Proverbs 24:18-34

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.