Proverbs 24:22-29 in English

²² For their calamity shall rise suddenly; And the destruction from them both, who knoweth it?

²³ These also are sayings of the wise. To have respect of persons in judgment is not good.

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

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

²⁶ He kisseth the lips Who giveth a right answer.

²⁷ Prepare thy work without, And make it ready for thee in the field; And afterwards build thy house.

²⁸ Be not a witness against thy neighbor without cause; And deceive not with thy lips.

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

²² For they will suddenly punish the ungodly, and who can know the vengeance inflicted by both?

^22a A son that keeps the commandment shall escape destruction; for such an one has fully received it.

^22b Let no falsehood be spoken by the king from the tongue; yea, let no falsehood proceed from his tongue.

^22c The king's tongue is a sword, and not one of flesh; and whosoever shall be given up to it shall be destroyed:

^22d for if his wrath should be provoked, he destroys men with cords,

^22e and devours men's bones, and burns them up as a flame, so that they are not even fit to be eaten by the young eagles.

^22f My son, reverence my words, and receive them, and repent. These things says the man to them that trust in God; and I cease.

^22g For I am the most simple of all men, and there is not in me the wisdom of men.

^22h God has taught me wisdom, and I know the knowledge of the holy.

²²ⁱ Who has gone up to heaven, and come down? who has gathered the winds in his bosom? who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? who has dominion of all the ends of the earth? what is his name? or what is the name of his children?

^22k For all the words of God are tried in the fire, and he defends those that reverence him.

^22l Add not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be made a liar.

^22m Two things I ask of thee; take not favour from me before I die.

²²ⁿ Remove far from me vanity and falsehood: and give me not wealth or poverty; but appoint me what is needful and sufficient:

^22o lest I be filled and become false, and say, Who sees me? or be poor and steal, and swear vainly by the name of God.

^22p Deliver not a servant into the hands of his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be utterly destroyed.

^22q A wicked generation curse their father, and do not bless their mother.

^22r A wicked generation judge themselves to be just, but do not cleanse their way.

^22s A wicked generation have lofty eyes, and exalt themselves with their eyelids.

^22t A wicked generation have swords for teeth and jaw-teeth as knives, so as to destroy and devour the lowly from the earth, and the poor of them from among men.

²³ And this thing I say to you that are wise for you to learn: It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.

²⁴ He that says of the ungodly, He is righteous, shall be cursed by peoples, and hateful among the nations.

²⁵ But they that reprove him shall appear more excellent, and blessing shall come upon them;

²⁶ and men will kiss lips that answer well.

²⁷ Prepare thy works for thy going forth, and prepare thyself for the field; and come after me, and thou shalt rebuild thine house.

²⁸ Be not a false witness against thy fellow citizen, neither exaggerate with thy lips.

²⁹ Say not, As he has treated me, so will I treat him, and I will avenge myself on him for that wherein he has injured me.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

²² For they will suddenly punish the ungodly, and who can know the vengeance inflicted by both? A son that keeps the commandment shall escape destruction; for such an one has fully received it. Let no falsehood be spoken by the king from the tongue; yes, let no falsehood proceed from his tongue. The king's tongue is a sword, and not one of flesh; and whoever shall be given up to it shall be destroyed: for if his wrath should be provoked, he destroys men with cords, and devours men's bones, and burns them up as a flame, so that they are not even fit to be eaten by the young eagles. My son, reverence my words, and receive them, and repent.

²³ And this thing I say to you that are wise for you to learn: It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.

²⁴ He that says of the ungodly, He is righteous, shall be cursed by peoples, and hateful among the nations.

²⁵ But they that reprove him shall appear more excellent, and blessing shall come upon them;

²⁶ and men will kiss lips that answer well.

²⁷ Prepare your works for your going forth, and prepare yourself for the field; and come after me, and you shall rebuild your house.

²⁸ Be not a false witness against your fellow citizen, neither exaggerate with your lips.

²⁹ Say not, As he has treated me, so will I treat him, and I will avenge myself on him for that wherein he has injured me.

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

²³ These also are sayings of the wise. To have respect of persons in judgment is not good.

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

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

²⁶ He kisseth the lips that giveth a right answer.

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

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

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

²² because those people will suddenly experience disasters; and no one knows RHQ what great disasters that God or the king can cause to happen to them.

²³ Here are more things that wise people have said: It is wrong for judges to decide matters unfairly IDM.

²⁴ If they say to people who are guilty, “You ◄are innocent/have not done something that is wrong►,” even people in other nations will curse and despise them,

²⁵ but if judges say that guilty people must be punished, things will go well for those judges, and ◄they will receive blessings/God will bless them►.

²⁶ Those who answer others honestly show that they are truly their friends IDM.

²⁷ First, do the work that needs to be done outside your house, and prepare your fields, and then plant things, and after you finish doing that, build your house.

²⁸ In the courtroom do not testify against someone when you have no reason to do that, and do not try to deceive people by what you say MTY.

²⁹ Do not say, “I will do to him what he did to me; I will pay him back for the bad things that he did to me.”

²² For they will suddenly punish the ungodly, and who can know the vengeance inflicted by both? A son that keeps the commandment shall escape destruction; for such an one has fully received it. Let no falsehood be spoken by the king from the tongue; yes, let no falsehood proceed from his tongue. The king's tongue is a sword, and not one of flesh; and whoever shall be given up to it shall be destroyed: for if his wrath should be provoked, he destroys men with cords, and devours men's bones, and burns them up as a flame, so that they are not even fit to be eaten by the young eagles. My son, reverence my words, and receive them, and repent.

²³ And this thing I say to you that are wise for you to learn: It is not good to have respect of persons in judgement.

²⁴ He that says of the ungodly, He is righteous, shall be cursed by peoples, and hateful amongst the nations.

²⁵ But they that reprove him shall appear more excellent, and blessing shall come upon them;

²⁶ and men will kiss lips that answer well.

²⁷ Prepare your works for your going forth, and prepare yourself for the field; and come after me, and you shall rebuild your house.

²⁸ Be not a false witness against your fellow citizen, neither exaggerate with your lips.

²⁹ Say not, As he has treated me, so will I treat him, and I will avenge myself on him for that wherein he has injured me.

²² for their calamity will rise suddenly. Who knows what destruction may come from them both?

²³ These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.

²⁴ He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,” peoples will curse him, and nations will abhor him—

²⁵ but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and a rich blessing will come on them.

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

²⁷ Prepare your work outside, and get your fields ready. Afterwards, build your house.

²⁸ Don’t be a witness against your neighbor without cause. Don’t deceive with your lips.

²⁹ Don’t say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will repay the man according to his work.”

²² for their calamity will rise suddenly. Who knows what destruction may come from them both?

²³ These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.

²⁴ He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,” peoples will curse him, and nations will abhor him—

²⁵ but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and a rich blessing will come on them.

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

²⁷ Prepare your work outside, and get your fields ready. Afterwards, build your house.

²⁸ Don’t be a witness against your neighbor without cause. Don’t deceive with your lips.

²⁹ Don’t say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will repay the man according to his work.”

²² for their calamity will rise suddenly. Who knows what destruction may come from them both?

²³ These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgement is not good.

²⁴ He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,” peoples will curse him, and nations will abhor him—

²⁵ but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and a rich blessing will come on them.

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

²⁷ Prepare your work outside, and get your fields ready. Afterwards, build your house.

²⁸ Don’t be a witness against your neighbour without cause. Don’t deceive with your lips.

²⁹ Don’t say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will repay the man according to his work.”

²² For their downfall will come suddenly; and who has knowledge of the destruction of those in high positions?

²³ These are more sayings of the wise: To have respect for a person's position when judging is not good.

²⁴ He who says to the evil-doer, You are upright, will be cursed by peoples and hated by nations.

²⁵ But those who say sharp words to him will have delight, and a blessing of good will come on them.

²⁶ He gives a kiss with his lips who gives a right answer.

²⁷ Put your work in order outside, and make it ready in the field; and after that, see to the building of your house.

²⁸ Do not be a violent witness against your neighbour, or let your lips say what is false.

²⁹ Say not, I will do to him as he has done to me; I will give the man the reward of his work.

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

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

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

²⁵ but to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing cometh upon them.

²⁶ He kisseth the lips who giveth a right answer.

²⁷ Prepare thy work without, and put thy field in order, and afterwards build thy house.

²⁸ Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and wouldest thou deceive with thy lips?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

²² for disaster will suddenly fall on them. Who knows how the Lord and king will punish them?

²³ These are more sayings of the wise: Showing favoritism when passing judgment is wrong.

²⁴ Those who tell the guilty, “You're innocent,” will be cursed by the people and hated by the nation,

²⁵ while those who convict the guilty will be appreciated, and will receive a rich blessing.

²⁶ An honest answer is a kiss on the lips.

²⁷ Do the work you need to do outside first, then prepare and sow your fields, and only after that start building your house.

²⁸ Don't testify against your neighbors without having a good reason, and don't tell lies.

²⁹ Don't say to yourself, “I'm going to do to him what he did to me! I'll pay him back for what he's done!”

²² For their destruction shall rise suddenly, and who knoweth the ruine of them both?

²³ ALSO THESE THINGS PERTEINE TO THE WISE, It is not good to haue respect of any person in iudgement.

²⁴ He that saith to the wicked, Thou art righteous, him shall the people curse, and the multitude shall abhorre him.

²⁵ But to them that rebuke him, shall be pleasure, and vpon them shall come the blessing of goodnesse.

²⁶ They shall kisse the lippes of him that answereth vpright wordes.

²⁷ Prepare thy worke without, and make readie thy thinges in the fielde, and after, builde thine house.

²⁸ Be not a witnes against thy neighbour without cause: for wilt thou deceiue with thy lippes?

²⁹ Say not, I wil doe to him, as he hath done to mee, I will recompence euery man according to his worke.

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

²³ These also are sayings of the wise. To have respect of persons in judgment is not good.

²⁴ He that saith unto the wicked: 'Thou art righteous', peoples shall curse him, nations shall execrate him;

²⁵ But to them that decide justly shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.

²⁶ He kisseth the lips that giveth a right answer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

²⁶ Every man shall kiss his lips That giveth a right answer.

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

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

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

²² For suddenly will their calamity arise; and who knoweth the ruin of both of them!

²³ These things also are for the wise. To have respect of persons in judgment is not good.

²⁴ Him that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous, will the people denounce, him will nations hold accursed;

²⁵ But to those that punish delight shall be given, and upon them shall come the blessing of the good.

²⁶ Men will kiss the lips of him that giveth a proper answer.

²⁷ Prepare without thy work, and make it fit in the field for thyself: and afterward build thy house.

²⁸ Be not without cause a witness against thy neighbor; for wouldst thou beguile with thy lips?

²⁹ Say not, As he hath done to me so will I do to him: I will recompense every man according to his doing.

²² For they will suddenly punish the ungodly, And who can know the vengeance inflicted by both?

^22a A son that keeps the commandment shall escape destruction; For such a one has fully received it.

^22b Let no falsehood be spoken by the king from the tongue; Yea, let no falsehood proceed from his tongue.

^22c The king’s tongue is a sword, and not one of flesh; And whosoever shall be given up to it shall be destroyed:

^22d For if his wrath should be provoked, He destroys men with cords,

^22e And devours men’s bones, And burns them up as a flame, So that they are not even fit to be eaten by the young eagles.

^22f My son, reverence my words, And receive them, and repent. These things says the man to them that trust in God; and I cease.

^22g For I am the most simple of all men, And there is not in me the wisdom of men.

^22h God has taught me wisdom, And I know the knowledge of the holy.

²²ⁱ Who has gone up to heaven, and come down? Who has gathered the winds in his bosom? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has dominion of all the ends of the earth? What is his name? or what is the name of his children?

^22k For all the words of God are tried in the fire, And he defends those that reverence him.

^22l Add not unto his words, Lest he reprove thee, and thou be made a liar.

^22m Two things I ask of thee; Take not favor from me before I die.

²²ⁿ Remove far from me vanity and falsehood: And give me not wealth or poverty; But appoint me what is needful and sufficient:

^22o Lest I be filled and become false, and say, Who sees me? Or be poor and steal, and swear vainly by the name of God.

^22p Deliver not a servant into the hands of his master, Lest he curse thee, and thou be utterly destroyed.

^22q A wicked generation curse their father, And do not bless their mother.

^22r A wicked generation judge themselves to be just, But do not cleanse their way.

^22s A wicked generation have lofty eyes, And exalt themselves with their eyelids.

^22t A wicked generation have swords for teeth and jaw teeth as knives, So as to destroy and devour the lowly from the earth, And the poor of them from among men.

²³ And this thing I say to you that are wise for you to learn: It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.

²⁴ He that says of the ungodly, He is righteous, Shall be cursed by peoples, and hateful among the nations.

²⁵ But they that reprove him shall appear more excellent, And blessing shall come upon them;

²⁶ And men will kiss lips that answer well.

²⁷ Prepare thy works for thy going forth, And prepare thyself for the field; And come after me, And thou shalt rebuild thy house.

²⁸ Be not a false witness against thy fellow citizen, Neither exaggerate with thy lips.

²⁹ Say not, As he has treated me, so will I treat him, And I will avenge myself on him for that wherein he has injured me.

²² For their calamity shall rise up suddenly, And their ruin, coming from them both, in a moment.

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

²⁴ He that saith to the wicked, “Thou art righteous,” Him shall the people curse; Nations shall abhor him.

²⁵ But it shall be well with them that punish him, And the blessing of prosperity shall come upon them.

²⁶ He that giveth a right answer Kisseth the lips.

²⁷ Arrange thy work without, And prepare it in thy field: Afterwards thou mayst build thy house.

²⁸ Be not a witness without cause against thy neighbor, And deceive not with thy lips.

²⁹ Say not, “As he hath done to me, So will I do to him; I will render to the man according to his doings.”

²² for their calamity will rise suddenly; the destruction from them both— who knows?

²³ These also are sayings of the wise. To show partiality in judgment is not good.

²⁴ He who says to the wicked, “You are upright;” peoples shall curse him, and nations shall abhor him—

²⁵ but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and a rich blessing will come on them.

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

²⁷ Prepare your work outside, and get your fields ready. Afterwards, build your house.

²⁸ Don’t be a witness against your neighbor without cause. Don’t deceive with your lips.

²⁹ Don’t say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.”

²² for suddenly their disaster will come and who knows the extent of the destruction that will come from both of them?

²³ These also are sayings of the wise. Partiality in judging a case at law is not good.

²⁴ Whoever says to the wicked person, “You are a righteous person,” will be cursed by peoples and hated by nations.

²⁵ But those who discipline the wicked will have delight and gifts of goodness will come to them.

²⁶ The one who gives an honest answer gives a kiss on the lips.

²⁷ Prepare your outdoor work, and make everything ready for yourself in the field; after that, build your house.

²⁸ Do not bear witness against your neighbor without cause and do not deceive with your lips.

²⁹ Do not say, “I will do to him what he has done to me; I will pay him back for what he has done.”

²² for their calamity will rise suddenly. Who knows what destruction may come from them both?

²³ These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.

²⁴ He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,” peoples will curse him, and nations will abhor him—

²⁵ but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and a rich blessing will come on them.

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

²⁷ Prepare your work outside, and get your fields ready. Afterwards, build your house.

²⁸ Don’t be a witness against your neighbor without cause. Don’t deceive with your lips.

²⁹ Don’t say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will repay the man according to his work.”

²² for their calamity will rise suddenly. Who knows what destruction may come from them both?

²³ These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgement is not good.

²⁴ He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,” peoples will curse him, and nations will abhor him—

²⁵ but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and a rich blessing will come on them.

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

²⁷ Prepare your work outside, and get your fields ready. Afterwards, build your house.

²⁸ Don’t be a witness against your neighbour without cause. Don’t deceive with your lips.

²⁹ Don’t say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will repay the man according to his work.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

²² for their calamity will rise suddenly. Who knows what destruction may come from them both?

²³ These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.

²⁴ He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,” peoples will curse him, and nations will abhor him—

²⁵ but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and a rich blessing will come on them.

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

²⁷ Prepare your work outside, and get your fields ready. Afterwards, build your house.

²⁸ Don’t be a witness against your neighbor without cause. Don’t deceive with your lips.

²⁹ Don’t say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will repay the man according to his work.”

²² for their calamity will rise suddenly. Who knows what destruction may come from them both?

²³ These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgement is not good.

²⁴ He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,” peoples will curse him, and nations will abhor him—

²⁵ but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and a rich blessing will come on them.

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

²⁷ Prepare your work outside, and get your fields ready. Afterwards, build your house.

²⁸ Don’t be a witness against your neighbour without cause. Don’t deceive with your lips.

²⁹ Don’t say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will repay the man according to his work.”

²² For their perdition shall rise together suddenly, and who knoweth the fall of ever either?

²³ Also these things that pursue be to wise men. It is not good to know a person in doom.

²⁴ Peoples shall curse them that say to a wicked man, Thou art just or rightwise; and lineages shall hold them abominable.

²⁵ They that reprove justly sinners, shall be praised; and blessing shall come up on them.

²⁶ He that answereth with rightful or right words, shall kiss lips.

²⁷ Make ready thy work withoutforth, and work thy field diligently, that thou build thine house afterward.

²⁸ Be thou not a witness without reasonable cause against thy neighbour; neither flatter thou any man with thy lips.

²⁹ Say thou not, As he did to me, so I shall do to him, and I shall yield to each man after his work.

²² For their perdition shall rise together suddenly (or For their perdition shall suddenly rise up, or shall happen), and who knoweth the fall of ever either?

²³ Also these things that follow be to wise men. It is not good to know a person in doom. (And these things that follow also be for the wise. It is not good to know a person whom thou is judging.)

²⁴ Peoples shall curse them that say to a wicked man, Thou art just; and lineages shall hold them abominable. (The peoples, or the nations, shall curse those who say to a wicked person, Thou art righteous; and the tribes, or all the people, shall hold them as abominable.)

²⁵ They that reprove justly sinners, shall be praised (or They who justly rebuke sinners, shall be praised); and blessing shall come up on them.

²⁶ He that answereth (with) rightful words, shall kiss lips. (Lips shall kiss him, who answereth with upright words.)

²⁷ Make ready thy work withoutforth, and work thy field diligently, that thou build thine house afterward. (Do all thy work outside, and work thy field diligently, and then afterward, thou shalt build thy house.)

²⁸ Be thou not a witness without reasonable cause against thy neighbour; neither flatter thou any man with thy lips.

²⁹ Say thou not, As he did to me, so I shall do to him, and I shall yield to each man after his work.

²² For suddenly doth their calamity rise, And the ruin of them both — who knoweth!

²³ These also are for the wise: — To discern faces in judgment is not good.

²⁴ Whoso is saying to the wicked, 'Thou art righteous,' Peoples execrate him — nations abhor him.

²⁵ And to those reproving it is pleasant, And on them cometh a good blessing.

²⁶ Lips he kisseth who is returning straightforward words.

²⁷ Prepare in an out-place thy work, And make it ready in the field — go afterwards, Then thou hast built thy house.

²⁸ Be not a witness for nought against thy neighbour, Or thou hast enticed with thy lips.

²⁹ Say not, 'As he did to me, so I do to him, I render to each according to his work.'