Proverbs 24
1 Do not be envious of those who are evil, nor desire to associate with them,
Be not envious of evil men, And desire not to be with them.
2 because their hearts plot violence and their lips talk about trouble.
For destruction doth their heart meditate, And perverseness do their lips speak.
3 Through wisdom a house is built and 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 precious and pleasant riches.
And by knowledge the inner parts are filled, [With] all precious and pleasant wealth.
5 A warrior of wisdom is strong, and a man of knowledge increases his strength;
Mighty [is] the wise in strength, And a man of knowledge is strengthening power,
6 for by wise direction you can wage your war and with many advisors there is victory.
For by plans thou makest for thyself war, And deliverance [is] in a multitude of counsellors.
7 Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the gate he does not open his mouth.
Wisdom [is] high for a fool, In the gate he openeth not his mouth.
8 There is one who plans to do evil— people call him a master of schemes.
Whoso is devising to do evil, Him they call a master of wicked thoughts.
9 A foolish plan is sin and men despise a mocker.
The thought of folly [is] sin, And an abomination to man [is] a scorner.
10 If you become weak with fear in the day of trouble, then your strength is small.
Thou hast shewed thyself weak in a day of adversity, Straitened is thy power,
11 Rescue those who are being taken away to death and 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, “Behold, we knew nothing about this,” does not the one who weighs the heart understand what you are saying? The one who guards your life, does he not know it? Will God not give to each one what he deserves?
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 because it is good, because the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.
Eat my son, honey that [is] good, And the honeycomb — sweet to thy palate.
14 Such is wisdom for your soul— if you find it, there will be a future 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 like the wicked person who attacks the house of the righteous person. Do not destroy his home!
Lay not wait, O wicked one, At the habitation of the righteous. Do not spoil his resting-place.
16 For the righteous person falls down seven times and rises again, but wicked people are brought down by calamity.
For seven [times] doth the righteous fall and rise, And the wicked stumble in evil.
17 Do not celebrate when your enemy falls and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,
In the falling of thine enemy rejoice not, And in his stumbling let not thy heart be joyful,
18 or Yahweh will see and disapprove and 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 worry because of evildoers, and do not envy wicked people,
Fret not thyself at evil doers, Be not envious at the wicked,
20 for the evil person has no future and the lamp of wicked people will go out.
For there is not a posterity to the evil, The lamp of the wicked is extinguished.
21 Fear Yahweh, and fear the king, my son; do not associate with those who rebel against them,
Fear Jehovah, my son, and the king, With changers mix not up thyself,
22 for suddenly their disaster will come and who knows the extent of the destruction that will come from both of them?
For suddenly doth their calamity rise, And the ruin of them both — who knoweth!
23 These also are sayings of the wise. Partiality in judging a case at law is not good.
These also are for the wise: — To discern faces in judgment is not good.
24 Whoever says to the wicked person, “You are a righteous person,” will be cursed by peoples and hated by nations.
Whoso is saying to the wicked, 'Thou [art] righteous,' Peoples execrate him — nations abhor him.
25 But those who discipline the wicked will have delight and gifts of goodness will come to them.
And to those reproving it is pleasant, And on them cometh a good blessing.
26 The one who gives an honest answer gives a kiss on the lips.
Lips he kisseth who is returning straightforward words.
27 Prepare your outdoor work, and make everything ready for yourself in the field; after that, 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 bear witness against your neighbor without cause and 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 what he has done to me; I will pay him back for what he has done.”
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 a lazy man, past the vineyard of the man having no sense.
Near the field of a slothful man I passed by, And near the vineyard of a man lacking heart.
31 Thorns had grown up everywhere, the ground 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 it; I looked 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 rest—
A little sleep — a little slumber — A little folding of the hands to lie down.
34 and poverty comes marching upon you, and your needs like an armed soldier.
And thy poverty hath come [as] a traveller, And thy want as an armed man!
