Proverbs 24
1 Be not you envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.
Do not be envious of evil men, And do not desire to be with them.
2 For their heart studies destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.
For their heart meditates [on] destruction, And their lips speak perverseness.
3 Through wisdom is an house built; and by understanding it is established:
A house is built by wisdom, And it establishes itself by understanding.
4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
And the inner parts are filled by knowledge, [With] all precious and pleasant wealth.
5 A wise man is strong; yes, a man of knowledge increases strength.
The wise [is] mighty in strength, And a man of knowledge is strengthening power,
6 For by wise counsel you shall make your war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.
For you make war for yourself by plans, And deliverance [is] in a multitude of counselors.
7 Wisdom is too high for a fool: he opens not his mouth in the gate.
Wisdom [is] high for a fool, he does not open his mouth in the gate.
8 He that devises to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.
Whoever is devising to do evil, They call him a master of wicked thoughts.
9 The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.
The thought of folly [is] sin, And a scorner [is] an abomination to man.
10 If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.
You have showed yourself weak in a day of adversity, Your power is restricted,
11 If you forbear to deliver them that are drawn to death, and those that are ready to be slain;
If [from] delivering those taken to death, And you take back those slipping to the slaughter.
12 If you say, Behold, we knew it not; does not he that ponders the heart consider it? and he that keeps your soul, does not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?
When you say, “Behold, we did not know this.” Is the Ponderer of hearts not He who understands? And the Keeper of your soul He who knows? And He has rendered to man according to his work.
13 My son, eat you honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to your taste:
My son, eat honey that [is] good, And the honeycomb [is] sweet to your palate.
14 So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul: when you have found it, then there shall be a reward, and your expectation shall not be cut off.
So [is] the knowledge of wisdom to your soul, If you have found that there is a posterity And your hope is not cut off.
15 Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place:
Do not lay wait, O wicked one, At the habitation of the righteous. Do not spoil his resting place.
16 For a just man falls seven times, and rises up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.
For the righteous fall and rise seven [times], And the wicked stumble in evil.
17 Rejoice not when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles:
Do not rejoice in the falling of your enemy, And do not let your heart be joyful in his stumbling,
18 Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.
Lest YHWH see, and [it be] evil in His eyes, And He has turned His anger from off him.
19 Fret not yourself because of evil men, neither be you envious at the wicked:
Do not fret yourself at evildoers, do not be envious at the wicked,
20 For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.
For there is not a posterity to the evil, The lamp of the wicked is extinguished.
21 My son, fear you the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:
Fear YHWH, my son, and the king, Do not mix yourself up with changers,
22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knows the ruin of them both?
For their calamity rises suddenly, And the ruin of them both—who knows!
23 These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
These are also for the wise: [It] is not good to discern faces in judgment.
24 He that says to the wicked, You are righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him:
Whoever is saying to the wicked, “You [are] righteous,” Peoples execrate him—nations abhor him.
25 But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come on them.
And it is pleasant to those reproving, And a good blessing comes on them.
26 Every man shall kiss his lips that gives a right answer.
He who is returning straightforward words kisses lips.
27 Prepare your work without, and make it fit for yourself in the field; and afterwards build your house.
Prepare your work in an out-place, And make it ready in the field—go afterward, Then you have built your house.
28 Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause; and deceive not with your lips.
Do not be a witness against your neighbor for nothing, Or you have enticed with your lips.
29 Say not, I will do so to him as he has done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.
Do not say, “As he did to me, so I do to him, I render to each 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 near the field of a slothful man, And near the vineyard of a man lacking heart.
31 And, see, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.
And behold, it has gone up—all of it—thorns! Nettles have covered its face, And its stone wall has been broken down.
32 Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked on it, and received instruction.
And I see—I set my heart, I have seen—I have 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 lie down.
34 So shall your poverty come as one that travels; and your want as an armed man.
And your poverty has come [as] a traveler, And your want as an armed man!
