Proverbs

1Don’t be envious of evil men,neither desire to be with them;

2for their hearts plot violenceand their lips talk about mischief.

3Through wisdom a house is built;by understanding it is established;

4by knowledge the rooms are filledwith all rare and beautiful treasure.

5A wise man has great power.A knowledgeable man increases strength,

6for by wise guidance you wage your war,and victory is in many advisors.

7Wisdom is too high for a fool.He doesn’t open his mouth in the gate.

8One who plots to do evilwill be called a schemer.

9The schemes of folly are sin.The mocker is detested by men.

10If you falter in the time of trouble,your strength is small.

11Rescue those who are being led away to death!Indeed, hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter!

12If you say, “Behold, we didn’t know this,”doesn’t he who weighs the hearts consider it?He who keeps your soul, doesn’t he know it?Shall he not give to every man according to his work?

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

14so you shall know wisdom to be to your soul.If you have found it, then there will be a reward: Your hope will not be cut off.

15Don’t lay in wait, wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous.Don’t destroy his resting place;

16for a righteous man falls seven times and rises up again,but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.

17Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls.Don’t let your heart be glad when he is overthrown,

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

19Don’t fret yourself because of evildoers,neither be envious of the wicked;

20for there will be no reward to the evil man.The lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.

21My son, fear the LORD and the king.Don’t join those who are rebellious,

22for their calamity will rise suddenly.Who knows what destruction may come from them both?

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

24He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”peoples will curse him, and nations will abhor him—

25but it will go well with those who convict the guilty,and a rich blessing will come on them.

26An honest answeris like a kiss on the lips.

27Prepare your work outside,and get your fields ready. Afterwards, build your house.

28Don’t be a witness against your neighbour without cause.Don’t deceive with your lips.

29Don’t say, “I will do to him as he has done to me;I will repay the man according to his work.”

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

31Behold, it was all grown over with thorns.Its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.

32Then I saw, and considered well.I saw, and received instruction:

33a little sleep, a little slumber,a little folding of the hands to sleep,

34so your poverty will come as a robberand your want as an armed man.

1Be not envious of evil men, And desire not to be with them.

2For destruction doth their heart meditate, And perverseness do their lips speak.

3By wisdom is a house builded, And by understanding it establisheth itself.

4And by knowledge the inner parts are filled, [With] all precious and pleasant wealth.

5Mighty [is] the wise in strength, And a man of knowledge is strengthening power,

6For by plans thou makest for thyself war, And deliverance [is] in a multitude of counsellors.

7Wisdom [is] high for a fool, In the gate he openeth not his mouth.

8Whoso is devising to do evil, Him they call a master of wicked thoughts.

9The thought of folly [is] sin, And an abomination to man [is] a scorner.

10Thou hast shewed thyself weak in a day of adversity, Straitened is thy power,

11If [from] delivering those taken to death, And those slipping to the slaughter — thou keepest back.

12When thou sayest, 'Lo, we knew not this.' Is not the Ponderer of hearts He who understandeth? And the Keeper of thy soul He who knoweth? And He hath rendered to man according to his work.

13Eat my son, honey that [is] good, And the honeycomb — sweet to thy palate.

14So [is] the knowledge of wisdom to thy soul, If thou hast found that there is a posterity And thy hope is not cut off.

15Lay not wait, O wicked one, At the habitation of the righteous. Do not spoil his resting-place.

16For seven [times] doth the righteous fall and rise, And the wicked stumble in evil.

17In the falling of thine enemy rejoice not, And in his stumbling let not thy heart be joyful,

18Lest Jehovah see, and [it be] evil in His eyes, And He hath turned from off him His anger.

19Fret not thyself at evil doers, Be not envious at the wicked,

20For there is not a posterity to the evil, The lamp of the wicked is extinguished.

21Fear Jehovah, my son, and the king, With changers mix not up thyself,

22For suddenly doth their calamity rise, And the ruin of them both — who knoweth!

23These also are for the wise: — To discern faces in judgment is not good.

24Whoso is saying to the wicked, 'Thou [art] righteous,' Peoples execrate him — nations abhor him.

25And to those reproving it is pleasant, And on them cometh a good blessing.

26Lips he kisseth who is returning straightforward words.

27Prepare in an out-place thy work, And make it ready in the field — go afterwards, Then thou hast built thy house.

28Be not a witness for nought against thy neighbour, Or thou hast enticed with thy lips.

29Say not, 'As he did to me, so I do to him, I render to each according to his work.'

30Near the field of a slothful man I passed by, And near the vineyard of a man lacking heart.

31And lo, it hath gone up — all of it — thorns! Covered its face have nettles, And its stone wall hath been broken down.

32And I see — I — I do set my heart, I have seen — I have received instruction,

33A little sleep — a little slumber — A little folding of the hands to lie down.

34And thy poverty hath come [as] a traveller, And thy want as an armed man!