Proverbs 24

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

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

³ By wisdom a house is built, by discernment the foundation is laid;

⁴ by knowledge its storerooms filled with riches of every kind, rare and desirable.

⁵ Better the wise man than the strong, the man with knowledge than the brawny fellow;

⁶ for war is won by sound thinking and victory rests in having many counsellors.

⁷ Wisdom is coral[*a] to the fool: at the city gate he does not open his mouth.

⁸ The man intent on evil-doing is called a rank intriguer.

⁹ The foolish scheme nothing but sin, the mocker is abhorrent to men.

¹⁰ If you lose heart, when adversity comes your strength will only be weakness.

¹¹ Rescue those being led away to death, hold back those who are being dragged to the slaughter.

¹² Will you object, ‘But look, we did not know’? Has he who weighs the heart no understanding, he who scans your soul no knowledge? He himself will repay a man as his deeds deserve.

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

¹⁴ and such is knowledge of wisdom for your soul: find it, and there will be a morrow, and your hope will not be in vain.

¹⁵ Do not lurk, wicked man, round the virtuous man’s dwelling, do not despoil his house.

¹⁶ For though the virtuous man falls seven times, he stands up again; the wicked are the ones who stumble in adversity.

¹⁷ Should your enemy fall, do not rejoice, when he stumbles do not let your heart exult;

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

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

²⁰ since there is no morrow for the wicked man; the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out

²¹ Fear Yahweh, my son, and fear the king; do not rebel against either of them;

²² for suddenly their vengeance will arise, and then who knows what ruin both of them will send?

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

²⁴ The man who says, ‘You are innocent’ to the guilty; the peoples will have only curses for him, and the nations horror;

²⁵ but those who deal out punishment have cause for satisfaction, on them a blessing rests.

²⁶ He who returns an honest answer plants a kiss on the lips.

²⁷ On the open ground, plan what you have to do, make your preparation in the field;

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

²⁹ Do not say, ‘I will treat him as he has treated me; I will repay each man as he deserves.’

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

³¹ there it all lay, deep in thorns, entirely overgrown with nettles, and its stone wall 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 take life more easily,

³⁴ and like a vagrant, poverty is at your elbow and, like a beggar, want’.