdom is too high for a fool; he does not open his mouth in the meeting place.
8 He that deviseth to do evils, shall be called a fool.
He who plots evil will be called a schemer.
9 The thought of a fool is sin: and the detracter is the abomination of men.
A foolish scheme is sin, and a mocker is detestable to men.
10 If thou lose hope being weary in the day of distress, thy strength shall be diminished.
If you faint in the day of distress, how small is your strength!
11 Deliver them that are led to death: and those that are drawn to death forbear not to deliver.
Rescue those being led away to death, and restrain those stumbling toward the slaughter.
12 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.
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?
13 Fat honey, my son, because it is good, and the honeycomb most sweet to thy throat:
Eat honey, my son, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to your taste.
14 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.
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.
15 Lie not in wait, nor seek after wickedness in the house of the just, nor spoil his rest.
Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, near the dwelling of the righteous; do not destroy his resting place.
16 For a just mall shall fall seven times and shall rise again: but the wicked shall fall down into evil.
For though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up; but the wicked stumble in bad times.
17 When thy enemy shall fall, be not glad, and in his ruin let not thy heart rejoice:
Do not gloat when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles,
18 Lest the Lord see, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.
or the LORD will see and disapprove, and turn His wrath away from him.
19 Contend not with the wicked, nor seek to be like the ungodly:
Do not fret over evildoers, and do not be envious of the wicked.
20 For evil men have no hope of things to come, and the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
For the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.
21 My son, fear the Lord and the king: and have nothing to do with detracters.
My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not associate with the rebellious.
22 For their destruction shall rise suddenly: and who knoweth the ruin of both?
For they will bring sudden destruction. Who knows what ruin they can bring?
23 These things also to the wise: It is not good to have respect to persons in judgment.
These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.
24 They that say to the wicked man: Thou art just: shall be cursed by the people, and the tribes shall abhor them.
Whoever tells the guilty, “You are innocent”— peoples will curse him, and nations will denounce him;
25 They that rebuke him, shall be praised: and a blessing shall come upon them.
but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come upon them.
26 He shall kiss the lips, who answereth right words.
An honest answer given is like a kiss on the lips.
27 Prepare thy work without, and diligently till thy ground: that afterward thou mayst build thy house.
Complete your outdoor work and prepare your field; after that, you may build your house.
28 Be not witness without cause against thy neighbour: and deceive not any man with thy lips.
Do not testify against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips.
29 Say not: I will do to him as he hath done to me: I will render to every one according to his work.
Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will repay the man according to his work.”
30 I passed by the field of the slothful man, and by the vineyard of the foolish man:
I went past the field of a slacker and by the vineyard of a man lacking judgment.
31 And behold it was all filled with nettles, and thorns had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall was broken down.
Thorns had grown up everywhere, thistles had covered the ground, and the stone wall was broken down.
32 Which when I had seen, I laid it up in my heart, and by the example I received instruction.
I observed and took it to heart; I looked and received instruction:
33 Thou wilt sleep a little, said I, thou wilt slumber a little, thou wilt fold thy hands a little to rest:
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,
34 And poverty shall come to thee as a runner, and beggary as an armed man.
and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.
