Proverbs 24

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¹Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.

²For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.

³Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:

⁴And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

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

⁶For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.

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

⁸He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.

⁹The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.

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

¹¹If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain;

¹²If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?

¹³My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:

¹⁴So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.

¹⁵Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place:

¹⁶For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

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

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

¹⁹Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked;

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

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

²²For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?

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

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

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

²⁶Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer.

²⁷Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.

²⁸Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not 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.

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

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

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

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

³⁴So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.

Proverbs 24

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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