Proverbs, 24

1. Do not be envious of the wicked or wish for their company,

1. Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.

2. for their hearts are scheming violence, their lips talking mischief.

2. For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.

3. By wisdom a house is built, by understanding it is made strong;

3. Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:

4. by knowledge its storerooms are filled with riches of every kind, rare and desirable.

4. And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

5. The wise is mighty in power, strength is reinforced by science;

5. A wise man [is] strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

6. for it is by strategy that you wage war, and victory depends on having many counsellors.

6. For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors [there is] safety.

7. For a fool wisdom is an inaccessible fortress: at the city gate he does not open his mouth.

7. Wisdom [is] too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate.

8. Anyone intent on evil-doing is known as a master in cunning.

8. He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.

9. Folly dreams of nothing but sin, the mocker is abhorrent.

9. The thought of foolishness [is] sin: and the scorner [is] an abomination to men.

10. If you lose heart when things go wrong, your strength is not worth much.

10. [If] thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength [is] small.

11. Save those being dragged towards death, but can you rescue those on their way to execution?

11. If thou forbear to deliver [them that are] drawn unto death, and [those that are] ready to be slain;

12. If you say, 'But look, we did not know,' will the Weigher of the heart pay no attention? Will not the Guardian of your soul be aware and repay you as your deeds deserve?

12. If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider [it]? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth [not] he know [it]? and shall [not] he render to [every] man according to his works?

13. Eat honey, my child, since it is good; honey that drips from the comb is sweet to the taste:

13. My son, eat thou honey, because [it is] good; and the honeycomb, [which is] sweet to thy taste:

14. and so, for sure, will wisdom be to your soul: find it and you will have a future and your hope will not be cut short.

14. So [shall] the knowledge of wisdom [be] unto thy soul: when thou hast found [it], then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.

15. Do not lurk, wicked man, round the upright man's dwelling, do not despoil his house.

15. Lay not wait, O wicked [man], against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place:

16. For though the upright falls seven times, he gets up again; the wicked are the ones who stumble in adversity.

16. For a just [man] falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

17. Should your enemy fall, do not rejoice, when he stumbles do not let your heart exult:

17. Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:

18. for fear that Yahweh will be displeased at the sight and turn his anger away from him.

18. Lest the LORD see [it], and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.

19. Do not be indignant about the wicked, do not be envious of the evil,

19. Fret not thyself because of evil [men], neither be thou envious at the wicked;

20. for there is no future for the evil, the lamp of the wicked will go out.

20. For there shall be no reward to the evil [man]; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.

21. Fear Yahweh, my child, and fear the king; do not ally yourself with innovators;

21. My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: [and] meddle not with them that are given to change:

22. for suddenly disaster will loom for them, and who knows what ruin will seize them and their friends?

22. For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?

23. The following are also taken from the sages: To show partiality in judgement is not good.

23. These [things] also [belong] to the wise. [It is] not good to have respect of persons in judgment.

24. Whoever tells the wicked, 'You are upright,' peoples curse him, nations revile him;

24. He that saith unto the wicked, Thou [art] righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him:

25. but those who correct him, come out of it well, on them will come a happy blessing.

25. But to them that rebuke [him] shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.

26. Whoever returns an honest answer, plants a kiss on the lips.

26. [Every man] shall kiss [his] lips that giveth a right answer.

27. Plan what you want on the open ground, make your preparation in the field; then go and build your house.

27. Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.

28. Do not bear witness lightly against your neighbour, nor deceive with your lips.

28. Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive [not] with thy lips.

29. Do not say, 'I will treat my neighbour as my neighbour treated me; I will repay everyone what each has earned.'

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.

30. By the idler's field I was passing, by the vineyard of a man who had no sense,

30. I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;

31. there it all lay, deep in thorns, entirely overgrown with weeds, and its stone wall broken down.

31. And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, [and] nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.

32. And as I gazed I pondered, I drew this lesson from the sight,

32. Then I saw, [and] considered [it] well: I looked upon [it, and] received instruction.

33. 'A little sleep, a little drowsiness, a little folding of the arms to lie back

33. [Yet] a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

34. and poverty comes like a vagrant, and, like a beggar, dearth.'

34. So shall thy poverty come [as] one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.