Proverbs 24

Precepts and Warnings

1 Do not be envious of evil men,
Nor desire to be with them;

2 For their minds devise violence,
And their lips talk of trouble.

3 By wisdom a house is built,
And by understanding it is established;

4 And by knowledge the rooms are filled
With all precious and pleasant riches.

5 A wise man is strong,
And a man of knowledge increases power.

6 For by wise guidance you will wage war,
And in abundance of counselors there is victory.

7 Wisdom is too exalted for a fool,
He does not open his mouth in the gate.

8 One who plans to do evil,
Men will call a schemer.

9 The devising of folly is sin,
And the scoffer is an abomination to men.

10 If you are slack in the day of distress,
Your strength is limited.

11 Deliver those who are being taken away to death,
And those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back.

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?

13 My son, eat honey, for it is good,
Yes, the honey from the comb is sweet to your taste;

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.

15 Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous;
Do not destroy his resting place;

16 For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again,
But the wicked stumble in time of calamity.

17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;

18 Or the LORD will see it and be displeased,
And turn His anger away from him.

19 Do not fret because of evildoers
Or be envious of the wicked;

20 For there will be no future for the evil man;
The lamp of the wicked will be put out.

21 My son, fear the LORD and the king;
Do not associate with those who are given to change,

22 For their calamity will rise suddenly,
And who knows the ruin that comes from both of them?

23 These also are sayings of the wise.
To show partiality in judgment is not good.

24 He who says to the wicked, "You are righteous,"
Peoples will curse him, nations will abhor him;

25 But to those who rebuke the wicked will be delight,
And a good blessing will come upon them.

26 He kisses the lips
Who gives a right answer.

27 Prepare your work outside
And make it ready for yourself in the field;
Afterwards, then, build your house.

28 Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause,
And do not deceive with your lips.

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."

30 I passed by the field of the sluggard
And by the vineyard of the man lacking sense,

31 And behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles;
Its surface was covered with nettles,
And its stone wall was broken down.

32 When I saw, I reflected upon it;
I looked, and received instruction.

33 "A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest,"

34 Then your poverty will come as a robber
And your want like an armed man.

Proverbs 24

1 Be not thou envious against evil men; Neither desire to be with them:

2 For their heart studieth oppression, And their lips talk of mischief.

3 Through wisdom is a house builded; And by understanding it is established;

4 And by knowledge are the chambers filled With all precious and pleasant riches.

5 A wise man is strong; Yea, a man of knowledge increaseth might

6 For by wise guidance thou shalt make thy war; And in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.

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

8 He that deviseth to do evil, Men shall call him a mischief-maker.

9 The thought of foolishness is sin; And the scoffer is an abomination to men.

10 If thou faint in the day of adversity, Thy strength is small.

11 Deliver them that are carried away unto death, And those that are ready to be slain see that thou hold back.

12 If thou sayest, Behold, we knew not this; Doth not he that weigheth the hearts consider it? And he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? And shall not he render to every man according to his work?

13 My son, eat thou honey, for it is good; And the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to thy taste:

14 So shalt thou know wisdom to be unto thy soul; If thou hast found it, then shall there be a reward, And thy hope shall not be cut off.

15 Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous; Destroy not his resting-place:

16 For a righteous man falleth seven times, and riseth up again; But the wicked are overthrown by calamity.

17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, And let not thy heart be glad when he is overthrown;

18 Lest Jehovah see it, and it displease him, And he turn away his wrath from him.

19 Fret not thyself because of evil-doers; Neither be thou envious at the wicked:

20 For there shall be no reward to the evil man; The lamp of the wicked shall be put out.

21 My son, fear thou Jehovah and the king; And company not with them that are given to change:

22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly; And the destruction from them both, who knoweth it?

23 These also are sayings of the wise. To have respect of persons in judgment is not good.

24 He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; Peoples shall curse him, nations shall abhor him:

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

26 He kisseth the lips Who giveth a right answer.

27 Prepare thy work without, And make it ready for thee in the field; And afterwards build thy house.

28 Be not a witness against thy neighbor without cause; 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.

30 I went by the field of the sluggard, And by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;

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

32 Then I beheld, and considered well; I saw, and received instruction:

33  Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep;

34 So shall thy poverty come as a robber, And thy want as an armed man.