Proverbs 24
1 Be not envious of evil men, And desire not to be with them.
Do not be envious of evil men, And do not desire to be with them.
2 For destruction doth their heart meditate, And perverseness do their lips speak.
For their heart meditates [on] destruction, And their lips speak perverseness.
3 By wisdom is a house builded, And by understanding it establisheth itself.
A house is built by wisdom, And it establishes itself by understanding.
4 And by knowledge the inner parts are filled, [With] all precious and pleasant wealth.
And the inner parts are filled by knowledge, [With] all precious and pleasant wealth.
5 Mighty [is] the wise in strength, And a man of knowledge is strengthening power,
The wise [is] mighty in strength, And a man of knowledge is strengthening power,
6 For by plans thou makest for thyself war, And deliverance [is] in a multitude of counsellors.
For you make war for yourself by plans, And deliverance [is] in a multitude of counselors.
7 Wisdom [is] high for a fool, In the gate he openeth not his mouth.
Wisdom [is] high for a fool, he does not open his mouth in the gate.
8 Whoso is devising to do evil, Him they call a master of wicked thoughts.
Whoever is devising to do evil, They call him a master of wicked thoughts.
9 The thought of folly [is] sin, And an abomination to man [is] a scorner.
The thought of folly [is] sin, And a scorner [is] an abomination to man.
10 Thou hast shewed thyself weak in a day of adversity, Straitened is thy power,
You have showed yourself weak in a day of adversity, Your power is restricted,
11 If [from] delivering those taken to death, And those slipping to the slaughter — thou keepest back.
If [from] delivering those taken to death, And you take back those slipping to the slaughter.
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.
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 Eat my son, honey that [is] good, And the honeycomb — sweet to thy palate.
My son, eat honey that [is] good, And the honeycomb [is] sweet to your palate.
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 [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 Lay not wait, O wicked one, At the habitation of the righteous. Do not spoil his resting-place.
Do not lay wait, O wicked one, At the habitation of the righteous. Do not spoil his resting place.
16 For seven [times] doth the righteous fall and rise, And the wicked stumble in evil.
For the righteous fall and rise seven [times], And the wicked stumble in evil.
17 In the falling of thine enemy rejoice not, And in his stumbling let not thy heart be joyful,
Do not rejoice in the falling of your enemy, And do not let your heart be joyful in his stumbling,
18 Lest Jehovah see, and [it be] evil in His eyes, And He hath turned from off him His anger.
Lest YHWH see, and [it be] evil in His eyes, And He has turned His anger from off him.
19 Fret not thyself at evil doers, Be not envious at the wicked,
Do not fret yourself at evildoers, do not be envious at the wicked,
20 For there is not a posterity to the evil, The lamp of the wicked is extinguished.
For there is not a posterity to the evil, The lamp of the wicked is extinguished.
21 Fear Jehovah, my son, and the king, With changers mix not up thyself,
Fear YHWH, my son, and the king, Do not mix yourself up with changers,
22 For suddenly doth their calamity rise, And the ruin of them both — who knoweth!
For their calamity rises suddenly, And the ruin of them both—who knows!
23 These also are for the wise: — To discern faces in judgment is not good.
These are also for the wise: [It] is not good to discern faces in judgment.
24 Whoso is saying to the wicked, 'Thou [art] righteous,' Peoples execrate him — nations abhor him.
Whoever is saying to the wicked, “You [are] righteous,” Peoples execrate him—nations abhor him.
25 And to those reproving it is pleasant, And on them cometh a good blessing.
And it is pleasant to those reproving, And a good blessing comes on them.
26 Lips he kisseth who is returning straightforward words.
He who is returning straightforward words kisses lips.
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 in an out-place, And make it ready in the field—go afterward, Then you have built your house.
28 Be not a witness for nought against thy neighbour, Or thou hast enticed with thy lips.
Do not be a witness against your neighbor for nothing, Or you have enticed with your lips.
29 Say not, 'As he did to me, so I do to him, I render to each 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 Near the field of a slothful man I passed by, And near the vineyard of a man lacking heart.
I passed by near the field of a slothful man, And near the vineyard of a man lacking heart.
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 behold, it has gone up—all of it—thorns! Nettles have covered its face, And its stone wall has been broken down.
32 And I see — I — I do set my heart, I have seen — I have 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 lie down.
A little sleep—a little slumber—A little folding of the hands to lie down.
34 And thy poverty hath come [as] a traveller, And thy want as an armed man!
And your poverty has come [as] a traveler, And your want as an armed man!
