24:1 Do not be envious of evil men, Nor desire to be with them; |
24:2 For their minds devise violence, And their lips talk of trouble. |
24:3 By wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; |
24:4 And by knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches. |
24:5 A wise man is strong, And a man of knowledge increases power. |
24:6 For by wise guidance you will wage war, And in abundance of counselors there is victory. |
24:7 Wisdom is {too} exalted for a fool, He does not open his mouth in the gate. |
24:8 One who plans to do evil, Men will call a schemer. |
24:9 The devising of folly is sin, And the scoffer is an abomination to men. |
24:10 If you are slack in the day of distress, Your strength is limited. |
24:11 Deliver those who are being taken away to death, And those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold {them} back. |
24:12 If you say, "See, we did not know this, Does He not consider {it} who weighs the hearts? And does He not know {it} who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work?" |
24:13 My son, eat honey, for it is good, Yes, the honey from the comb is sweet to your taste; |
24:14 Know {that} wisdom is thus for your soul; If you find {it,} then there will be a future, And your hope will not be cut off. |
24:15 Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; Do not destroy his resting place; |
24:16 For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, But the wicked stumble in {time of} calamity. |
24:17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; |
24:18 Or the LORD will see {it} and be displeased, And turn His anger away from him. |
24:19 Do not fret because of evildoers Or be envious of the wicked; |
24:20 For there will be no future for the evil man; The lamp of the wicked will be put out. |
24:21 My son, fear the LORD and the king; Do not associate with those who are given to change, |
24:22 For their calamity will rise suddenly, And who knows the ruin {that comes} from both of them? |
24:23 These also are sayings of the wise. To show partiality in judgment is not good. |
24:24 He who says to the wicked, "You are righteous, Peoples will curse him, nations will abhor him;" |
24:25 But to those who rebuke the {wicked} will be delight, And a good blessing will come upon them. |
24:26 He kisses the lips Who gives a right answer. |
24:27 Prepare your work outside And make it ready for yourself in the field; Afterwards, then, build your house. |
24:28 Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, And do not deceive with your lips. |
24:29 Do not say, "Thus I shall do to him as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work." |
24:30 I passed by the field of the sluggard And by the vineyard of the man lacking sense, |
24:31 And behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles; Its surface was covered with nettles, And its stone wall was broken down. |
24:32 When I saw, I reflected upon it; I looked, {and} received instruction. |
24:33 "A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest," |
24:34 Then your poverty will come {as} a robber And your want like an armed man. |