Proverbs 24
1 Do not be envious of evil men; neither desire to be with them:
Be not envious of evil men, And desire not to be with them.
2 for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about mischief.
For destruction doth their heart meditate, And perverseness do their lips speak.
3 Through wisdom a house is built; by understanding it is established;
By wisdom is a house builded, And by understanding it establisheth itself.
4 by knowledge the rooms are filled with all rare and beautiful treasure.
And by knowledge the inner parts are filled, [With] all precious and pleasant wealth.
5 A wise man has great power; and a knowledgeable man increases strength;
Mighty [is] the wise in strength, And a man of knowledge is strengthening power,
6 for by wise guidance you wage your war; and victory is in many advisors.
For by plans thou makest for thyself war, And deliverance [is] in a multitude of counsellors.
7 Wisdom is too high for a fool: he doesn't open his mouth in the gate.
Wisdom [is] high for a fool, In the gate he openeth not his mouth.
8 One who plots to do evil will be called a schemer.
Whoso is devising to do evil, Him they call a master of wicked thoughts.
9 The schemes of folly are sin. The mocker is detested by men.
The thought of folly [is] sin, And an abomination to man [is] a scorner.
10 If you falter in the time of trouble, your strength is small.
Thou hast shewed thyself weak in a day of adversity, Straitened is thy power,
11 Rescue those who are being led away to death. Indeed, hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter.
If [from] delivering those taken to death, And those slipping to the slaughter — thou keepest back.
12 If you say, "Look, we did not know this;" doesn't he who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, doesn't he know it? Shall he not render to every man according to his work?
When thou sayest, 'Lo, we knew not this.' Is not the Ponderer of hearts He who understandeth? And the Keeper of thy soul He who knoweth? And He hath rendered to man according to his work.
13 My son, eat honey, for it is good; the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to your taste.
Eat my son, honey that [is] good, And the honeycomb — sweet to thy palate.
14 Likewise, know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you have found it, then there will be a reward, and your hope will not be cut off.
So [is] the knowledge of wisdom to thy soul, If thou hast found that there is a posterity And thy hope is not cut off.
15 Do not lie in wait, wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous. Do not destroy his resting place.
Lay not wait, O wicked one, At the habitation of the righteous. Do not spoil his resting-place.
16 For the righteous may fall seven times, but gets up again, but the wicked will stumble in adversity.
For seven [times] doth the righteous fall and rise, And the wicked stumble in evil.
17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls. Do not let your heart be glad when he is overthrown;
In the falling of thine enemy rejoice not, And in his stumbling let not thy heart be joyful,
18 lest YHWH see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.
Lest Jehovah see, and [it be] evil in His eyes, And He hath turned from off him His anger.
19 Do not fret yourself because of evildoers; neither be envious of the wicked:
Fret not thyself at evil doers, Be not envious at the wicked,
20 for there will be no reward to the evil man; and the lamp of the wicked shall be snuffed out.
For there is not a posterity to the evil, The lamp of the wicked is extinguished.
21 My son, fear YHWH and the king. Do not join those who are rebellious:
Fear Jehovah, my son, and the king, With changers mix not up thyself,
22 for their calamity will rise suddenly; the destruction from them both—who knows?
For suddenly doth their calamity rise, And the ruin of them both — who knoweth!
23 These also are sayings of the wise. To show partiality in judgment is not good.
These also are for the wise: — To discern faces in judgment is not good.
24 He who says to the wicked, "You are righteous;" peoples shall curse him, and nations shall abhor him?
Whoso is saying to the wicked, 'Thou [art] righteous,' Peoples execrate him — nations abhor him.
25 but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and a rich blessing will come on them.
And to those reproving it is pleasant, And on them cometh a good blessing.
26 An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.
Lips he kisseth who is returning straightforward words.
27 Prepare your work outside, and get your fields ready. Afterwards, build your house.
Prepare in an out-place thy work, And make it ready in the field — go afterwards, Then thou hast built thy house.
28 Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause. Do not deceive with your lips.
Be not a witness for nought against thy neighbour, Or thou hast enticed with thy lips.
29 Do not say, "I will do to him as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work."
Say not, 'As he did to me, so I do to him, I render to each according to his work.'
30 I went by the field of the sluggard, by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;
Near the field of a slothful man I passed by, And near the vineyard of a man lacking heart.
31 Look, it was all grown over with thorns. Its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.
And lo, it hath gone up — all of it — thorns! Covered its face have nettles, And its stone wall hath been broken down.
32 Then I saw, and considered well. I saw, and received instruction:
And I see — I — I do set my heart, I have seen — I have received instruction,
33 a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep;
A little sleep — a little slumber — A little folding of the hands to lie down.
34 so your poverty will come as a robber, and your want as an armed man.
And thy poverty hath come [as] a traveller, And thy want as an armed man!
