Proverbs 24
1 Be not thou enuious against euill men, neither desire to be with them.
Be not thou envious of wicked men, And desire not to be with them!
2 For their heart imagineth destruction, and their lippes speake mischiefe.
For their heart studieth destruction, And their lips speak mischief.
3 Through wisdome is an house builded, and with vnderstanding it is established.
Through wisdom is a house builded, And by understanding is it established;
4 And by knowledge shall the chambers bee filled with all precious, and pleasant riches.
Yea, by knowledge are the chambers filled With all precious and goodly substance.
5 A wise man is strong: for a man of vnderstanding encreaseth his strength.
The wise man is strong; Yea, the man of understanding establisheth his strength.
6 For with counsel thou shalt enterprise thy warre, and in the multitude of them that can giue counsell, is health.
For by wise counsel shalt thou make war, And by the multitude of counsellors cometh success.
7 Wisdome is hie to a foole: therefore he can not open his mouth in the gate.
Wisdom is too high for the fool; He openeth not his mouth at the gate.
8 Hee that imagineth to doe euill, men shall call him an autour of wickednes.
He that deviseth to do evil Shall be called mischief-master.
9 The wicked thought of a foole is sinne, and the scorner is an abomination vnto men.
The purpose of folly is sin; And a scoffer is an abomination to men.
10 If thou bee faint in the day of aduersitie, thy strength is small.
If thy spirit faint in the day of adversity, Faint will be thy strength.
11 Deliuer them that are drawen to death: wilt thou not preserue them that are led to be slaine?
Deliver thou those who are dragged to death, And those who totter to the slaughter, —O keep them back!
12 If thou say, Beholde, we knew not of it: he that pondereth the heartes, doeth not hee vnderstand it? and hee that keepeth thy soule, knoweth he it not? will not he also recompense euery man according to his workes?
If thou sayst, “Behold, we knew it not!” Doth not he that weigheth the heart observe it? Yea, he that keepeth thy soul knoweth it. And he will render to every man according to his works.
13 My sonne, eate hony, for it is good, and the hony combe, for it is sweete vnto thy mouth.
Eat honey, my son, for it is good, And the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste;
14 So shall the knowledge of wisdome be vnto thy soule, if thou finde it, and there shall be an ende, and thine hope shall not be cut off.
So learn thou wisdom for thy soul! When thou hast found it, there shall be a reward, And thy expectation shall not be cut off.
15 Laye no waite, O wicked man, against the house of the righteous, and spoyle not his resting place.
Plot not, O wicked man! against the habitation of the righteous; Spoil not his resting-place!
16 For a iust man falleth seuen times, and riseth againe: but the wicked fall into mischiefe.
For though the righteous fall seven times, yet shall he rise up again; But the wicked shall fall into mischief.
17 Bee thou not glad when thine enemie falleth, and let not thine heart reioyce when hee stumbleth,
Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, And let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth;
18 Least the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turne his wrath from him.
Lest the LORD see, and it displease him, And he turn away his anger from him.
19 Fret not thy selfe because of the malicious, neither be enuious at the wicked.
Fret not thyself on account of evil men, Neither be thou envious of the wicked;
20 For there shall bee none ende of plagues to the euill man: the light of the wicked shall bee put out.
For there shall be no posterity to the evil man; The lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
21 My sonne feare the Lord, and the King, and meddle not with them that are sedicious.
My son, fear thou the LORD and the king; And mingle not with them that are given to change!
22 For their destruction shall rise suddenly, and who knoweth the ruine of them both?
For their calamity shall rise up suddenly, And their ruin, coming from them both, in a moment.
23 ALSO THESE THINGS PERTEINE TO THE WISE, It is not good to haue respect of any person in iudgement.
These also are words of the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
24 He that saith to the wicked, Thou art righteous, him shall the people curse, and the multitude shall abhorre him.
He that saith to the wicked, “Thou art righteous,” Him shall the people curse; Nations shall abhor him.
25 But to them that rebuke him, shall be pleasure, and vpon them shall come the blessing of goodnesse.
But it shall be well with them that punish him, And the blessing of prosperity shall come upon them.
26 They shall kisse the lippes of him that answereth vpright wordes.
He that giveth a right answer Kisseth the lips.
27 Prepare thy worke without, and make readie thy thinges in the fielde, and after, builde thine house.
Arrange thy work without, And prepare it in thy field: Afterwards thou mayst build thy house.
28 Be not a witnes against thy neighbour without cause: for wilt thou deceiue with thy lippes?
Be not a witness without cause against thy neighbor, And deceive not with thy lips.
29 Say not, I wil doe to him, as he hath done to mee, I will recompence euery man according to his worke.
Say not, “As he hath done to me, So will I do to him; I will render to the man according to his doings.”
30 I passed by the fielde of the slouthfull, and by the vineyarde of the man destitute of vnderstanding.
I passed by the field of the slothful, And by the vineyard of the man void of understanding,
31 And lo, it was al growen ouer with thornes, and nettles had couered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken downe.
And, lo! it was all overgrown with thorns, And the face thereof was covered with nettles, And the stone wall thereof was broken down.
32 Then I behelde, and I considered it well: I looked vpon it, and receiued instruction.
Then I saw, and considered it well; I looked upon it. and received instruction.
33 Yet a litle sleepe, a litle slumber, a litle folding of the handes to sleepe.
“A little sleep, a little slumber! A little folding of the hands to rest!”
34 So thy pouertie commeth as one that traueileth by the way, and thy necessitie like an armed man.
So shall poverty come upon thee like a highwayman; Yea, want like an armed man.
