Proverbs 24

1Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.

2For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.

3Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:

4And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

5A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.footnote afootnote b

6For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.

7Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate.

8He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.

9The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.

10If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.footnote c

11If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain;

12If 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?

13My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:footnote d

14So 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.

15Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place:

16For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

17Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:

18Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.footnote e

19Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked;footnote f

20For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.footnote g

21My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:footnote h

22For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?

23These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.

24He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him:

25But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.footnote i

26Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer.footnote j

27Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.

28Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips.

29Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.

30I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;

31And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.

32Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.footnote k

33Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

34So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.footnote l

Do Not Envy

Saying 20

1Do not envy wicked menor desire their company; 2for their hearts devise violence,and their lips declare trouble.

Saying 21

3By wisdom a house is builtand by understanding it is established; 4through knowledge its rooms are filledwith every precious and beautiful treasure.

Saying 22

5A wise man is strong,footnote aand a man of knowledge enhances his strength. 6Only with sound guidance should you wage war,and victory lies in a multitude of counselors.

Saying 23

7Wisdom is too high for a fool;he does not open his mouth in the meeting place.

Saying 24

8He who plots evilwill be called a schemer. 9A foolish scheme is sin,and a mocker is detestable to men.

Saying 25

10If you faint in the day of distress,how small is your strength! 11Rescue those being led away to death,and restrain those stumbling toward the slaughter. 12If you say, “Behold, we did not know about this,”does not He who weighs hearts consider it?Does not the One who guards your life know?Will He not repay a man according to his deeds?

Saying 26

13Eat honey, my son, for it is good,and the honeycomb is sweet to your taste. 14Know therefore that wisdom is sweet to your soul.If you find it, there is a future for you,and your hope will never be cut off.

Saying 27

15Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, near the dwelling of the righteous;do not destroy his resting place. 16For though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up;but the wicked stumble in bad times.

Saying 28

17Do not gloat when your enemy falls,and do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles, 18or the LORD will see and disapprove,and turn His wrath away from him.

Saying 29

19Do not fret over evildoers,and do not be envious of the wicked. 20For the evil man has no future;the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.

Saying 30

21My son, fear the LORD and the king,and do not associate with the rebellious. 22For they will bring sudden destruction.Who knows what ruin they can bring?

Further Sayings of the Wise

23These also are sayings of the wise:To show partiality in judgmentis not good. 24Whoever tells the guilty, “You are innocent”—peoples will curse him, and nations will denounce him; 25but it will go well with those who convict the guilty,and rich blessing will come upon them.

26An honest answer givenis like a kiss on the lips.

27Complete your outdoor work and prepare your field;after that, you may build your house.

28Do not testify against your neighbor without cause,and do not deceive with your lips. 29Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me;I will repay the man according to his work.”

30I went past the field of a slackerand by the vineyard of a man lacking judgment. 31Thorns had grown up everywhere,thistles had covered the ground,and the stone wall was broken down. 32I observed and took it to heart;I looked and received instruction: 33A little sleep, a little slumber,a little folding of the hands to rest, 34and poverty will come upon you like a robber,and need like a bandit.