Proverbs 24

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

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 thou envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them;

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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 are the chambers filled with all precious and pleasant substance.

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

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.

5A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

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

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 with good advice shalt thou make thy war; and in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.

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

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 is too high for a fool: he will not open his mouth in the gate.

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

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

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

8He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a master of intrigues.

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

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 purpose of folly is sin, and the scorner is an abomination to men.

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

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.

10[If] thou losest courage in the day of trouble, thy strength is small.

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

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.

11Deliver them that are taken forth unto death, and withdraw not from them that stagger to slaughter.

12If 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?

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.

12If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not, will not he that weigheth the hearts consider it? And he that preserveth thy soul, he knoweth it; and he rendereth to man according to his work.

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

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 honey, my son, for it is good; and a honeycomb is sweet to thy taste:

14So 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.

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 consider wisdom for thy soul; if thou hast found it, there shall be a result, and thine expectation shall not be cut off.

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

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 [man], against the dwelling of the righteous; lay not waste his resting-place.

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

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 the righteous falleth seven times, and riseth up again; but the wicked stumble into disaster.

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

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:

17Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth;

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

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 it, and it be evil in his sight, and he turn away his anger from him.

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

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 because of evil-doers, [and] be not envious of the wicked:

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

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 shall be no future to the evil [man]; the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.

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

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.

21My son, fear Jehovah and the king: meddle not with them that are given to change.

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

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

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

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 things also come from the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

26He kisseth the lips Who giveth a right answer.

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

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

26He kisseth the lips who giveth a right answer.

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

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 thy work without, and put thy field in order, and afterwards build thy house.

28Be not a witness against thy neighbor without cause; And deceive not with thy lips.

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 against thy neighbour without cause; and wouldest thou deceive with thy lips?

29Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.

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, I will do so to him as he hath done to me, I will render to the man according to his work.

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

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:

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

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

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 was all grown over with thistles, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and its stone wall was broken down.

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

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.

32Then I looked, I took it to heart; I saw, I received instruction:

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

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.

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

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

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.

34So shall thy poverty come [as] a roving plunderer, and thy penury as an armed man.