Proverbs 24
1 Be thou not envious of bad men, and do not long to be with them.
Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.
2 For their heart meditateth destruction, and of mischief do their lips speak.
For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.
3 Through wisdom is a house built; and through understanding is it firmly established;
Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:
4 And through knowledge are chambers filled with all manner of precious and pleasant wealth.
And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
5 A wise man is [always] in power; and a man of knowledge fortifieth [his] strength.
A wise man [is] strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.
6 For by wise counsel canst thou conduct thy war; and there is help in a multitude of counsellors.
For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors [there is] safety.
7 Wisdom is too high for a fool: in the gate can he not open his mouth.
Wisdom [is] too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate.
8 Him that deviseth to do evil, men call a master of wicked devices.
He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.
9 The counsel of folly is sin; and an abomination to men is the scorner.
The thought of foolishness [is] sin: and the scorner [is] an abomination to men.
10 If thou despond on the day of distress, thy strength is small.
[If] thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength [is] small.
11 Deliver those that are taken unto death, and those that are moved away to the slaughter hold back.
If thou forbear to deliver [them that are] drawn unto death, and [those that are] ready to be slain;
12 If thou shouldst say, Behold, we know not this man: lo, he that weigheth hearts will truly regard it, and he that keepeth thy soul will surely know it; and he will give a recompense to man according to his doing.
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?
13 Eat honey, my son, because it is good; and the fine honey, which is sweet to thy palate:
My son, eat thou honey, because [it is] good; and the honeycomb, [which is] sweet to thy taste:
14 So obtain the knowledge of wisdom for thy soul: when thou hast found her, then shall there be a [happy] future, and thy hope shall not be cut off.
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.
15 Lie not in wait, O wicked man! against the dwelling of the righteous; waste not his resting-place;
Lay not wait, O wicked [man], against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place:
16 For though the righteous were to fall seven times, he will rise up again; but the wicked shall stumble into misfortune.
For a just [man] falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.
17 At the fall of thy enemy do not rejoice; and at his stumbling let not thy heart be glad:
Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:
18 Lest the Lord see it and it be displeasing in his eyes, and he turn away from him his wrath.
Lest the LORD see [it], and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.
19 Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, neither be thou envious of the wicked;
Fret not thyself because of evil [men], neither be thou envious at the wicked;
20 For there will be no [happy] future for the bad man: the lamp of the wicked will be quenched.
For there shall be no reward to the evil [man; ] the candle of the wicked shall be put out.
21 My son, fear the Lord and the king: with those that are desirous to change do not mingle thyself;
My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: [and] meddle not with them that are given to change:
22 For suddenly will their calamity arise; and who knoweth the ruin of both of them!
For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?
23 These things also are for the wise. To have respect of persons in judgment is not good.
These [things] also [belong] to the wise. [It is] not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
24 Him that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous, will the people denounce, him will nations hold accursed;
He that saith unto the wicked, Thou [art] righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him:
25 But to those that punish delight shall be given, and upon them shall come the blessing of the good.
But to them that rebuke [him] shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.
26 Men will kiss the lips of him that giveth a proper answer.
[Every man] shall kiss [his] lips that giveth a right answer.
27 Prepare without thy work, and make it fit in the field for thyself: and afterward build thy house.
Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.
28 Be not without cause a witness against thy neighbor; for wouldst thou beguile with thy lips?
Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive [not] with thy lips.
29 Say not, As he hath done to me so will I do to him: I will recompense every man according to his doing.
Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.
30 By the field of a slothful man I once passed along, and by the vineyard of a man void of sense:
I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;
31 And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, nettles had covered its surface, and its stone-wall was broken down.
And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, [and] nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.
32 And when I had indeed beheld [this] I took it to my heart: I saw it, and received a warning.
Then I saw, [and] considered [it] well: I looked upon [it, and] received instruction.
33 “A little [more] sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands in lying down;”
[Yet] a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
34 But then will thy poverty come like a rover; and thy wants as a man armed with a shield.
So shall thy poverty come [as] one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.
