24
Precepts and Warnings
1 Do not be
Aenvious of evil men,
Nor desire to
Bbe with them;
2 For their
1minds devise
Aviolence,
And their lips
Btalk of trouble.
3 ABy wisdom a house is built,
And by understanding it is established;
4 And by knowledge the rooms are
Afilled
With all precious and pleasant riches.
5 A
Awise man is
1strong,
And a man of knowledge
2increases power.
6 For
Aby wise guidance you will
1wage war,
And
Bin abundance of counselors there is victory.
7 Wisdom is
Atoo exalted for a fool,
He does not open his mouth
Bin the gate.
8 One who
Aplans to do evil,
Men will call a
1schemer.
9 The
Adevising of folly is sin,
And the scoffer is an abomination to men.
10 If you
Aare slack in the day of distress,
Your strength is limited.
11 ADeliver 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
Aconsider
it Bwho weighs the hearts?
And
Cdoes He not know
it who
Dkeeps your soul?
And will He not
1Erender to man according to his work?
13 My son, eat
Ahoney, for it is good,
Yes, the
Bhoney from the comb is sweet to your taste;
14 Know
that Awisdom is thus for your soul;
If you find
it, then there will be a
1Bfuture,
And your hope will not be cut off.
15 ADo not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous;
Do not destroy his resting place;
16 For a
Arighteous man falls seven times, and rises again,
But the
Bwicked stumble in
time of calamity.
17 ADo not rejoice when your enemy falls,
And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;
18 Or the Loʀᴅ will see
it and
1be displeased,
And turn His anger away from him.
19 ADo not fret because of evildoers
Or be
Benvious of the wicked;
20 For
Athere will be no
1Bfuture for the evil man;
The
Clamp of the wicked will be put out.
21 My son,
1Afear the Loʀᴅ and the king;
Do not associate with those who are given to change,
22 For their
Acalamity will rise suddenly,
And who knows the ruin that comes from both of them?
23 These also are
Asayings of the wise.
To
1Bshow partiality in judgment is not good.
24 He
Awho says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”
BPeoples will curse him, nations will abhor him;
25 But
Ato those who rebuke the
wicked will be delight,
And a good blessing will come upon them.
26 He kisses the lips
Who gives
1a right answer.
27 Prepare your work outside
And
Amake it ready for yourself in the field;
Afterwards, then, build your house.
28 Do not be a
Awitness against your neighbor without cause,
And
Bdo not deceive with your lips.
29 ADo not say, “Thus I shall do to him as he has done to me;
I will
1render to the man according to his work.”
30 I passed by the field of the sluggard
And by the vineyard of the man
Alacking
1sense,
31 And behold, it was completely
Aovergrown with thistles;
Its surface was covered with
1Bnettles,
And its stone
Cwall was broken down.
32 When I saw, I
1reflected upon it;
I looked, and received instruction.
33 “
AA little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest,”
34 Then your poverty will come
as 1a robber
And your want like
2an armed man.