Proverbs 24

1Have no envy for evil men, or any desire to be with them:

1Seek not to be like evil men, neither desire to be with them:

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

2For the purposes of their hearts are destruction, and their lips are talking of trouble.

2Because their mind studieth robberies, and their lips speak deceits.

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

3The building of a house is by wisdom, and by reason it is made strong:

3By wisdom the house shall be built, and by prudence it shall be strengthened.

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

4And by knowledge its rooms are full of all dear and pleasing things.

4By instruction the storerooms shall be filled with all precious and most beautiful wealth.

4And by knowledge the inner parts are filled, <FI>With<Fi> all precious and pleasant wealth.

5A wise man is strong; and a man of knowledge makes strength greater.

5A wise man is strong: and a knowing man, stout and valiant.

5Mighty <FI>is<Fi> the wise in strength, And a man of knowledge is strengthening power,

6For by wise guiding you will overcome in war: and in a number of wise guides there is salvation.

6Because war is managed by due ordering: and there shall be safety where there are many counsels.

6For by plans thou makest for thyself war, And deliverance <FI>is<Fi> in a multitude of counsellors.

7Wisdom is outside the power of the foolish: he keeps his mouth shut in the public place.

7Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the gate he shall not open his mouth.

7Wisdom <FI>is<Fi> high for a fool, In the gate he openeth not his mouth.

8He whose purposes are bad will be named a man of evil designs.

8He that deviseth to do evils, shall be called a fool.

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

9The purpose of the foolish is sin: and the hater of authority is disgusting to others.

9The thought of a fool is sin: and the detractor is the abomination of men.

9The thought of folly <FI>is<Fi> sin, And an abomination to man <FI>is<Fi> a scorner.

10If you give way in the day of trouble, your strength is small.

10If thou lose hope, being weary in the day of distress, thy strength shall be diminished.

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

11Be the saviour of those who are given up to death, and do not keep back help from those who are slipping to destruction.

11Deliver them that are led to death: and those that are drawn to death, forbear not to deliver.

11If <FI>from<Fi> delivering those taken to death, And those slipping to the slaughter--thou keepest back.

12If you say, See, we had no knowledge of this: does not the tester of hearts give thought to it? and he who keeps your soul, has he no knowledge of it? and will he not give to every man the reward of his work?

12If thou say: I have not strength enough: he that seeth into the heart, he understandeth, and nothing deceiveth the keeper of thy soul, and he shall render to a man according to his works.

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.

13My son, take honey, for it is good; and the flowing honey, which is sweet to your taste:

13Eat honey, my son, because it is good, and the honeycomb most sweet to thy throat.

13Eat my son, honey that <FI>is<Fi> good, And the honeycomb--sweet to thy palate.

14So let your desire be for wisdom: if you have it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

14So also is the doctrine of wisdom to thy soul: which when thou hast found, thou shalt have hope in the end, and thy hope shall not perish.

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

15Do not keep a secret watch, O evil-doer, against the fields of the upright man, or send destruction on his resting-place:

15Lie not in wait, nor seek after wickedness in the house of the just, nor spoil his rest.

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

16For an upright man, after falling seven times, will get up again: but trouble is the downfall of the evil.

16For a just man shall fall seven times, and shall rise again: but the wicked shall fall down into evil.

16For seven <FI>times<Fi> doth the righteous fall and rise, And the wicked stumble in evil.

17Do not be glad at the fall of your hater, and let not your heart have joy at his downfall:

17When thy enemy shall fall, be not glad, and in his ruin let not thy heart rejoice:

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

18For fear that the Lord may see it, and it may be evil in his eyes, and his wrath may be turned away from him.

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

18Lest Jehovah see, and <FI>it be<Fi> evil in His eyes, And He hath turned from off him His anger.

19Do not be troubled because of evil-doers, or have envy of sinners:

19Contend not with the wicked, nor seek to be like the ungodly.

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

20For there will be no future for the evil man; the light of sinners will be put out.

20For evil men have no hope of things to come, and the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.

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

21My son, go in fear of the Lord and the king: have nothing to do with those who are in high positions:

21My son, fear the Lord, and the king: and have nothing to do with detractors.

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

22For their downfall will come suddenly; and who has knowledge of the destruction of those in high positions?

22For their destruction shall rise suddenly: and who knoweth the ruin of both?

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

23These are more sayings of the wise: To have respect for a person's position when judging is not good.

23These things also to the wise: It is not good to have respect to persons in judgment.

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

24He who says to the evil-doer, You are upright, will be cursed by peoples and hated by nations.

24They that say to the wicked man: Thou art just: shall be cursed by the people, and the tribes shall abhor them.

24Whoso is saying to the wicked, `Thou <FI>art<Fi> righteous,' Peoples execrate him--nations abhor him.

25But those who say sharp words to him will have delight, and a blessing of good will come on them.

25They that rebuke him shall be praised: and a blessing shall come upon them.

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

26He gives a kiss with his lips who gives a right answer.

26He shall kiss the lips, who answereth right words.

26Lips he kisseth who is returning straightforward words.

27Put your work in order outside, and make it ready in the field; and after that, see to the building of your house.

27Prepare thy work without, and diligently till thy ground: that afterward thou mayst build thy house.

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

28Do not be a violent witness against your neighbour, or let your lips say what is false.

28Be not witness without cause against thy neighbour: and deceive not any man with thy lips.

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

29Say not, I will do to him as he has done to me; I will give the man the reward of his work.

29Say not: I will do to him as he hath done to me: I will render to every one according to his work.

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

30I went by the field of the hater of work, and by the vine-garden of the man without sense;

30I passed by the field of the slothful man, and by the vineyard of the foolish man:

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

31And it was all full of thorns, and covered with waste plants, and its stone wall was broken down.

31And behold it was all filled with nettles, and thorns had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall was broken down.

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

32Then looking at it, I gave thought: I saw, and I got teaching from it.

32Which when I had seen, I laid it up in my heart, and by the example I received instruction.

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

33A little sleep, a little rest, a little folding of the hands in sleep:

33Thou wilt sleep a little, said I, thou wilt slumber a little, thou wilt fold thy hands a little to rest.

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

34So loss will come on you like an outlaw, and your need like an armed man.

34And poverty shall come to thee as a runner, and beggary as an armed man.

34And thy poverty hath come <FI>as<Fi> a traveller, And thy want as an armed man!