Proverbs 24
1 Be not thou enuious against euill men, neither desire to be with them.
Do not be envious of those who are evil, nor desire to associate with them,
2 For their heart imagineth destruction, and their lippes speake mischiefe.
because their hearts plot violence and their lips talk about trouble.
3 Through wisdome is an house builded, and with vnderstanding it is established.
Through wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established.
4 And by knowledge shall the chambers bee filled with all precious, and pleasant riches.
By knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
5 A wise man is strong: for a man of vnderstanding encreaseth his strength.
A warrior of wisdom is strong, and a man of knowledge increases 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 direction you can wage your war and with many advisors there is victory.
7 Wisdome is hie to a foole: therefore he can not open his mouth in the gate.
Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the gate he does not open his mouth.
8 Hee that imagineth to doe euill, men shall call him an autour of wickednes.
There is one who plans to do evil— people call him a master of schemes.
9 The wicked thought of a foole is sinne, and the scorner is an abomination vnto men.
A foolish plan is sin and men despise a mocker.
10 If thou bee faint in the day of aduersitie, thy strength is small.
If you become weak with fear in the day of trouble, then your strength is small.
11 Deliuer them that are drawen to death: wilt thou not preserue them that are led to be slaine?
Rescue those who are being taken away to death and hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter.
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 you say, “Behold, we knew nothing about this,” does not the one who weighs the heart understand what you are saying? The one who guards your life, does he not know it? Will God not give to each one what he deserves?
13 My sonne, eate hony, for it is good, and the hony combe, for it is sweete vnto thy mouth.
My son, eat honey because it is good, because the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your 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.
Such is wisdom for your soul— if you find it, there will be a future and your hope will not be cut off.
15 Laye no waite, O wicked man, against the house of the righteous, and spoyle not his resting place.
Do not lie in wait like the wicked person who attacks the house of the righteous person. Do not destroy his home!
16 For a iust man falleth seuen times, and riseth againe: but the wicked fall into mischiefe.
For the righteous person falls down seven times and rises again, but wicked people are brought down by calamity.
17 Bee thou not glad when thine enemie falleth, and let not thine heart reioyce when hee stumbleth,
Do not celebrate when your enemy falls and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,
18 Least the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turne his wrath from him.
or Yahweh will see and disapprove and turn away his wrath from him.
19 Fret not thy selfe because of the malicious, neither be enuious at the wicked.
Do not worry because of evildoers, and do not envy wicked people,
20 For there shall bee none ende of plagues to the euill man: the light of the wicked shall bee put out.
for the evil person has no future and the lamp of wicked people will go out.
21 My sonne feare the Lord, and the King, and meddle not with them that are sedicious.
Fear Yahweh, and fear the king, my son; do not associate with those who rebel against them,
22 For their destruction shall rise suddenly, and who knoweth the ruine of them both?
for suddenly their disaster will come and who knows the extent of the destruction that will come from both of them?
23 ALSO THESE THINGS PERTEINE TO THE WISE, It is not good to haue respect of any person in iudgement.
These also are sayings of the wise. Partiality in judging a case at law is not good.
24 He that saith to the wicked, Thou art righteous, him shall the people curse, and the multitude shall abhorre him.
Whoever says to the wicked person, “You are a righteous person,” will be cursed by peoples and hated by nations.
25 But to them that rebuke him, shall be pleasure, and vpon them shall come the blessing of goodnesse.
But those who discipline the wicked will have delight and gifts of goodness will come to them.
26 They shall kisse the lippes of him that answereth vpright wordes.
The one who gives an honest answer gives a kiss on the lips.
27 Prepare thy worke without, and make readie thy thinges in the fielde, and after, builde thine house.
Prepare your outdoor work, and make everything ready for yourself in the field; after that, build your house.
28 Be not a witnes against thy neighbour without cause: for wilt thou deceiue with thy lippes?
Do not bear witness against your neighbor without cause and do not deceive with your lips.
29 Say not, I wil doe to him, as he hath done to mee, I will recompence euery man according to his worke.
Do not say, “I will do to him what he has done to me; I will pay him back for what he has done.”
30 I passed by the fielde of the slouthfull, and by the vineyarde of the man destitute of vnderstanding.
I went by the field of a lazy man, past the vineyard of the man having no sense.
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.
Thorns had grown up everywhere, the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall 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; I looked 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.
and poverty comes marching upon you, and your needs like an armed soldier.
