Proverbs 24
1 Don't be jealous of evil people; don't long to spend time with them,
你不要嫉妒惡人， 也不要起意與他們相處；
2 for they think up cruel plans and discuss how to cause trouble.
因為，他們的心圖謀強暴， 他們的口談論奸惡。
3 A house is built by wisdom; its foundation is made secure through understanding.
房屋因智慧建造， 又因聰明立穩；
4 Its rooms are filled by knowledge with all kinds of valuable and beautiful objects.
其中因知識充滿各樣美好寶貴的財物。
5 If you have wisdom, you are strong; if you have knowledge, your power increases,
智慧人大有能力； 有知識的人力上加力。
6 for with wise guidance you can go to war; you will be victorious by having many good advisors.
你去打仗，要憑智謀； 謀士眾多，人便得勝。
7 Wisdom goes over the heads of stupid people; they have nothing to contribute when important matters are discussed.
智慧極高，非愚昧人所能及， 所以在城門內不敢開口。
8 Anyone who plans to do evil will be seen as a troublemaker.
設計作惡的， 必稱為奸人。
9 Plans thought up by stupid people are sinful. Everyone hates those who are scornful of others.
愚妄人的思念乃是罪惡； 褻慢者為人所憎惡。
10 If you give up in times of trouble, it shows how weak you are.
你在患難之日若膽怯， 你的力量就微小。
11 Rescue those who are being led away to be executed; save those who are stumbling on their way to be slaughtered.
人被拉到死地，你要解救； 人將被殺，你須攔阻。
12 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.
你若說：這事我未曾知道， 那衡量人心的豈不明白嗎？ 保守你命的豈不知道嗎？ 他豈不按各人所行的報應各人嗎？
13 My son, eating honey is good for you; the honeycomb tastes sweet.
我兒，你要吃蜜，因為是好的； 吃蜂房下滴的蜜便覺甘甜。
14 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.
你心得了智慧，也必覺得如此。 你若找着，至終必有善報； 你的指望也不致斷絕。
15 Don't be like a criminal waiting to ambush the home of good people; don't attack the place where they live.
你這惡人，不要埋伏攻擊義人的家； 不要毀壞他安居之所。
16 Those who do right may fall down seven times, and still get up again; but the wicked are brought down by disaster.
因為，義人雖七次跌倒，仍必興起； 惡人卻被禍患傾倒。
17 Don't celebrate when your enemies fall; don't be glad when they trip up,
你仇敵跌倒，你不要歡喜； 他傾倒，你心不要快樂；
18 otherwise when the Lord sees it, he'll be unhappy with you and won't punish your enemies as he planned.
恐怕耶和華看見就不喜悅， 將怒氣從仇敵身上轉過來。
19 Don't get all upset over the wicked, or be jealous of those who do wrong,
不要為作惡的心懷不平， 也不要嫉妒惡人；
20 for evil people have no future—the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
因為，惡人終不得善報； 惡人的燈也必熄滅。
21 My son, honor the Lord and the king, and don't join those who are rebellious,
我兒，你要敬畏耶和華與君王， 不要與反覆無常的人結交，
22 for disaster will suddenly fall on them. Who knows how the Lord and king will punish them?
因為他們的災難必忽然而起。 耶和華與君王所施行的毀滅， 誰能知道呢？
23 These are more sayings of the wise: Showing favoritism when passing judgment is wrong.
以下也是智慧人的箴言： 審判時看人情面是不好的。
24 Those who tell the guilty, “You're innocent,” will be cursed by the people and hated by the nation,
對惡人說「你是義人」的， 這人萬民必咒詛，列邦必憎惡。
25 while those who convict the guilty will be appreciated, and will receive a rich blessing.
責備惡人的，必得喜悅； 美好的福也必臨到他。
26 An honest answer is a kiss on the lips.
應對正直的，猶如與人親嘴。
27 Do the work you need to do outside first, then prepare and sow your fields, and only after that start building your house.
你要在外頭預備工料， 在田間辦理整齊， 然後建造房屋。
28 Don't testify against your neighbors without having a good reason, and don't tell lies.
不可無故作見證陷害鄰舍， 也不可用嘴欺騙人。
29 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!”
不可說：人怎樣待我，我也怎樣待他； 我必照他所行的報復他。
30 I walked past the field of a lazy man, past a vineyard of someone with no sense.
我經過懶惰人的田地、 無知人的葡萄園，
31 It was all overgrown with thorns, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall had fallen down.
荊棘長滿了地皮， 刺草遮蓋了田面， 石牆也坍塌了。
32 As I looked I thought about it, and what I saw taught me a lesson:
我看見就留心思想； 我看着就領了訓誨。
33 You may say, “Please, just a little more sleep, a little longer snooze, a little more folding of the arms to rest”—
再睡片時，打盹片時， 抱着手躺臥片時，
34 and poverty will attack you like a robber, destitution like an armed warrior.
你的貧窮就必如強盜速來， 你的缺乏彷彿拿兵器的人來到。
