Proverbs 24
1 Be not thou envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them.
Do not imitate evil men, nor desire to be among them.
2 For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.
For their mind meditates on robberies, and their lips speak deceptions.
3 Through wisdom is a house builded; and by understanding it is established;
By wisdom shall a house be built, and by prudence shall it be strengthened.
4 And by knowledge are the chambers filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
By doctrine, the storerooms shall be filled with every substance that is precious and most beautiful.
5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.
A wise man is strong, and a well-taught man is robust and valiant.
6 For with wise advice thou shalt make thy war; and in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.
For war is undertaken in an orderly manner, and safety shall be where there are many counsels.
7 Wisdom is as unattainable to a fool as corals; he openeth not his mouth in the gate.
Wisdom is beyond the foolish; at the gate he will not open his mouth.
8 He that deviseth to do evil, men shall call him a mischievous person.
Whoever intends to do evil shall be called foolish.
9 The thought of foolishness is sin; and the scorner is an abomination to men.
The intention of the foolish is sin. And the detractor is an abomination among men.
10 If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small indeed.
If you despair, being weary in the day of anguish, your strength will be diminished.
11 Deliver them that are drawn unto death; and those that are ready to be slain wilt thou forbear to rescue?
Rescue those who are led away to death. And do not cease from delivering those who are dragged away to a violent death.
12 If thou sayest: 'Behold, we knew not this', doth not He that weigheth the hearts consider it? And He that keepeth thy soul, doth not He know it? And shall not He render to every man according to his works?
If you would say: “I do not have sufficient strength.” He who inspects the heart, the same one understands, and nothing slips past the one who preserves your soul. And he shall repay a man according to his works.
13 My son, eat thou honey, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to thy taste;
My son, eat honey, because it is good, and the honeycomb, because it is so sweet to your throat.
14 So know thou wisdom to be unto thy soul; if thou hast found it, then shall there be a future, and thy hope shall not be cut off.
So, too, is the doctrine of wisdom to your soul. When you have found it, you will have hope in the end, and your hope shall not perish.
15 Lie not in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous, spoil not his resting-place;
Do not lie in wait, and do not seek impiety in the house of the just, nor spoil his rest.
16 For a righteous man falleth seven times, and riseth up again, but the wicked stumble under adversity.
For the just one will fall seven times, and he shall rise again. But the impious will fall into evil.
17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth;
When your enemy will fall, do not be glad, and do not let your heart exult in his ruin,
18 Lest the LORD see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him.
lest perhaps the Lord see, and it displease him, and he may take away his wrath from him.
19 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious at the wicked;
Do not contend with the most wicked, and do not be a rival to the impious.
20 For there will be no future to the evil man, the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
For the evil hold no hope in the future, and the lamp of the impious will be extinguished.
21 My son, fear thou the LORD and the king, and meddle not with them that are given to change;
My son, fear the Lord, as well as the king. And do not mingle with detractors.
22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin from them both?
For their perdition shall rise up suddenly. And who knows what ruin will be for each of them?
23 These also are sayings of the wise. To have respect of persons in judgment is not good.
Likewise, these things are for the wise. It is not good to base judgment on knowledge of character.
24 He that saith unto the wicked: 'Thou art righteous', peoples shall curse him, nations shall execrate him;
Those who say to the impious, “You are just,” shall be cursed by the people, and the tribes shall detest them.
25 But to them that decide justly shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.
Those who argue against the impious shall be praised, and a blessing shall come upon them.
26 He kisseth the lips that giveth a right answer.
He shall kiss the lips, who responds with upright words.
27 Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thy house.
Prepare your outdoor work, and diligently cultivate your field, so that afterward, you may build your house.
28 Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips.
Do not be a witness without cause against your neighbor. And do not mislead anyone with your lips.
29 Say not: 'I will do so to him as he hath done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.'
Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me.” I will repay each one according to his work.
30 I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;
I passed by the field of a lazy man, and by the vineyard of a foolish man,
31 And, lo, it was all grown over with thistles, the face thereof was covered with nettles, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.
and behold, it was entirely filled with nettles, and thorns had covered its surface, and the stonewall was destroyed.
32 Then I beheld, and considered well; I saw, and received instruction.
When I had seen this, I laid it up in my heart, and by this example, I received discipline.
33 'Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep' —
You will sleep a little,” I said. “You will slumber briefly. You will fold your hands a little, so as to rest.
34 So shall thy poverty come as a runner, and thy want as an armed man.
And destitution will overtake you like a runner, and begging will overtake you like an armed man.”
