Proverbs 24
1 Seek not to be like evil men, neither desire to be with them:
Be not thou envious of wicked men, neither crave to be with them;
2 Because their mind studieth robberies, and their lips speak deceits.
For, violence, their heart muttereth, and, mischief, their lips do speak.
3 By wisdom the house shall be built, and by prudence it shall be strengthened.
In wisdom, is a house builded, and, in understanding, is it established;
4 By instruction the storerooms shall be filled with all precious and most beautiful wealth.
And, in knowledge, chambers are filled, with all acquisitions, costly and fair.
5 A wise man is strong: and a knowing man, stout and valiant.
A wise man, is mighty, and, a man of knowledge, becometh alert in vigour.
6 Because war is managed by due ordering: and there shall be safety where there are many counsels.
Surely, with concerted measures, shalt thou make for thyself war, and, success, lieth in the greatness of the counsellor.
7 Wisdom is too high for a fool, in the gate he shall not open his mouth.
Unattainable to a foolish man, are the dictates of wisdom, in the gate, he openeth not his mouth.
8 He that deviseth to do evils, shall be called a fool.
He that deviseth to do mischief, him, shall men call, a master of plots.
9 The thought of a fool is sin: and the detracter is the abomination of men.
The purpose of folly, is sin, and, an abomination to mankind, is a buffoon.
10 If thou lose hope being weary in the day of distress, thy strength shall be diminished.
Thou hast been slothful in the day of straitness, Strait, is thy strength.
11 Deliver them that are led to death: and those that are drawn to death forbear not to deliver.
Deliver thou such as are being led forth to death, and, them who are tottering to slaughter, oh that thou wouldst hold back!
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.
Though thou say, Lo! we knew not this, Shall not, he that proveth hearts, himself, discern? And, he that formeth thy soul, himself, know? and bring back to a son of earth according to his deed?
13 Fat honey, my son, because it is good, and the honeycomb most sweet to thy throat:
My son, eat thou honey, because it is good, —and droppings from the comb [because they are] sweet to thy palate:
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.
Thus, take knowledge of wisdom, for thine own soul; If thou find it, then there is a future, and, thine expectation, shall not 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, thou lawless man, against the home of the righteous, —neither destroy thou his place of rest;
16 For a just mall shall fall seven times and shall rise again: but the wicked shall fall down into evil.
For, seven times, may the righteous fall and yet arise, but, lawless men, shall stumble into calamity.
17 When thy enemy shall fall, be not glad, and in his ruin let not thy heart rejoice:
When thine enemy falleth, do not thou rejoice, and, when he stumbleth, let not thy heart exult:
18 Lest the Lord see, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.
Lest Yahweh see it, and it be wicked in his eyes, and he turn away from him his anger.
19 Contend not with the wicked, nor seek to be like the ungodly:
Burn not with vexation against evil doers, be not envious of lawless men;
20 For evil men have no hope of things to come, and the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
For there shall be no future for the wicked, The lamp of the lawless, shall go out.
21 My son, fear the Lord and the king: and have nothing to do with detracters.
Revere thou Yahweh, my son, and the king, and, with the fickle, have thou no fellowship;
22 For their destruction shall rise suddenly: and who knoweth the ruin of both?
For, suddenly, shall arise their calamity; and, the misfortune of their years, who knoweth?
23 These things also to the wise: It is not good to have respect to persons in judgment.
These things also, concern the wise, To take note of faces 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.
He that saith to the lawless man, Righteous, thou art, peoples shall denounce him, populations shall curse him;
25 They that rebuke him, shall be praised: and a blessing shall come upon them.
But, to reprovers, one should be pleasant, and, upon them, should come an excellent blessing:
26 He shall kiss the lips, who answereth right words.
Lips, should one kiss with one who answereth in right words.
27 Prepare thy work without, and diligently till thy ground: that afterward thou mayst build thy house.
Prepare, in the open, thy work, and make ready, in the field, for thyself, Afterwards, shalt thou build thy house.
28 Be not witness without cause against thy neighbour: and deceive not any man with thy lips.
Do not become a needless witness against thy neighbour, so mightest thou open too wide thy 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—According to what he hath done to me, so, will I do to him, I will repay every one according to his work.
30 I passed by the field of the slothful man, and by the vineyard of the foolish man:
By the field of the sluggard, I passed, and by the vineyard of a man lacking sense;
31 And behold it was all filled with nettles, and thorns had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall was broken down.
And lo! there had come up all over it—thorns, there had covered the face thereof—thistles, and, the stone fence thereof, had been thrown down.
32 Which when I had seen, I laid it up in my heart, and by the example I received instruction.
So I observed it, for myself, I applied my heart, I looked—I accepted correction:
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.
So shall come in, as a highwayman, thy poverty, and, thy want, as one armed with a shield.
