Proverbs, 24

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

1. Do not envy the wicked or desire their company,

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

2. for their hearts dream only of violence and their lips speak nothing but evil.

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

3. With wisdom a house is built.

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

4. It is strengthened by prudence. Its granaries are filled by knowledge with all that is good, precious and desirable.

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

5. The wise man is powerful; the one of knowledge adds to his strength.

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

6. Because of this, he goes into battle with wise plans, since success depends on many advisers.

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

7. Wisdom is beyond the reach of the fool; let him not open his mouth in the assembly.

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

8. The plotter of evil is called an unscrupulous mastermind.

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

9. The fool dreams only of sin, the mocker deserves only contempt.

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

10. If you lose heart when misfortune comes, miserable is your strength.

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

11. Rescue those who are being carried away to die; save those who are being dragged away to torture.

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?

12. Afterwards you will say, "We did not know." But he who weighs the heart, does he not understand? He who watches over the soul is aware and he will give to each one according to his deeds.

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

13. Eat honey, my son, because it is good; the honeycomb is sweet to the taste.

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.

14. So also will wisdom be to your soul. If you find it, you have a future and your hope will not be in vain.

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

15. Evildoer, do not spy on the house of the virtuous man, do not disturb his home.

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

16. Because even though the virtuous man falls seven times, he gets up again, while the wicked sink in their adversity.

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

17. Do not rejoice if your enemy falls or let your heart be glad if he stumbles,

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

18. lest Yahweh see and be displeased and his anger be turned on you.

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

19. Do not be incensed by the wicked or envious of the ungodly,

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

20. since there is no future in evil and the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.

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

21. Fear Yahweh and the king, my son; make no deals with agitators,

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

22. for disaster will befall them without warning and who knows when their ruin will come?

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

23. It is not good for judges to show partiality. People curse and nations hate him

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

24. who says to the wicked man, "You are just."

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

25. But those who punish the evildoer can boast; blessing and happiness will be theirs.

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

26. An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.

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

27. Finish your work out-of-doors and plan your work in the fields; afterwards, you can think of building your house.

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

28. Do not lightly bear witness against your neighbor lest you lie.

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.

29. Do not say, "I will do to him what he did to me; I will repay him for his deeds."

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

30. I passed by the lazy man's field, near the vineyard of the senseless man.

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.

31. Everywhere it was full of weeds; thistles covered the ground and the stonewall was fallen apart.

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

32. Seeing all this, I reflected and drew this lesson from what I saw.

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

33. A little sleep, a little drowsiness and

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

34. your laziness creeps upon you and then, like a tramp, poverty comes, bringing misery like a vagabond.