Proverbs 24

KING JAMES BIBLE	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.	1 Do not be envious of the wicked or wish for their company,
2 For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.	2 for their hearts are scheming violence, their lips talking mischief.
3 Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:	3 By wisdom a house is built, by understanding it is made strong;
4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.	4 by knowledge its storerooms are fil ed with riches of every kind, rare and desirable.
5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.	5 The wise is mighty in power, strength is reinforced by science;
6 For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellers there is safety.	6 for it is by strategy that you wage war, and victory depends on having many counsellors.
7 Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate.	7 For a fool wisdom is an inaccessible fortress: at the city gate he does not open his mouth.
8 He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.	8 Anyone intent on evil-doing is known as a master in cunning.
9 The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.	9 Folly dreams of nothing but sin, the mocker is abhorrent.
10 If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.	10 If you lose heart when things go wrong, your strength is not worth much.
11 If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain;	11 Save those being dragged towards death, but can you rescue those on their way to execution?
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?	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 My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:	13 Eat honey, my child, since it is good; honey that drips from the comb is sweet to the 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.	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 Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place:	15 Do not lurk, wicked man, round the upright man's dwel ing, do not despoil his house.
16 For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.	16 For though the upright fal s seven times, he gets up again; the wicked are the ones who stumble inadversity.
17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:	17 Should your enemy fal , do not rejoice, when he stumbles do not let your heart exult:
18 Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.	18 for fear that Yahweh wil be displeased at the sight and turn his anger away from him.
19 Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked;	19 Do not be indignant about the wicked, do not be envious of the evil,
20 For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.	20 for there is no future for the evil, the lamp of the wicked wil go out.
21 My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:	21 Fear Yahweh, my child, and fear the king; do not al y yourself with innovators;
22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?	22 for suddenly disaster wil loom for them, and who knows what ruin wil seize them and their friends?
23 These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.	23 The fol owing are also taken from the sages: To show partiality in judgement is not good.
24 He that saith unto the wicked, Thou are righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him:	24 Whoever tells the wicked, 'You are upright,' peoples curse him, nations revile him;
25 But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.	25 but those who correct him, come out of it wel , on them will come a happy blessing.
26 Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer.	26 Whoever returns an honest answer, plants a kiss on the lips.
27 Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.	27 Plan what you want on the open ground, make your preparation in the field; then go and build yourhouse.
28 Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips.	28 Do not bear witness lightly against your neighbour, nor deceive with your 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.	29 Do not say, 'I wil treat my neighbour as my neighbour treated me; I will repay everyone what eachhas earned.'
30 I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;	30 By the idler's field I was passing, by the vineyard of a man who had no sense,
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.	31 there it al lay, deep in thorns, entirely overgrown with weeds, and its stone wal broken down.
32 Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.	32 And as I gazed I pondered, I drew this lesson from the sight,
33 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:	33 'A little sleep, a little drowsiness, a little folding of the arms to lie back
34 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.	34 and poverty comes like a vagrant, and, like a beggar, dearth.'