Proverbs 24
1 Don’t be envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them;
Do not be envious of evil men, And do not desire to be with them.
2 for their hearts plot violence and their lips talk about mischief.
For their heart meditates [on] destruction, And their lips speak perverseness.
3 Through wisdom a house is built; by understanding it is established;
A house is built by wisdom, And it establishes itself by understanding.
4 by knowledge the rooms are filled with all rare and beautiful treasure.
And the inner parts are filled by knowledge, [With] all precious and pleasant wealth.
5 A wise man has great power. A knowledgeable man increases strength,
The wise [is] mighty 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 you make war for yourself by plans, And deliverance [is] in a multitude of counselors.
7 Wisdom is too high for a fool. He doesn’t open his mouth in the gate.
Wisdom [is] high for a fool, he does not open his mouth in the gate.
8 One who plots to do evil will be called a schemer.
Whoever is devising to do evil, They call him 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 a scorner [is] an abomination to man.
10 If you falter in the time of trouble, your strength is small.
You have showed yourself weak in a day of adversity, Your power is restricted,
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 you take back those slipping to the slaughter.
12 If you say, “Behold, we didn’t 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 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.
13 My son, eat honey, for it is good, the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to your taste;
My son, eat honey that [is] good, And the honeycomb [is] sweet to your palate.
14 so you shall know wisdom to be to your soul. If you have found it, then there will be a reward: Your hope will not be cut off.
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.
15 Don’t lay in wait, wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous. Don’t destroy his resting place;
Do not lay wait, O wicked one, At the habitation of the righteous. Do not spoil his resting place.
16 for a righteous man falls seven times and rises up again, but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.
For the righteous fall and rise seven [times], And the wicked stumble in evil.
17 Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls. Don’t let your heart be glad when he is overthrown,
Do not rejoice in the falling of your enemy, And do not let your heart be joyful in his stumbling,
18 lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.
Lest YHWH see, and [it be] evil in His eyes, And He has turned His anger from off him.
19 Don’t fret yourself because of evildoers, neither be envious of the wicked;
Do not fret yourself at evildoers, do not be envious at the wicked,
20 for there will be no reward to the evil man. The lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
For there is not a posterity to the evil, The lamp of the wicked is extinguished.
21 My son, fear the LORD and the king. Don’t join those who are rebellious,
Fear YHWH, my son, and the king, Do not mix yourself up with changers,
22 for their calamity will rise suddenly. Who knows what destruction may come from them both?
For their calamity rises suddenly, And the ruin of them both—who knows!
23 These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.
These are also for the wise: [It] is not good to discern faces in judgment.
24 He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,” peoples will curse him, and nations will abhor him—
Whoever is saying to the wicked, “You [are] 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 it is pleasant to those reproving, And a good blessing comes on them.
26 An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.
He who is returning straightforward words kisses lips.
27 Prepare your work outside, and get your fields ready. Afterwards, build your house.
Prepare your work in an out-place, And make it ready in the field—go afterward, Then you have built your house.
28 Don’t be a witness against your neighbor without cause. Don’t deceive with your lips.
Do not be a witness against your neighbor for nothing, Or you have enticed with your lips.
29 Don’t say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will repay the man according to his work.”
Do not say, “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.
I passed by near the field of a slothful man, And near the vineyard of a man lacking heart.
31 Behold, it was all grown over with thorns. Its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.
And behold, it has gone up—all of it—thorns! Nettles have covered its face, And its stone wall has been broken down.
32 Then I saw, and considered well. I saw, and received instruction:
And I see—I 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 your poverty has come [as] a traveler, And your want as an armed man!
