24 Do not be aenvious of evil men, Nor desire to be with them;

2 For their heart devises violence,

And their lips talk of troublemaking.

3 Through wisdom a house is built,

And by understanding it is established;

4 By knowledge the rooms are filled

With all precious and pleasant riches.

5 bA wise man is strong,

Yes, a man of knowledge increases strength;

6 cFor by wise counsel you will wage your own war,

And in a multitude of counselors there is safety.

7 dWisdom is too lofty for a fool;

He does not open his mouth in the gate.

8 He who eplots to do evil

Will be called a 1schemer.

9 The devising of foolishness is sin,

And the scoffer is an abomination to men.

10 If you ffaint in the day of adversity,

Your strength is small.

11 gDeliver those who are drawn toward death,

And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.

12 If you say, “Surely we did not know this,”

Does not hHe who weighs the hearts consider it?

He who keeps your soul, does He not know it?

And will He not render to each man iaccording to his deeds?

13 My son, jeat honey because it is good,

And the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste;

14 kSo shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul;

If you have found it, there is a 2prospect,

And your hope will not be cut off.

15 Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous;

Do not plunder his resting place;

16 lFor a righteous man may fall seven times

And rise again,

mBut the wicked shall fall by calamity.

17 nDo not rejoice when your enemy falls,

And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;

18 Lest the Lord see it, and 3it displease Him,

And He turn away His wrath from him.

19 oDo not fret because of evildoers,

Nor be envious of the wicked;

20 For there will be no prospect for the evil man;

The lamp of the wicked will be put out.

21 My son, pfear the Lord and the king;

Do not associate with those given to change;

22 For their calamity will rise suddenly,

And who knows the ruin those two can bring?

Further Sayings of the Wise

23 These things also belong to the wise:

qIt is not good to 4show partiality in judgment.

24 rHe who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”

Him the people will curse;

Nations will abhor him.

25 But those who rebuke the wicked will have sdelight,

And a good blessing will come upon them.

26 He who gives a right answer kisses the lips.

27 tPrepare your outside work,

Make it fit for yourself in the field;

And afterward build your house.

28 uDo not be a witness against your neighbor without cause,

5For would you deceive with your lips?

29 vDo not say, “I will do to him just as he has done to me;

I will render to the man according to his work.”

30 I went by the field of the lazy man,

And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding;

31 And there it was, wall overgrown with thorns;

Its surface was covered with nettles;

Its stone wall was broken down.

32 When I saw it, I considered it well;

I looked on it and received instruction:

33 xA little sleep, a little slumber,

A little folding of the hands to rest;

34 ySo shall your poverty come like 6a prowler,

And your need like 7an armed man.

Further Wise Sayings of Solomon

25 These aalso are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied:

2 bIt is the glory of God to conceal a matter,

But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

3 As the heavens for height and the earth for depth,

So the heart of kings is unsearchable.

4 cTake away the dross from silver,

And it will go to the silversmith for jewelry.

5 Take away the wicked from before the king,

And his throne will be established in drighteousness.

6 Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king,

And do not stand in the place of the great;

7 eFor it is better that he say to you,

“Come up here,”

Than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince,

Whom your eyes have seen.

8 fDo not go hastily to 1court;

For what will you do in the end,

When your neighbor has put you to shame?

9 gDebate your case with your neighbor,

And do not disclose the secret to another;

10 Lest he who hears it expose your shame,

And 2your reputation be ruined.

11 A word fitly hspoken is like apples of gold

In settings of silver.

12 Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold

Is a wise rebuker to an obedient ear.

13 iLike the cold of snow in time of harvest

Is a faithful messenger to those who send him,

For he refreshes the soul of his masters.

14 jWhoever falsely boasts of giving

Is like kclouds and wind without rain.

15 lBy long forbearance a ruler is persuaded,

And a gentle tongue breaks a bone.

16 Have you found honey?

Eat only as much as you need,

Lest you be filled with it and vomit.

17 Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house,

Lest he become weary of you and hate you.

18 mA man who bears false witness against his neighbor

Is like a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow.

19 Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble

Is like a bad tooth and a foot out of joint.

20 Like one who takes away a garment in cold weather,

And like vinegar on soda,

Is one who nsings songs to a heavy heart.

21 oIf your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat;

And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

22 For so you will heap coals of fire on his head,

pAnd the Lord will reward you.

23 The north wind brings forth rain,

And qa backbiting tongue an angry countenance.

24 rIt is better to dwell in a corner of a housetop,

Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.

25 As cold water to a weary soul,

So is sgood news from a far country.

26 A righteous man who falters before the wicked

Is like a murky spring and a 3polluted well.

27 It is not good to eat much honey;

So tto seek one’s own glory is not glory.

28 uWhoever has no rule over his own spirit

Is like a city broken down, without walls.

26 As snow in summer aand rain in harvest,

So honor is not fitting for a fool.

2 Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow,

So ba curse without cause shall not alight.

3 cA whip for the horse,

A bridle for the donkey,

And a rod for the fool’s back.

4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly,

Lest you also be like him.

5 dAnswer a fool according to his folly,

Lest he be wise in his own eyes.

6 He who sends a message by the hand of a fool

Cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.

7 Like the legs of the lame that hang limp

Is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

8 Like one who binds a stone in a sling

Is he who gives honor to a fool.

9 Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard

Is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

10 1The great God who formed everything

Gives the fool his hire and the transgressor his wages.

11 eAs a dog returns to his own vomit,

fSo a fool repeats his folly.

12 gDo you see a man wise in his own eyes?

There is more hope for a fool than for him.

13 The lazy man says, “There is a lion in the road!

A fierce lion is in the 2streets!”

14 As a door turns on its hinges,

So does the lazy man on his bed.

15 The hlazy man buries his hand in the 3bowl;

It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.

16 The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes

Than seven men who can answer sensibly.

17 He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own

Is like one who takes a dog by the ears.

18 Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death,

19 Is the man who deceives his neighbor,

And says, i“I was only joking!”

20 Where there is no wood, the fire goes out;

And where there is no 4talebearer, strife ceases.

21 jAs charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire,

So is a contentious man to kindle strife.

22 The words of a 5talebearer are like 6tasty trifles,

And they go down into the 7inmost body.

23 Fervent lips with a wicked heart

Are like earthenware covered with silver dross.

24 He who hates, disguises it with his lips,

And lays up deceit within himself;

25 kWhen 8he speaks kindly, do not believe him,

For there are seven abominations in his heart;

26 Though his hatred is covered by deceit,

His wickedness will be revealed before the assembly.

27 lWhoever digs a pit will fall into it,

And he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.

28 A lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it,

And a flattering mouth works mruin.

27 Do anot boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth.

2 bLet another man praise you, and not your own mouth;

A stranger, and not your own lips.

3 A stone is heavy and sand is weighty,

But a fool’s wrath is heavier than both of them.

4 Wrath is cruel and anger a torrent,

But cwho is able to stand before jealousy?

5 dOpen rebuke is better

Than love carefully concealed.

6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend,

But the kisses of an enemy are edeceitful.

7 A satisfied soul 1loathes the honeycomb,

But to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

8 Like a bird that wanders from its nest

Is a man who wanders from his place.

9 Ointment and perfume delight the heart,

And the sweetness of a man’s friend gives delight by 2hearty counsel.

10 Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend,

Nor go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity;

fBetter is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.

11 My son, be wise, and make my heart glad,

gThat I may answer him who reproaches me.

12 A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself;

The simple pass on and are hpunished.

13 Take the garment of him who is surety for a stranger,

And hold it in pledge when he is surety for a seductress.

14 He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning,

It will be counted a curse to him.

15 A icontinual dripping on a very rainy day

And a contentious woman are alike;

16 Whoever 3restrains her restrains the wind,

And grasps oil with his right hand.

17 As iron sharpens iron,

So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

18 jWhoever 4keeps the fig tree will eat its fruit;

So he who waits on his master will be honored.

19 As in water face reflects face,

So a man’s heart reveals the man.

20 kHell 5and 6Destruction are never full;

So lthe eyes of man are never satisfied.

21 mThe refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,

And a man is valued by what others say of him.

22 nThough you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain,

Yet his foolishness will not depart from him.

23 Be diligent to know the state of your oflocks,

And attend to your herds;

24 For riches are not forever,

Nor does a crown endure to all generations.

25 pWhen the hay is removed, and the tender grass shows itself,

And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in,

26 The lambs will provide your clothing,

And the goats the price of a field;

27 You shall have enough goats’ milk for your food,

For the food of your household,

And the nourishment of your maidservants.