Proverbs 24

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¹Seek not to be like evil men, neither desire to be with them:

²Because their mind studieth robberies, and their lips speak deceits.

³By wisdom the house shall be built, and by prudence it shall be strengthened.

⁴By instruction the storerooms shall be filled with all precious and most beautiful wealth.

⁵A wise man is strong: and a knowing man, stout and valiant.

⁶Because war is managed by due ordering: and there shall be safety where there are many counsels.

⁷Wisdom is too high for a fool, in the gate he shall not open his mouth.

⁸He that deviseth to do evils, shall be called a fool.

⁹The thought of a fool is sin: and the detracter is the abomination of men.

¹⁰If thou lose hope being weary in the day of distress, thy strength shall be diminished.

¹¹Deliver them that are led to death: and those that are drawn to death forbear not to deliver.

¹²If thou say: I have not strength enough: he that seeth into the heart, he understandeth, and nothing deceiveth the keeper of thy soul, and he shall render to a man according to his works.

¹³Fat honey, my son, because it is good, and the honeycomb most sweet to thy throat:

¹⁴So also is the doctrine of wisdom to thy soul: which when thou hast found, thou shalt have hope in the end, and thy hope shall not perish.

¹⁵Lie not in wait, nor seek after wickedness in the house of the just, nor spoil his rest.

¹⁶For a just mall shall fall seven times and shall rise again: but the wicked shall fall down into evil.

¹⁷When thy enemy shall fall, be not glad, and in his ruin let not thy heart rejoice:

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

¹⁹Contend not with the wicked, nor seek to be like the ungodly:

²⁰For evil men have no hope of things to come, and the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.

²¹My son, fear the Lord and the king: and have nothing to do with detracters.

²²For their destruction shall rise suddenly: and who knoweth the ruin of both?

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

²⁴They that say to the wicked man: Thou art just: shall be cursed by the people, and the tribes shall abhor them.

²⁵They that rebuke him, shall be praised: and a blessing shall come upon them.

²⁶He shall kiss the lips, who answereth right words.

²⁷Prepare thy work without, and diligently till thy ground: that afterward thou mayst build thy house.

²⁸Be not witness without cause against thy neighbour: and deceive not any man with thy lips.

²⁹Say not: I will do to him as he hath done to me: I will render to every one according to his work.

³⁰I passed by the field of the slothful man, and by the vineyard of the foolish man:

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

³²Which when I had seen, I laid it up in my heart, and by the example I received instruction.

³³Thou wilt sleep a little, said I, thou wilt slumber a little, thou wilt fold thy hands a little to rest:

³⁴And poverty shall come to thee as a runner, and beggary as an armed man.