Proverbs 24
1 Don't be jealous of evil people; don't long to spend time with them,
Be not thou envious of wicked men, neither crave to be with them;
2 for they think up cruel plans and discuss how to cause trouble.
For, violence, their heart muttereth, and, mischief, their lips do speak.
3 A house is built by wisdom; its foundation is made secure through understanding.
In wisdom, is a house builded, and, in understanding, is it established;
4 Its rooms are filled by knowledge with all kinds of valuable and beautiful objects.
And, in knowledge, chambers are filled, with all acquisitions, costly and fair.
5 If you have wisdom, you are strong; if you have knowledge, your power increases,
A wise man, is mighty, and, a man of knowledge, becometh alert in vigour.
6 for with wise guidance you can go to war; you will be victorious by having many good advisors.
Surely, with concerted measures, shalt thou make for thyself war, and, success, lieth in the greatness of the counsellor.
7 Wisdom goes over the heads of stupid people; they have nothing to contribute when important matters are discussed.
Unattainable to a foolish man, are the dictates of wisdom, in the gate, he openeth not his mouth.
8 Anyone who plans to do evil will be seen as a troublemaker.
He that deviseth to do mischief, him, shall men call, a master of plots.
9 Plans thought up by stupid people are sinful. Everyone hates those who are scornful of others.
The purpose of folly, is sin, and, an abomination to mankind, is a buffoon.
10 If you give up in times of trouble, it shows how weak you are.
Thou hast been slothful in the day of straitness, Strait, is thy strength.
11 Rescue those who are being led away to be executed; save those who are stumbling on their way to be slaughtered.
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 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.
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 My son, eating honey is good for you; the honeycomb tastes sweet.
My son, eat thou honey, because it is good, —and droppings from the comb [because they are] sweet to thy palate:
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.
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 Don't be like a criminal waiting to ambush the home of good people; don't attack the place where they live.
Do not lie in wait, thou lawless man, against the home of the righteous, —neither destroy thou his place of rest;
16 Those who do right may fall down seven times, and still get up again; but the wicked are brought down by disaster.
For, seven times, may the righteous fall and yet arise, but, lawless men, shall stumble into calamity.
17 Don't celebrate when your enemies fall; don't be glad when they trip up,
When thine enemy falleth, do not thou rejoice, and, when he stumbleth, let not thy heart exult:
18 otherwise when the Lord sees it, he'll be unhappy with you and won't punish your enemies as he planned.
Lest Yahweh see it, and it be wicked in his eyes, and he turn away from him his anger.
19 Don't get all upset over the wicked, or be jealous of those who do wrong,
Burn not with vexation against evil doers, be not envious of lawless men;
20 for evil people have no future—the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
For there shall be no future for the wicked, The lamp of the lawless, shall go out.
21 My son, honor the Lord and the king, and don't join those who are rebellious,
Revere thou Yahweh, my son, and the king, and, with the fickle, have thou no fellowship;
22 for disaster will suddenly fall on them. Who knows how the Lord and king will punish them?
For, suddenly, shall arise their calamity; and, the misfortune of their years, who knoweth?
23 These are more sayings of the wise: Showing favoritism when passing judgment is wrong.
These things also, concern the wise, To take note of faces in judgment, is not good.
24 Those who tell the guilty, “You're innocent,” will be cursed by the people and hated by the nation,
He that saith to the lawless man, Righteous, thou art, peoples shall denounce him, populations shall curse him;
25 while those who convict the guilty will be appreciated, and will receive a rich blessing.
But, to reprovers, one should be pleasant, and, upon them, should come an excellent blessing:
26 An honest answer is a kiss on the lips.
Lips, should one kiss with one who answereth in right words.
27 Do the work you need to do outside first, then prepare and sow your fields, and only after that start building your house.
Prepare, in the open, thy work, and make ready, in the field, for thyself, Afterwards, shalt thou build thy house.
28 Don't testify against your neighbors without having a good reason, and don't tell lies.
Do not become a needless witness against thy neighbour, so mightest thou open too wide thy lips:
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!”
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 walked past the field of a lazy man, past a vineyard of someone with no sense.
By the field of the sluggard, I passed, and by the vineyard of a man lacking sense;
31 It was all overgrown with thorns, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall had fallen 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 As I looked I thought about it, and what I saw taught me a lesson:
So I observed it, for myself, I applied my heart, I looked—I accepted correction:
33 You may say, “Please, just a little more sleep, a little longer snooze, a little more folding of the arms to rest”—
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest:
34 and poverty will attack you like a robber, destitution like an armed warrior.
So shall come in, as a highwayman, thy poverty, and, thy want, as one armed with a shield.
