Proverbs 24

24Do not envy men of evil,

and do not desire to be with them.

²For their minds will devise violence,

and their lips will speak mischief.

³By wisdom a house is built,

and by understanding it is established.

⁴And by knowledge, rooms are filled

with all riches, precious and pleasant.

⁵The warrior of wisdom is in strength,

and a man of knowledge is strong in power.

⁶For with wise guidance you shall make war for yourself,

and victory is in an abundance of counsel.

⁷Wisdom is too high for fools;

at the gate he will not open his mouth.

⁸He who plans to do evil for^a himself,

they will call him “master^b of mischief.”

⁹Devising folly is a sin,

and an abomination to humankind is a scoffer.

¹⁰If you faint on the day of adversity,

little is your strength.

¹¹Rescue those who are led away to the death

and those who stagger to the slaughter. If you hold back,

¹²if you say, “Look, we do not know this,”

does not he who weighs hearts perceive it?

And he who keeps your soul,^c

he knows and will repay humankind according to his deeds.

¹³My child, eat honey, for it is good,

and the dripping of the honeycomb is sweet to your taste.

¹⁴Thus know wisdom for the sake of your soul,^d

if you find it, then there is a future,

and your hope will not be cut off.

¹⁵Do not lie in wait like an outlaw against the home of the righteous;

do not do violence to his dwelling place.

¹⁶For seven times the righteous will fall, but he will rise,

but the wicked will be overthrown by calamity.

¹⁷While your enemies are falling, do not rejoice;

when he trips himself, may your heart^e not be glad

¹⁸lest Yahweh see and it be evil in his eyes,

and turn his anger away from him.

¹⁹Do not fret because of the evildoers;

do not envy the wicked.

²⁰For there will not be a future for the evil;

the lamp of the wicked will die out.

²¹Fear Yahweh, my son, and the king;

with those who change, do not associate.

²²For suddenly their disaster will come,

and the ruin of both of them,^f who knows?

²³These sayings are also for the wise:

Partiality^g in judgment is not good.

²⁴Whoever says to the guilty, “You are righteous,” the people will curse him;

the nations will abhor him.

²⁵But they who rebuke will have delight,

and upon them blessings of goodness will come.

²⁶He will kiss the lips,

he who gives an honest answer.

²⁷Prepare your work in the street and get it ready for yourself in the field;

afterward, then^h you shall build your house.

²⁸Do not be a witness without cause against your neighbor

nor deceive with your lips.

²⁹Do not say, “Just as he has done to me, so shall I do to him;

I will pay back the man according to his deed.”

³⁰I passed by the field of a lazy person,

and over the vineyard of a person lacking sense;ⁱ

³¹and behold, it was overgrown—all of it was covered with thorns, its surface with nettles,

and its stone wall^j was broken down.

³²Then I myself saw and my heart^k considered;

I looked, and I took hold of instruction:

³³A little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the hands for rest,

³⁴and your poverty will come running,

and your lack like an armed warrior.