Proverbs 24
1 Seek not to be like evil men, neither desire to be with them:
Don't be jealous of evil people; don't long to spend time with them,
2 Because their mind studieth robberies, and their lips speak deceits.
for they think up cruel plans and discuss how to cause trouble.
3 By wisdom the house shall be built, and by prudence it shall be strengthened.
A house is built by wisdom; its foundation is made secure through understanding.
4 By instruction the storerooms shall be filled with all precious and most beautiful wealth.
Its rooms are filled by knowledge with all kinds of valuable and beautiful objects.
5 A wise man is strong: and a knowing man, stout and valiant.
If you have wisdom, you are strong; if you have knowledge, your power increases,
6 Because war is managed by due ordering: and there shall be safety where there are many counsels.
for with wise guidance you can go to war; you will be victorious by having many good advisors.
7 Wisdom is too high for a fool, in the gate he shall not open his mouth.
Wisdom goes over the heads of stupid people; they have nothing to contribute when important matters are discussed.
8 He that deviseth to do evils, shall be called a fool.
Anyone who plans to do evil will be seen as a troublemaker.
9 The thought of a fool is sin: and the detracter is the abomination of men.
Plans thought up by stupid people are sinful. Everyone hates those who are scornful of others.
10 If thou lose hope being weary in the day of distress, thy strength shall be diminished.
If you give up in times of trouble, it shows how weak you are.
11 Deliver them that are led to death: and those that are drawn to death forbear not to deliver.
Rescue those who are being led away to be executed; save those who are stumbling on their way to be slaughtered.
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, “Look, we didn't know anything about this,” don't you think the God who judges your motives will see what's happening? He who watches over you knows, and he will pay people back for what they've done.
13 Fat honey, my son, because it is good, and the honeycomb most sweet to thy throat:
My son, eating honey is good for you; the honeycomb tastes sweet.
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.
In the same way, you should know that wisdom is good for you; if you find it, there will be a future for you, and your hope will not be crushed.
15 Lie not in wait, nor seek after wickedness in the house of the just, nor spoil his rest.
Don't be like a criminal waiting to ambush the home of good people; don't attack the place where they live.
16 For a just mall shall fall seven times and shall rise again: but the wicked shall fall down into evil.
Those who do right may fall down seven times, and still get up again; but the wicked are brought down by disaster.
17 When thy enemy shall fall, be not glad, and in his ruin let not thy heart rejoice:
Don't celebrate when your enemies fall; don't be glad when they trip up,
18 Lest the Lord see, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.
otherwise when the Lord sees it, he'll be unhappy with you and won't punish your enemies as he planned.
19 Contend not with the wicked, nor seek to be like the ungodly:
Don't get all upset over the wicked, or be jealous of those who do wrong,
20 For evil men have no hope of things to come, and the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
for evil people have no future—the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
21 My son, fear the Lord and the king: and have nothing to do with detracters.
My son, honor the Lord and the king, and don't join those who are rebellious,
22 For their destruction shall rise suddenly: and who knoweth the ruin of both?
for disaster will suddenly fall on them. Who knows how the Lord and king will punish them?
23 These things also to the wise: It is not good to have respect to persons in judgment.
These are more sayings of the wise: Showing favoritism when passing judgment is wrong.
24 They that say to the wicked man: Thou art just: shall be cursed by the people, and the tribes shall abhor them.
Those who tell the guilty, “You're innocent,” will be cursed by the people and hated by the nation,
25 They that rebuke him, shall be praised: and a blessing shall come upon them.
while those who convict the guilty will be appreciated, and will receive a rich blessing.
26 He shall kiss the lips, who answereth right words.
An honest answer is a kiss on the lips.
27 Prepare thy work without, and diligently till thy ground: that afterward thou mayst build thy house.
Do the work you need to do outside first, then prepare and sow your fields, and only after that start building your house.
28 Be not witness without cause against thy neighbour: and deceive not any man with thy lips.
Don't testify against your neighbors without having a good reason, and don't tell lies.
29 Say not: I will do to him as he hath done to me: I will render to every one according to his work.
Don't say to yourself, “I'm going to do to him what he did to me! I'll pay him back for what he's done!”
30 I passed by the field of the slothful man, and by the vineyard of the foolish man:
I walked past the field of a lazy man, past a vineyard of someone with no sense.
31 And behold it was all filled with nettles, and thorns had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall was broken down.
It was all overgrown with thorns, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall had fallen down.
32 Which when I had seen, I laid it up in my heart, and by the example I received instruction.
As I looked I thought about it, and what I saw taught me a lesson:
33 Thou wilt sleep a little, said I, thou wilt slumber a little, thou wilt fold thy hands a little to rest:
You may say, “Please, just a little more sleep, a little longer snooze, a little more folding of the arms to rest”—
34 And poverty shall come to thee as a runner, and beggary as an armed man.
and poverty will attack you like a robber, destitution like an armed warrior.
