Proverbs 24
1 Be not thou envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them;
Be not thou envious of wicked men, And desire not to be with them!
2 for their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.
For their heart studieth destruction, And their lips speak mischief.
3 Through wisdom is a house built, and by understanding it is established;
Through wisdom is a house builded, And by understanding is it established;
4 and by knowledge are the chambers filled with all precious and pleasant substance.
Yea, by knowledge are the chambers filled With all precious and goodly substance.
5 A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge increaseth strength.
The wise man is strong; Yea, the man of understanding establisheth his strength.
6 For with good advice shalt thou make thy war; and in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.
For by wise counsel shalt thou make war, And by the multitude of counsellors cometh success.
7 Wisdom is too high for a fool: he will not open his mouth in the gate.
Wisdom is too high for the fool; He openeth not his mouth at the gate.
8 He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a master of intrigues.
He that deviseth to do evil Shall be called mischief-master.
9 The purpose of folly is sin, and the scorner is an abomination to men.
The purpose of folly is sin; And a scoffer is an abomination to men.
10 [If] thou losest courage in the day of trouble, thy strength is small.
If thy spirit faint in the day of adversity, Faint will be thy strength.
11 Deliver them that are taken forth unto death, and withdraw not from them that stagger to slaughter.
Deliver thou those who are dragged to death, And those who totter to the slaughter, —O keep them back!
12 If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not, will not he that weigheth the hearts consider it? And he that preserveth thy soul, he knoweth it; and he rendereth to man according to his work.
If thou sayst, “Behold, we knew it not!” Doth not he that weigheth the heart observe it? Yea, he that keepeth thy soul knoweth it. And he will render to every man according to his works.
13 Eat honey, my son, for it is good; and a honeycomb is sweet to thy taste:
Eat honey, my son, for it is good, And the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste;
14 so consider wisdom for thy soul; if thou hast found it, there shall be a result, and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
So learn thou wisdom for thy soul! When thou hast found it, there shall be a reward, And thy expectation shall not be cut off.
15 Lay not wait, O wicked [man], against the dwelling of the righteous; lay not waste his resting-place.
Plot not, O wicked man! against the habitation of the righteous; Spoil not his resting-place!
16 For the righteous falleth seven times, and riseth up again; but the wicked stumble into disaster.
For though the righteous fall seven times, yet shall he rise up again; But the wicked shall fall into mischief.
17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth;
Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, And let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth;
18 lest Jehovah see it, and it be evil in his sight, and he turn away his anger from him.
Lest the LORD see, and it displease him, And he turn away his anger from him.
19 Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, [and] be not envious of the wicked:
Fret not thyself on account of evil men, Neither be thou envious of the wicked;
20 for there shall be no future to the evil [man]; the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
For there shall be no posterity to the evil man; The lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
21 My son, fear Jehovah and the king: meddle not with them that are given to change.
My son, fear thou the LORD and the king; And mingle not with them that are given to change!
22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?
For their calamity shall rise up suddenly, And their ruin, coming from them both, in a moment.
23 These things also come from the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
These also are words of the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
24 He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous, peoples shall curse him, nations shall abhor him;
He that saith to the wicked, “Thou art righteous,” Him shall the people curse; Nations shall abhor him.
25 but to them that rebuke [him] shall be delight, and a good blessing cometh upon them.
But it shall be well with them that punish him, And the blessing of prosperity shall come upon them.
26 He kisseth the lips who giveth a right answer.
He that giveth a right answer Kisseth the lips.
27 Prepare thy work without, and put thy field in order, and afterwards build thy house.
Arrange thy work without, And prepare it in thy field: Afterwards thou mayst build thy house.
28 Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and wouldest thou deceive with thy lips?
Be not a witness without cause against thy neighbor, And deceive not with thy lips.
29 Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me, I will render to the man according to his work.
Say not, “As he hath done to me, So will I do to him; I will render to the man according to his doings.”
30 I went by the field of a sluggard, and by the vineyard of a man void of understanding;
I passed by the field of the slothful, And by the vineyard of the man void of understanding,
31 and lo, it was all grown over with thistles, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and its stone wall was broken down.
And, lo! it was all overgrown with thorns, And the face thereof was covered with nettles, And the stone wall thereof was broken down.
32 Then I looked, I took it to heart; I saw, I received instruction:
Then I saw, and considered it well; I looked upon it. and 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 rest!”
34 So shall thy poverty come [as] a roving plunderer, and thy penury as an armed man.
So shall poverty come upon thee like a highwayman; Yea, want like an armed man.
