Proverbs 24
1 [My] son, envy not bad men, nor desire to be with them.
Be not thou envious of wicked men, And desire not to be with them!
2 For their heart meditates falsehoods, and their lips speak mischiefs.
For their heart studieth destruction, And their lips speak mischief.
3 A house is built by wisdom, and is set up by understanding.
Through wisdom is a house builded, And by understanding is it established;
4 By discretion the chambers are filled with all precious and excellent wealth.
Yea, by knowledge are the chambers filled With all precious and goodly substance.
5 A wise man is better than a strong man; and a man who has prudence than a large estate.
The wise man is strong; Yea, the man of understanding establisheth his strength.
6 War is carried on with generalship, and aid is supplied to the heart of a counsellor.
For by wise counsel shalt thou make war, And by the multitude of counsellors cometh success.
7 Wisdom and good understanding are in the gates of the wise: the wise turn not aside from the mouth of the Lord,
Wisdom is too high for the fool; He openeth not his mouth at the gate.
8 but deliberate in council. Death befalls uninstructed [men].
He that deviseth to do evil Shall be called mischief-master.
9 The fools also dies in sins; and uncleanness [attaches] to a pestilent man.
The purpose of folly is sin; And a scoffer is an abomination to men.
10 He shall be defiled in the evil day, and in the day of affliction, until he be utterly consumed.
If thy spirit faint in the day of adversity, Faint will be thy strength.
11 Deliver them that are led away to death, and redeem them that are appointed to be slain; spare not [your help].
Deliver thou those who are dragged to death, And those who totter to the slaughter, —O keep them back!
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 sayst, “Behold, we knew it not!” Doth not he that weigheth the heart observe it? Yea, he that keepeth thy soul knoweth it. And he will render to every man according to his works.
13 [My] son, eat honey, for the honeycomb is good, that your throat may be sweetened.
Eat honey, my son, for it is good, And the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste;
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 learn thou wisdom for thy soul! When thou hast found it, there shall be a reward, And thy expectation 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.
Plot not, O wicked man! against the habitation of the righteous; Spoil 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 though the righteous fall seven times, yet shall he rise up again; But the wicked shall fall into mischief.
17 If your enemy should fall, rejoice not over him, neither be elated at his overthrow.
Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, And let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth;
18 For the Lord will see [it], and it will not please him, and he will turn away his wrath from him.
Lest the LORD see, and it displease him, And he turn away his anger from him.
19 Rejoice not in evil-doers, neither be envious of sinners.
Fret not thyself on account of evil men, Neither be thou envious of the wicked;
20 For the evil man shall have no posterity: and the light of the wicked shall be put out.
For there shall be no posterity to the evil man; The lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
21 [My] son, fear God and the king; and do not disobey either of them.
My son, fear thou the LORD and the king; And mingle not with them that are given to change!
22 For they will suddenly punish the ungodly, and who can know the vengeance [inflicted] by both?
For their calamity shall rise up suddenly, And their ruin, coming from them both, in a moment.
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.
These also are words of the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
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; Nations shall abhor him.
25 But they that reprove [him] shall appear more excellent, and blessing shall come upon them;
But it shall be well with them that punish him, And the blessing of prosperity shall come upon them.
26 and [men] will kiss lips that answer well.
He that giveth a right answer Kisseth the lips.
27 Prepare your works for [your] going forth, and prepare yourself for the field; and come after me, and you shall rebuild your house.
Arrange thy work without, And prepare it in thy field: Afterwards thou mayst build thy house.
28 Be not a false witness against your [fellow] citizen, neither exaggerate with your lips.
Be not a witness without cause against thy neighbor, And deceive not with thy lips.
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, “As he hath done to me, So will I do to him; I will render to the man according to his doings.”
30 A foolish man is like a farm, and a senseless man is like a vineyard.
I passed by the field of the slothful, And by the vineyard of the man void of understanding,
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 all overgrown with thorns, And the face thereof was covered with nettles, And the stone wall thereof was broken down.
32 Afterwards I reflected, I looked that I might receive instruction.
Then I saw, and considered it well; I looked upon it. and received 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.
“A little sleep, a little slumber! A little folding of the hands to rest!”
34 But if you do this, your poverty will come speedily; and your lack like a swift courier.
So shall poverty come upon thee like a highwayman; Yea, want like an armed man.
