Proverbs 24
1 Do not be envious of evil men, And do not desire to be with them.
[My] son, envy not bad men, nor desire to be with them.
2 For their heart meditates [on] destruction, And their lips speak perverseness.
For their heart meditates falsehoods, and their lips speak mischiefs.
3 A house is built by wisdom, And it establishes itself by understanding.
A house is built by wisdom, and is set up by understanding.
4 And the inner parts are filled by knowledge, [With] all precious and pleasant wealth.
By discretion the chambers are filled with all precious and excellent wealth.
5 The wise [is] mighty in strength, And a man of knowledge is strengthening power,
A wise man is better than a strong man; and a man who has prudence than a large estate.
6 For you make war for yourself by plans, And deliverance [is] in a multitude of counselors.
War is carried on with generalship, and aid is supplied to the heart of a counsellor.
7 Wisdom [is] high for a fool, he does not open his mouth in the gate.
Wisdom and good understanding are in the gates of the wise: the wise turn not aside from the mouth of the Lord,
8 Whoever is devising to do evil, They call him a master of wicked thoughts.
but deliberate in council. Death befalls uninstructed [men].
9 The thought of folly [is] sin, And a scorner [is] an abomination to man.
The fools also dies in sins; and uncleanness [attaches] to a pestilent man.
10 You have showed yourself weak in a day of adversity, Your power is restricted,
He shall be defiled in the evil day, and in the day of affliction, until he be utterly consumed.
11 If [from] delivering those taken to death, And you take back those slipping to the slaughter.
Deliver them that are led away to death, and redeem them that are appointed to be slain; spare not [your help].
12 When you say, “Behold, we did not know this.” Is the Ponderer of hearts not He who understands? And the Keeper of your soul He who knows? And He has rendered to man according to his work.
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.
13 My son, eat honey that [is] good, And the honeycomb [is] sweet to your palate.
[My] son, eat honey, for the honeycomb is good, that your throat may be sweetened.
14 So [is] the knowledge of wisdom to your soul, If you have found that there is a posterity And your hope is not cut off.
Thus shall you perceive wisdom in your soul: for if you find it, your end shall be good, and hope shall not fail you.
15 Do not lay wait, O wicked one, At the habitation of the righteous. Do not spoil his resting place.
Bring not an ungodly man into the dwelling of the righteous: neither be deceived by the feeding of the belly.
16 For the righteous fall and rise seven [times], And the wicked stumble in evil.
For a righteous man will fall seven times, and rise [again]: but the ungodly shall be without strength in troubles.
17 Do not rejoice in the falling of your enemy, And do not let your heart be joyful in his stumbling,
If your enemy should fall, rejoice not over him, neither be elated at his overthrow.
18 Lest YHWH see, and [it be] evil in His eyes, And He has turned His anger from off him.
For the Lord will see [it], and it will not please him, and he will turn away his wrath from him.
19 Do not fret yourself at evildoers, do not be envious at the wicked,
Rejoice not in evil-doers, neither be envious of sinners.
20 For there is not a posterity to the evil, The lamp of the wicked is extinguished.
For the evil man shall have no posterity: and the light of the wicked shall be put out.
21 Fear YHWH, my son, and the king, Do not mix yourself up with changers,
[My] son, fear God and the king; and do not disobey either of them.
22 For their calamity rises suddenly, And the ruin of them both—who knows!
For they will suddenly punish the ungodly, and who can know the vengeance [inflicted] by both?
23 These are also for the wise: [It] is not good to discern faces in judgment.
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.
24 Whoever is saying to the wicked, “You [are] righteous,” Peoples execrate him—nations abhor him.
He that says of the ungodly, He is righteous, shall be cursed by peoples, and hateful among the nations.
25 And it is pleasant to those reproving, And a good blessing comes on them.
But they that reprove [him] shall appear more excellent, and blessing shall come upon them;
26 He who is returning straightforward words kisses lips.
and [men] will kiss lips that answer well.
27 Prepare your work in an out-place, And make it ready in the field—go afterward, Then you have built your house.
Prepare your works for [your] going forth, and prepare yourself for the field; and come after me, and you shall rebuild your house.
28 Do not be a witness against your neighbor for nothing, Or you have enticed with your lips.
Be not a false witness against your [fellow] citizen, neither exaggerate with your lips.
29 Do not say, “As he did to me, so I do to him, I render to each according to his work.”
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.
30 I passed by near the field of a slothful man, And near the vineyard of a man lacking heart.
A foolish man is like a farm, and a senseless man is like a vineyard.
31 And behold, it has gone up—all of it—thorns! Nettles have covered its face, And its stone wall has been broken down.
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.
32 And I see—I set my heart, I have seen—I have received instruction,
Afterwards I reflected, I looked that I might receive instruction.
33 A little sleep—a little slumber—A little folding of the hands to lie down.
[The sluggard says, ]I slumber a little, and I sleep a little, and for a little while I fold my arms across [my] breast.
34 And your poverty has come [as] a traveler, And your want as an armed man!
But if you do this, your poverty will come speedily; and your lack like a swift courier.
