Proverbs 24
1 [My] son, envy not bad men, nor desire to be with them.
Be not thou envious of wicked men, neither crave to be with them;
2 For their heart meditates falsehoods, and their lips speak mischiefs.
For, violence, their heart muttereth, and, mischief, their lips do speak.
3 A house is built by wisdom, and is set up by understanding.
In wisdom, is a house builded, and, in understanding, is it established;
4 By discretion the chambers are filled with all precious and excellent wealth.
And, in knowledge, chambers are filled, with all acquisitions, costly and fair.
5 A wise man is better than a strong man; and a man who has prudence than a large estate.
A wise man, is mighty, and, a man of knowledge, becometh alert in vigour.
6 War is carried on with generalship, and aid is supplied to the heart of a counsellor.
Surely, with concerted measures, shalt thou make for thyself war, and, success, lieth in the greatness of the counsellor.
7 Wisdom and good understanding are in the gates of the wise: the wise turn not aside from the mouth of the Lord,
Unattainable to a foolish man, are the dictates of wisdom, in the gate, he openeth not his mouth.
8 but deliberate in council. Death befalls uninstructed [men].
He that deviseth to do mischief, him, shall men call, a master of plots.
9 The fools also dies in sins; and uncleanness [attaches] to a pestilent man.
The purpose of folly, is sin, and, an abomination to mankind, is a buffoon.
10 He shall be defiled in the evil day, and in the day of affliction, until he be utterly consumed.
Thou hast been slothful in the day of straitness, Strait, is 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 such as are being led forth to death, and, them who are tottering to slaughter, oh that thou wouldst hold 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.
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 honey, for the honeycomb is good, that your throat may be sweetened.
My son, eat thou honey, because it is good, —and droppings from the comb [because they are] sweet to thy palate:
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.
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 Bring not an ungodly man into the dwelling of the righteous: neither be deceived by the feeding of the belly.
Do not lie in wait, thou lawless man, against the home of the righteous, —neither destroy thou his place of rest;
16 For a righteous man will fall seven times, and rise [again]: but the ungodly shall be without strength in troubles.
For, seven times, may the righteous fall and yet arise, but, lawless men, shall stumble into calamity.
17 If your enemy should fall, rejoice not over him, neither be elated at his overthrow.
When thine enemy falleth, do not thou rejoice, and, when he stumbleth, let not thy heart exult:
18 For the Lord will see [it], and it will not please him, and he will 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 Rejoice not in evil-doers, neither be envious of sinners.
Burn not with vexation against evil doers, be not envious of lawless men;
20 For the evil man shall have no posterity: and the light 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 God and the king; and do not disobey either of them.
Revere thou Yahweh, my son, and the king, and, with the fickle, have thou no fellowship;
22 For they will suddenly punish the ungodly, and who can know the vengeance [inflicted] by both?
For, suddenly, shall arise their calamity; and, the misfortune of their years, who knoweth?
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 things also, concern the wise, To take note of faces in judgment, is not good.
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 lawless man, Righteous, thou art, peoples shall denounce him, populations shall curse him;
25 But they that reprove [him] shall appear more excellent, and blessing shall come upon them;
But, to reprovers, one should be pleasant, and, upon them, should come an excellent blessing:
26 and [men] will kiss lips that answer well.
Lips, should one kiss with one who answereth in right words.
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, in the open, thy work, and make ready, in the field, for thyself, Afterwards, shalt thou build thy house.
28 Be not a false witness against your [fellow] citizen, neither exaggerate with your lips.
Do not become a needless witness against thy neighbour, so mightest thou open too wide 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.
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 A foolish man is like a farm, and a senseless man is like a vineyard.
By the field of the sluggard, I passed, and by the vineyard of a man lacking sense;
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! 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 Afterwards I reflected, I looked that I might receive instruction.
So I observed it, for myself, I applied my heart, I looked—I accepted correction:
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 come in, as a highwayman, thy poverty, and, thy want, as one armed with a shield.
