1 | Be not thou envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them; |
2 | for their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief. |
3 | Through wisdom is a house built, and by understanding it is established; |
4 | and by knowledge are the chambers filled with all precious and pleasant substance. |
5 | A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge increaseth strength. |
6 | For with good advice shalt thou make thy war; and in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. |
7 | Wisdom is too high for a fool: he will not open his mouth in the gate. |
8 | He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a master of intrigues. |
9 | The purpose of folly is sin, and the scorner is an abomination to men. |
10 | [If] thou losest courage in the day of trouble, thy strength is small. |
11 | Deliver them that are taken forth unto death, and withdraw not from them that stagger to slaughter. |
12 | If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not, will not he that weigheth the hearts consider it? And he that preserveth thy soul, he knoweth it; and he rendereth to man according to his work. |
13 | Eat honey, my son, for it is good; and a honeycomb is sweet to thy taste: |
14 | so consider wisdom for thy soul; if thou hast found it, there shall be a result, and thine expectation shall not be cut off. |
15 | Lay not wait, O wicked [man], against the dwelling of the righteous; lay not waste his resting-place. |
16 | For the righteous falleth seven times, and riseth up again; but the wicked stumble into disaster. |
17 | Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth; |
18 | lest Jehovah see it, and it be evil in his sight, and he turn away his anger from him. |
19 | Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, [and] be not envious of the wicked: |
20 | for there shall be no future to the evil [man]; the lamp of the wicked shall be put out. |
21 | My son, fear Jehovah and the king: 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 come from the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment. |
24 | He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous, peoples shall curse him, nations shall abhor him; |
25 | but to them that rebuke [him] shall be delight, and a good blessing cometh upon them. |
26 | He kisseth the lips who giveth a right answer. |
27 | Prepare thy work without, and put thy field in order, and afterwards build thy house. |
28 | Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and wouldest thou deceive 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 a sluggard, and by the vineyard of a man void of understanding; |
31 | and lo, it was all grown over with thistles, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and its stone wall was broken down. |
32 | Then I looked, I took it to heart; I saw, I received instruction: |
33 | -- A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest! |
34 | So shall thy poverty come [as] a roving plunderer, and thy penury as an armed man. |