Proverbs 24

1 Do not envy wicked men or desire their company;

2 for their hearts devise violence, and their lips declare trouble.

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

4 through knowledge its rooms are filled with every precious and beautiful treasure.

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

6 Only with sound guidance should you wage war, and victory lies in a multitude of counselors.

7 Wisdom is too high for a fool; he does not open his mouth in the meeting place.

8 He who plots evil will be called a schemer.

9 A foolish scheme is sin, and a mocker is detestable to men.

10 If you faint in the day of distress, how small is your strength!

11 Rescue those being led away to death, and restrain those stumbling toward the slaughter.

12 If you say, “Behold, we did not know about this,” does not He who weighs hearts consider it? Does not the One who guards your life know? Will He not repay a man according to his deeds?

13 Eat honey, my son, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to your taste.

14 Know therefore that wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, there is a future for you, and your hope will never be cut off.

15 Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, near the dwelling of the righteous; do not destroy his resting place.

16 For though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up; but the wicked stumble in bad times.

17 Do not gloat when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles,

18 or the LORD will see and disapprove, and turn His wrath away from him.

19 Do not fret over evildoers, and do not be envious of the wicked.

20 For the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.

21 My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not associate with the rebellious.

22 For they will bring sudden destruction. Who knows what ruin they can bring?

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

24 Whoever tells the guilty, “You are innocent”—peoples will curse him, and nations will denounce him;

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

26 An honest answer given is like a kiss on the lips.

27 Complete your outdoor work and prepare your field; after that, you may build your house.

28 Do not testify against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips.

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

30 I went past the field of a slacker and by the vineyard of a man lacking judgment.

31 Thorns had grown up everywhere, thistles had covered the ground, and the stone wall was broken down.

32 I observed and took it to heart; I looked and received instruction:

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

34 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

12 If 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?

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

14 So [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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

21 ¶ My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: [and] meddle not with them that are given to change:

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

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

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

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

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

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

28 ¶ Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive [not] with thy lips.

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

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

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

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

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

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

1 do not follow evil people and do not desire to be with them.

2 For their heart seeketh after mischief, and their lips counsel evil.

3 By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is preserved.

4 By proper stewardship the chambers become full of all delicious and lovely riches.

5 A wise man is strong, and a prudent man is mighty in strength.

6 For with counsel is war: and where there is much counsel, there is victory.

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

8 He that doeth himself harm is called an arch wicked man.

9 The fool's guile is sin: and the scoffer is an abomination in the sight of men.

10 He is not strong that is not steadfast in adversity.

11 Deliver them that are about to be slain, and withdraw not thyself from them that are about to be strangled.

12 Sayest thou, Behold, we understand not: thinkest thou not that he that knoweth the heart knoweth it, and he that regardeth the soul knoweth it, and rewardeth a man according to his work?

13 Eat, my son, honey: for it is good; and the honeycomb is sweet in thy throat.

14 Learn therefore wisdom for thy soul. If thou find it, thou shalt prosper hereafter, and thy hope shall not be in vain.

15 Lurk not, as an ungodly man, at the house of the righteous; disturb not his rest.

16 For the righteous falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked sink into mischief.

17 Rejoice not in the fall of thine enemy, neither let thine heart be glad in his calamity;

18 Let the LORD see it, and be displeased with him, and turn away his wrath from him.

19 Be not angry with the wicked, and jealous not with the ungodly;

20 For the wicked hath no hope, and the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.

21 My child, fear the LORD and the king, and mingle not with the rebellious.

22 For their calamity shall be sudden; and who knoweth when both calamities shall come?

23 This also comes from the wise: To look at the person in judgment is not good.

24 Whosoever saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; men curse him, and the people hate him.

25 But they that punish are well pleased, and a rich blessing cometh upon them.

26 A right answer is like a sweet kiss.

27 Set thy business without, and work thy field; afterward build thine house.

28 Be not a witness without a cause against thy neighbour, and deceive not with thy mouth.

29 Say not, As one doeth unto me, so will I do again, and repay every man his work.

30 I went before the field of the slothful, and before the vineyard of the fool,

31 And, behold, there were nettles in it, and thistles full, and the wall was fallen down.

32 And when I saw it, I took it to heart, and looked, and learned.

33 Thou wilt sleep a little, and slumber a little, and put thy hands together a little, that thou mayest rest;

34 But thy poverty shall come unto thee as a wayfarer, and thy want as a man armed.