Proverbs 24
1 Don’t be envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them;
Be not thou envious of wicked men, neither crave to be with them;
2 for their hearts plot violence and their lips talk about mischief.
For, violence, their heart muttereth, and, mischief, their lips do speak.
3 Through wisdom a house is built; by understanding it is established;
In wisdom, is a house builded, and, in understanding, is it established;
4 by knowledge the rooms are filled with all rare and beautiful treasure.
And, in knowledge, chambers are filled, with all acquisitions, costly and fair.
5 A wise man has great power. A knowledgeable man increases strength,
A wise man, is mighty, and, a man of knowledge, becometh alert in vigour.
6 for by wise guidance you wage your war, and victory is in many advisors.
Surely, with concerted measures, shalt thou make for thyself war, and, success, lieth in the greatness of the counsellor.
7 Wisdom is too high for a fool. He doesn’t open his mouth in the gate.
Unattainable to a foolish man, are the dictates of wisdom, in the gate, he openeth not his mouth.
8 One who plots to do evil will be called a schemer.
He that deviseth to do mischief, him, shall men call, a master of plots.
9 The schemes of folly are sin. The mocker is detested by men.
The purpose of folly, is sin, and, an abomination to mankind, is a buffoon.
10 If you falter in the time of trouble, your strength is small.
Thou hast been slothful in the day of straitness, Strait, is thy strength.
11 Rescue those who are being led away to death! Indeed, hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter!
Deliver thou such as are being led forth to death, and, them who are tottering to slaughter, oh that thou wouldst hold back!
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?
Though thou say, Lo! we knew not this, Shall not, he that proveth hearts, himself, discern? And, he that formeth thy soul, himself, know? and bring back to a son of earth according to his deed?
13 My son, eat honey, for it is good, the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to your taste;
My son, eat thou honey, because it is good, —and droppings from the comb [because they are] sweet to thy 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.
Thus, take knowledge of wisdom, for thine own soul; If thou find it, then there is a future, and, thine expectation, shall not be cut off.
15 Don’t lay in wait, wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous. Don’t destroy his resting place;
Do not lie in wait, thou lawless man, against the home of the righteous, —neither destroy thou his place of rest;
16 for a righteous man falls seven times and rises up again, but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.
For, seven times, may the righteous fall and yet arise, but, lawless men, shall stumble into calamity.
17 Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls. Don’t let your heart be glad when he is overthrown,
When thine enemy falleth, do not thou rejoice, and, when he stumbleth, let not thy heart exult:
18 lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.
Lest Yahweh see it, and it be wicked in his eyes, and he turn away from him his anger.
19 Don’t fret yourself because of evildoers, neither be envious of the wicked;
Burn not with vexation against evil doers, be not envious of lawless men;
20 for there will be no reward to the evil man. The lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
For there shall be no future for the wicked, The lamp of the lawless, shall go out.
21 My son, fear the LORD and the king. Don’t join those who are rebellious,
Revere thou Yahweh, my son, and the king, and, with the fickle, have thou no fellowship;
22 for their calamity will rise suddenly. Who knows what destruction may come from them both?
For, suddenly, shall arise their calamity; and, the misfortune of their years, who knoweth?
23 These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.
These things also, concern the wise, To take note of faces in judgment, is not good.
24 He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,” peoples will curse him, and nations will abhor him—
He that saith to the lawless man, Righteous, thou art, peoples shall denounce him, populations shall curse him;
25 but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and a rich blessing will come on them.
But, to reprovers, one should be pleasant, and, upon them, should come an excellent blessing:
26 An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.
Lips, should one kiss with one who answereth in right words.
27 Prepare your work outside, and get your fields ready. Afterwards, build your house.
Prepare, in the open, thy work, and make ready, in the field, for thyself, Afterwards, shalt thou build thy house.
28 Don’t be a witness against your neighbor without cause. Don’t deceive with your lips.
Do not become a needless witness against thy neighbour, so mightest thou open too wide thy 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—According to what he hath done to me, so, will I do to him, I will repay every one according to his work.
30 I went by the field of the sluggard, by the vineyard of the man void of understanding.
By the field of the sluggard, I passed, and by the vineyard of a man lacking sense;
31 Behold, it was all grown over with thorns. Its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.
And lo! there had come up all over it—thorns, there had covered the face thereof—thistles, and, the stone fence thereof, had been thrown down.
32 Then I saw, and considered well. I saw, and received instruction:
So I observed it, for myself, I applied my heart, I looked—I accepted correction:
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 rest:
34 so your poverty will come as a robber and your want as an armed man.
So shall come in, as a highwayman, thy poverty, and, thy want, as one armed with a shield.
