Proverbs 24

¹ Do not be envious of the wicked or wish for their company,

² for their hearts are scheming violence, their lips talking mischief.

³ By wisdom a house is built, by understanding it is made strong;

⁴ by knowledge its storerooms are fil ed with riches of every kind, rare and desirable.

⁵ The wise is mighty in power, strength is reinforced by science;

⁶ for it is by strategy that you wage war, and victory depends on having many counsellors.

⁷ For a fool wisdom is an inaccessible fortress: at the city gate he does not open his mouth.

⁸ Anyone intent on evil-doing is known as a master in cunning.

⁹ Folly dreams of nothing but sin, the mocker is abhorrent.

¹⁰ If you lose heart when things go wrong, your strength is not worth much.

¹¹ Save those being dragged towards death, but can you rescue those on their way to execution?

¹² If you say, 'But look, we did not know,' wil the Weigher of the heart pay no attention? Wil not theGuardian of your soul be aware and repay you as your deeds deserve?

¹³ Eat honey, my child, since it is good; honey that drips from the comb is sweet to the taste:

¹⁴ and so, for sure, wil wisdom be to your soul: find it and you will have a future and your hope wil notbe cut short.

¹⁵ Do not lurk, wicked man, round the upright man's dwel ing, do not despoil his house.

¹⁶ For though the upright fal s seven times, he gets up again; the wicked are the ones who stumble inadversity.

¹⁷ Should your enemy fal , do not rejoice, when he stumbles do not let your heart exult:

¹⁸ for fear that Yahweh wil be displeased at the sight and turn his anger away from him.

¹⁹ Do not be indignant about the wicked, do not be envious of the evil,

²⁰ for there is no future for the evil, the lamp of the wicked wil go out.

²¹ Fear Yahweh, my child, and fear the king; do not al y yourself with innovators;

²² for suddenly disaster wil loom for them, and who knows what ruin wil seize them and their friends?

²³ The fol owing are also taken from the sages: To show partiality in judgement is not good.

²⁴ Whoever tells the wicked, 'You are upright,' peoples curse him, nations revile him;

²⁵ but those who correct him, come out of it wel , on them will come a happy blessing.

²⁶ Whoever returns an honest answer, plants a kiss on the lips.

²⁷ Plan what you want on the open ground, make your preparation in the field; then go and build yourhouse.

²⁸ Do not bear witness lightly against your neighbour, nor deceive with your lips.

²⁹ Do not say, 'I wil treat my neighbour as my neighbour treated me; I will repay everyone what eachhas earned.'

³⁰ By the idler's field I was passing, by the vineyard of a man who had no sense,

³¹ there it al lay, deep in thorns, entirely overgrown with weeds, and its stone wal broken down.

³² And as I gazed I pondered, I drew this lesson from the sight,

³³ 'A little sleep, a little drowsiness, a little folding of the arms to lie back

³⁴ and poverty comes like a vagrant, and, like a beggar, dearth.'