Proverbs 24
1 Be not envious of evil men, And desire not to be with them.
Be not you envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.
2 For destruction doth their heart meditate, And perverseness do their lips speak.
For their heart studies destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.
3 By wisdom is a house builded, And by understanding it establisheth itself.
Through wisdom is an house built; and by understanding it is established:
4 And by knowledge the inner parts are filled, [With] all precious and pleasant wealth.
And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
5 Mighty [is] the wise in strength, And a man of knowledge is strengthening power,
A wise man is strong; yes, a man of knowledge increases strength.
6 For by plans thou makest for thyself war, And deliverance [is] in a multitude of counsellors.
For by wise counsel you shall make your war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.
7 Wisdom [is] high for a fool, In the gate he openeth not his mouth.
Wisdom is too high for a fool: he opens not his mouth in the gate.
8 Whoso is devising to do evil, Him they call a master of wicked thoughts.
He that devises to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.
9 The thought of folly [is] sin, And an abomination to man [is] a scorner.
The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.
10 Thou hast shewed thyself weak in a day of adversity, Straitened is thy power,
If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.
11 If [from] delivering those taken to death, And those slipping to the slaughter — thou keepest back.
If you forbear to deliver them that are drawn to death, and those that are ready to be slain;
12 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.
If you say, Behold, we knew it not; does not he that ponders the heart consider it? and he that keeps your soul, does not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?
13 Eat my son, honey that [is] good, And the honeycomb — sweet to thy palate.
My son, eat you honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to your taste:
14 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.
So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul: when you have found it, then there shall be a reward, and your expectation shall not be cut off.
15 Lay not wait, O wicked one, At the habitation of the righteous. Do not spoil his resting-place.
Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place:
16 For seven [times] doth the righteous fall and rise, And the wicked stumble in evil.
For a just man falls seven times, and rises up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.
17 In the falling of thine enemy rejoice not, And in his stumbling let not thy heart be joyful,
Rejoice not when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles:
18 Lest Jehovah see, and [it be] evil in His eyes, And He hath turned from off him His anger.
Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.
19 Fret not thyself at evil doers, Be not envious at the wicked,
Fret not yourself because of evil men, neither be you envious at the wicked:
20 For there is not a posterity to the evil, The lamp of the wicked is extinguished.
For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.
21 Fear Jehovah, my son, and the king, With changers mix not up thyself,
My son, fear you the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:
22 For suddenly doth their calamity rise, And the ruin of them both — who knoweth!
For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knows the ruin of them both?
23 These also are for the wise: — To discern faces in judgment is not good.
These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
24 Whoso is saying to the wicked, 'Thou [art] righteous,' Peoples execrate him — nations abhor him.
He that says to the wicked, You are righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him:
25 And to those reproving it is pleasant, And on them cometh a good blessing.
But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come on them.
26 Lips he kisseth who is returning straightforward words.
Every man shall kiss his lips that gives a right answer.
27 Prepare in an out-place thy work, And make it ready in the field — go afterwards, Then thou hast built thy house.
Prepare your work without, and make it fit for yourself in the field; and afterwards build your house.
28 Be not a witness for nought against thy neighbour, Or thou hast enticed with thy lips.
Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause; and deceive not with your lips.
29 Say not, 'As he did to me, so I do to him, I render to each according to his work.'
Say not, I will do so to him as he has done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.
30 Near the field of a slothful man I passed by, And near the vineyard of a man lacking heart.
I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;
31 And lo, it hath gone up — all of it — thorns! Covered its face have nettles, And its stone wall hath been broken down.
And, see, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.
32 And I see — I — I do set my heart, I have seen — I have received instruction,
Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked on it, and received instruction.
33 A little sleep — a little slumber — A little folding of the hands to lie down.
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
34 And thy poverty hath come [as] a traveller, And thy want as an armed man!
So shall your poverty come as one that travels; and your want as an armed man.
