Proverbs 24
1 Be not thou envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them.
Be not thou envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them;
2 For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.
for their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.
3 Through wisdom is a house builded; and by understanding it is established;
Through wisdom is a house built, and by understanding it is established;
4 And by knowledge are the chambers filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
and by knowledge are the chambers filled with all precious and pleasant substance.
5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.
A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge increaseth strength.
6 For with wise advice thou shalt make thy war; and in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.
For with good advice shalt thou make thy war; and in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.
7 Wisdom is as unattainable to a fool as corals; he openeth not his mouth in the gate.
Wisdom is too high for a fool: he will not open his mouth in the gate.
8 He that deviseth to do evil, men shall call him a mischievous person.
He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a master of intrigues.
9 The thought of foolishness is sin; and the scorner is an abomination to men.
The purpose of folly is sin, and the scorner is an abomination to men.
10 If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small indeed.
[If] thou losest courage in the day of trouble, thy strength is small.
11 Deliver them that are drawn unto death; and those that are ready to be slain wilt thou forbear to rescue?
Deliver them that are taken forth unto death, and withdraw not from them that stagger to slaughter.
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 thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not, will not he that weigheth the hearts consider it? And he that preserveth thy soul, he knoweth it; and he rendereth to man according to his work.
13 My son, eat thou honey, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to thy taste;
Eat honey, my son, for it is good; and a honeycomb is sweet to thy taste:
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 consider wisdom for thy soul; if thou hast found it, there shall be a result, and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
15 Lie not in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous, spoil not his resting-place;
Lay not wait, O wicked [man], against the dwelling of the righteous; lay not waste his resting-place.
16 For a righteous man falleth seven times, and riseth up again, but the wicked stumble under adversity.
For the righteous falleth seven times, and riseth up again; but the wicked stumble into disaster.
17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth;
Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth;
18 Lest the LORD see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him.
lest Jehovah see it, and it be evil in his sight, and he turn away his anger from him.
19 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious at the wicked;
Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, [and] be not envious of the wicked:
20 For there will be no future to the evil man, the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
for there shall be no future to the evil [man]; the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
21 My son, fear thou the LORD and the king, and meddle not with them that are given to change;
My son, fear Jehovah and the king: meddle not with them that are given to change.
22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin from them both?
For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?
23 These also are sayings of the wise. To have respect of persons in judgment is not good.
These things also come from the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
24 He that saith unto the wicked: 'Thou art righteous', peoples shall curse him, nations shall execrate him;
He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous, peoples shall curse him, nations shall abhor him;
25 But to them that decide justly shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.
but to them that rebuke [him] shall be delight, and a good blessing cometh upon them.
26 He kisseth the lips that giveth a right answer.
He kisseth the lips who giveth a right answer.
27 Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thy house.
Prepare thy work without, and put thy field in order, and afterwards build thy house.
28 Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips.
Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and wouldest thou deceive with thy 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.'
Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me, I will render to the man according to his work.
30 I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;
I went by the field of a sluggard, and by the vineyard of a man void of understanding;
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 lo, it was all grown over with thistles, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and its stone wall was broken down.
32 Then I beheld, and considered well; I saw, and received instruction.
Then I looked, I took it to heart; I saw, I received instruction:
33 'Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep' —
— A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest!
34 So shall thy poverty come as a runner, and thy want as an armed man.
So shall thy poverty come [as] a roving plunderer, and thy penury as an armed man.
