Proverbs 24
1 [My] son, envy not bad men, nor desire to be with them.
Be not thou enuious against euill men, neither desire to be with them.
2 For their heart meditates falsehoods, and their lips speak mischiefs.
For their heart imagineth destruction, and their lippes speake mischiefe.
3 A house is built by wisdom, and is set up by understanding.
Through wisdome is an house builded, and with vnderstanding it is established.
4 By discretion the chambers are filled with all precious and excellent wealth.
And by knowledge shall the chambers bee filled with all precious, and pleasant riches.
5 A wise man is better than a strong man; and a man who has prudence than a large estate.
A wise man is strong: for a man of vnderstanding encreaseth his strength.
6 War is carried on with generalship, and aid is supplied to the heart of a counsellor.
For with counsel thou shalt enterprise thy warre, and in the multitude of them that can giue counsell, is health.
7 Wisdom and good understanding are in the gates of the wise: the wise turn not aside from the mouth of the Lord,
Wisdome is hie to a foole: therefore he can not open his mouth in the gate.
8 but deliberate in council. Death befalls uninstructed [men].
Hee that imagineth to doe euill, men shall call him an autour of wickednes.
9 The fools also dies in sins; and uncleanness [attaches] to a pestilent man.
The wicked thought of a foole is sinne, and the scorner is an abomination vnto men.
10 He shall be defiled in the evil day, and in the day of affliction, until he be utterly consumed.
If thou bee faint in the day of aduersitie, thy strength is small.
11 Deliver them that are led away to death, and redeem them that are appointed to be slain; spare not [your help].
Deliuer them that are drawen to death: wilt thou not preserue them that are led to be slaine?
12 But if you should say, I know not this man; know that the Lord knows the hearts of all; and he that formed breath for all, he knows all things, who renders to every man according to his works.
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?
13 [My] son, eat honey, for the honeycomb is good, that your throat may be sweetened.
My sonne, eate hony, for it is good, and the hony combe, for it is sweete vnto thy mouth.
14 Thus shall you perceive wisdom in your soul: for if you find it, your end shall be good, and hope shall not fail you.
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.
15 Bring not an ungodly man into the dwelling of the righteous: neither be deceived by the feeding of the belly.
Laye no waite, O wicked man, against the house of the righteous, and spoyle not his resting place.
16 For a righteous man will fall seven times, and rise [again]: but the ungodly shall be without strength in troubles.
For a iust man falleth seuen times, and riseth againe: but the wicked fall into mischiefe.
17 If your enemy should fall, rejoice not over him, neither be elated at his overthrow.
Bee thou not glad when thine enemie falleth, and let not thine heart reioyce when hee stumbleth,
18 For the Lord will see [it], and it will not please him, and he will turn away his wrath from him.
Least the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turne his wrath from him.
19 Rejoice not in evil-doers, neither be envious of sinners.
Fret not thy selfe because of the malicious, neither be enuious at the wicked.
20 For the evil man shall have no posterity: and the light of the wicked shall be put out.
For there shall bee none ende of plagues to the euill man: the light of the wicked shall bee put out.
21 [My] son, fear God and the king; and do not disobey either of them.
My sonne feare the Lord, and the King, and meddle not with them that are sedicious.
22 For they will suddenly punish the ungodly, and who can know the vengeance [inflicted] by both?
For their destruction shall rise suddenly, and who knoweth the ruine of them both?
23 And this thing I say to you that are wise [for you] to learn: It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
ALSO THESE THINGS PERTEINE TO THE WISE, It is not good to haue respect of any person in iudgement.
24 He that says of the ungodly, He is righteous, shall be cursed by peoples, and hateful among the nations.
He that saith to the wicked, Thou art righteous, him shall the people curse, and the multitude shall abhorre him.
25 But they that reprove [him] shall appear more excellent, and blessing shall come upon them;
But to them that rebuke him, shall be pleasure, and vpon them shall come the blessing of goodnesse.
26 and [men] will kiss lips that answer well.
They shall kisse the lippes of him that answereth vpright wordes.
27 Prepare your works for [your] going forth, and prepare yourself for the field; and come after me, and you shall rebuild your house.
Prepare thy worke without, and make readie thy thinges in the fielde, and after, builde thine house.
28 Be not a false witness against your [fellow] citizen, neither exaggerate with your lips.
Be not a witnes against thy neighbour without cause: for wilt thou deceiue with thy lippes?
29 Say not, As he has treated me, so will I treat him, and I will avenge myself on him for that wherein he has injured me.
Say not, I wil doe to him, as he hath done to mee, I will recompence euery man according to his worke.
30 A foolish man is like a farm, and a senseless man is like a vineyard.
I passed by the fielde of the slouthfull, and by the vineyarde of the man destitute of vnderstanding.
31 If you let him alone, he will altogether remain barren and covered with weeds; and he becomes destitute, and his stone walls are broken down.
And lo, it was al growen ouer with thornes, and nettles had couered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken downe.
32 Afterwards I reflected, I looked that I might receive instruction.
Then I behelde, and I considered it well: I looked vpon it, and receiued instruction.
33 [The sluggard says, ]I slumber a little, and I sleep a little, and for a little while I fold my arms across [my] breast.
Yet a litle sleepe, a litle slumber, a litle folding of the handes to sleepe.
34 But if you do this, your poverty will come speedily; and your lack like a swift courier.
So thy pouertie commeth as one that traueileth by the way, and thy necessitie like an armed man.
