Proverbs 24
1 Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.
Be not thou envious of wicked men, neither crave to be with them;
2 For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.
For, violence, their heart muttereth, and, mischief, their lips do speak.
3 Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:
In wisdom, is a house builded, and, in understanding, is it established;
4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
And, in knowledge, chambers are filled, with all acquisitions, costly and fair.
5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.
A wise man, is mighty, and, a man of knowledge, becometh alert in vigour.
6 For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellers there is safety.
Surely, with concerted measures, shalt thou make for thyself war, and, success, lieth in the greatness of the counsellor.
7 Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate.
Unattainable to a foolish man, are the dictates of wisdom, in the gate, he openeth not his mouth.
8 He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.
He that deviseth to do mischief, him, shall men call, a master of plots.
9 The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.
The purpose of folly, is sin, and, an abomination to mankind, is a buffoon.
10 If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.
Thou hast been slothful in the day of straitness, Strait, is thy strength.
11 If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain;
Deliver thou such as are being led forth to death, and, them who are tottering to slaughter, oh that thou wouldst hold back!
12 If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart 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?
Though thou say, Lo! we knew not this, Shall not, he that proveth hearts, himself, discern? And, he that formeth thy soul, himself, know? and bring back to a son of earth according to his deed?
13 My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:
My son, eat thou honey, because it is good, —and droppings from the comb [because they are] sweet to thy palate:
14 So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.
Thus, take knowledge of wisdom, for thine own soul; If thou find it, then there is a future, and, thine expectation, shall not be cut off.
15 Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place:
Do not lie in wait, thou lawless man, against the home of the righteous, —neither destroy thou his place of rest;
16 For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.
For, seven times, may the righteous fall and yet arise, but, lawless men, shall stumble into calamity.
17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:
When thine enemy falleth, do not thou rejoice, and, when he stumbleth, let not thy heart exult:
18 Lest YHWH see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.
Lest Yahweh see it, and it be wicked in his eyes, and he turn away from him his anger.
19 Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked;
Burn not with vexation against evil doers, be not envious of lawless men;
20 For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.
For there shall be no future for the wicked, The lamp of the lawless, shall go out.
21 My son, fear thou YHWH and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:
Revere thou Yahweh, my son, and the king, and, with the fickle, have thou no fellowship;
22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?
For, suddenly, shall arise their calamity; and, the misfortune of their years, who knoweth?
23 These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
These things also, concern the wise, To take note of faces in judgment, is not good.
24 He that saith unto the wicked, Thou are righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him:
He that saith to the lawless man, Righteous, thou art, peoples shall denounce him, populations shall curse him;
25 But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.
But, to reprovers, one should be pleasant, and, upon them, should come an excellent blessing:
26 Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer.
Lips, should one kiss with one who answereth in right words.
27 Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.
Prepare, in the open, thy work, and make ready, in the field, for thyself, Afterwards, shalt thou build thy house.
28 Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips.
Do not become a needless witness against thy neighbour, so mightest thou open too wide 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.
Do not say—According to what he hath done to me, so, will I do to him, I will repay every one according to his work.
30 I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;
By the field of the sluggard, I passed, and by the vineyard of a man lacking sense;
31 And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.
And lo! there had come up all over it—thorns, there had covered the face thereof—thistles, and, the stone fence thereof, had been thrown down.
32 Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.
So I observed it, for myself, I applied my heart, I looked—I accepted correction:
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 one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.
So shall come in, as a highwayman, thy poverty, and, thy want, as one armed with a shield.
