Proverbs

24 Do not be emulous of bad men

nor desirous of going with them,

2 Because their hearts are studying up violence

and their lips are talking of mischief.

3 A household is built up by wisdom

and kept up by intelligence,

4 And by knowledge storerooms are filled

with all sorts of valuable and enjoyable goods.

5 A wise man is more puissant than a muscular man,

and a man of knowledge than one mighty in strength;

6* For it is by generalship that war is to be made,

and victory comes by plenty of advisers.

7 Wisdom is pearls for an ignoramus;

he does not open his mouth in the gate.

8 One who lays plans for doing harm

they call a crook.

9* Stupidity’s stroke of policy is a piece of baseness,

and a cynic is detestable to man.

10 If you slacken in a pinch

your strength is a pinched-up thing.

11*** Deliver those who are being taken to death

and those who are leaning over for killing; do not hold back;

12 When you say “There, we did not know this,”

will not he who gauges hearts see into it

And the keeper of your life know it?

and he will return to man the like of what he does.

13 Eat honey, son, because it is good

and virgin honey is sweet to your palate;

14 Such know wisdom to be for your soul:

if you find it there is a future

and your hope will not be dashed.

15 Do not lurk about an honest man’s quarter, rogue,

and do not raid his sleeping-place,

16 For an honest man falls seven times and gets up,

but rogues are tripped up by viciousness.

17 When your enemy falls down do not celebrate it,

and when he trips up do not let your heart exult;

18 Jehovah might see it and dislike it

and turn back his anger from him.

19 Do not get angry over bad men

nor be jealous of wrong-doers,

20 Because a wrong-doer will have no future;

wrong-doers’ lamps will go out.

21 Fear Jehovah and the king, son;

do not be mixed up with people who want a change,

22 For their calamity will come suddenly,

and who knows what bad end either set will come to?

23 These too are by the wise men.

Favoritism in judging is not a good thing.

24 On one who says to a wrong-doer “You are in the right”

Peoples will lay a curse,

folk upon folk be hostile to him;

25* But those who call them to account shall be happy

and upon them shall come a good blessing.

27 Get your work in shape outdoors

and have things ready in the field;

afterward you may build your house.

29 Do not say “I will do to him the same as he did to me,

I will pay the man back the like of his action.”

30 I went past an idle man’s field

and past a brainless man’s vineyard

31 And found it all grown up to nettles,

and weeds covered its surface and its stone wall was down.

32 And I viewed it and took it to heart,

saw and drew a lesson:

33 A little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding your arms to lie abed—

34 And your poverty shall come prowling

and your want like a man under arms.