Proverbs 24:6-33 in English

⁶ For by wise guidance thou shalt make thy war; And in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.

⁷ Wisdom is too high for a fool: He openeth not his mouth in the gate.

⁸ He that deviseth to do evil, Men shall call him a mischief-maker.

⁹ The thought of foolishness is sin; And the scoffer is an abomination to men.

¹⁰ If thou faint in the day of adversity, Thy strength is small.

¹¹ Deliver them that are carried away unto death, And those that are ready to be slain see that thou hold back.

¹² If thou sayest, Behold, we knew not this; Doth not he that weigheth the hearts consider it? And he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? And shall not he render to every man according to his work?

¹³ My son, eat thou honey, for it is good; And the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to thy taste:

¹⁴ So shalt thou know wisdom to be unto thy soul; If thou hast found it, then shall there be a reward, And thy hope shall not be cut off.

¹⁵ Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous; Destroy not his resting-place:

¹⁶ For a righteous man falleth seven times, and riseth up again; But the wicked are overthrown by calamity.

¹⁷ Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, And let not thy heart be glad when he is overthrown;

¹⁸ Lest Jehovah see it, and it displease him, And he turn away his wrath from him.

¹⁹ Fret not thyself because of evil-doers; Neither be thou envious at the wicked:

²⁰ For there shall be no reward to the evil man; The lamp of the wicked shall be put out.

²¹ My son, fear thou Jehovah and the king; And company not with them that are given to change:

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.

³⁰ I went by the field of the sluggard, And by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;

³¹ And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, The face thereof was covered with nettles, And the stone wall thereof was broken down.

³² Then I beheld, and considered well; I saw, and received instruction:

³³ Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep;

⁶ War is carried on with generalship, and aid is supplied to the heart of a counsellor.

⁷ Wisdom and good understanding are in the gates of the wise: the wise turn not aside from the mouth of the Lord,

⁸ but deliberate in council. Death befalls uninstructed men.

⁹ The fool also dies in sins; and uncleanness attaches to a pestilent man.

¹⁰ He shall be defiled in the evil day, and in the day of affliction, until he be utterly consumed.

¹¹ Deliver them that are led away to death, and redeem them that are appointed to be slain; spare not thy help.

¹² But if thou shouldest say, I know not this man; know that the Lord knows the hearts of all; and he that formed breath for all, he knows all things, who renders to every man according to his works.

¹³ My son, eat honey, for the honeycomb is good, that thy throat may be sweetened.

¹⁴ Thus shalt thou perceive wisdom in thy soul: for if thou find it, thine end shall be good, and hope shall not fail thee.

¹⁵ Bring not an ungodly man into the dwelling of the righteous: neither be deceived by the feeding of the belly.

¹⁶ For a righteous man will fall seven times, and rise again: but the ungodly shall be without strength in troubles.

¹⁷ If thine enemy should fall, rejoice not over him, neither be elated at his overthrow.

¹⁸ For the Lord will see it, and it will not please him, and he will turn away his wrath from him.

¹⁹ Rejoice not in evil-doers, neither be envious of sinners.

²⁰ For the evil man shall have no posterity: and the light of the wicked shall be put out.

²¹ My son, fear God and the king; and do not disobey either of them.

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.

³⁰ A foolish man is like a farm, and a senseless man is like a vineyard.

³¹ If thou let him alone, he will altogether remain barren and covered with weeds; and he becomes destitute, and his stone walls are broken down.

³² Afterwards I reflected, I looked that I might receive instruction.

³³ The sluggard says, I slumber a little, and I sleep a little, and for a little while I fold my arms across my breast.

⁶ For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.

⁷ Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate.

⁸ He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.

⁹ The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.

¹⁰ If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

¹¹ If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain;

¹² If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?

¹³ My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:

¹⁴ So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.

¹⁵ Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place:

¹⁶ For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

¹⁷ Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:

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

¹⁹ Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked;

²⁰ For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.

²¹ My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:

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.

³⁰ I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;

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

³² Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.

³³ Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

⁶ For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.

⁷ Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate.

⁸ He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.

⁹ The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.

¹⁰ If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

¹¹ If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain;

¹² If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?

¹³ My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:

¹⁴ So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.

¹⁵ Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place:

¹⁶ For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

¹⁷ Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:

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

¹⁹ Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked;

²⁰ For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.

²¹ My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:

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.

³⁰ I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;

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

³² Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.

³³ Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

⁶ War is carried on with generalship, and aid is supplied to the heart of a counsellor.

⁷ Wisdom and good understanding are in the gates of the wise: the wise turn not aside from the mouth of the Lord,

⁸ but deliberate in council. Death befalls uninstructed men.

⁹ The fools also dies in sins; and uncleanness attaches to a pestilent man.

¹⁰ He shall be defiled in the evil day, and in the day of affliction, until he be utterly consumed.

¹¹ Deliver them that are led away to death, and redeem them that are appointed to be slain; spare not your help.

¹² But if you should say, I know not this man; know that the Lord knows the hearts of all; and he that formed breath for all, he knows all things, who renders to every man according to his works.

¹³ My son, eat honey, for the honeycomb is good, that your throat may be sweetened.

¹⁴ Thus shall you perceive wisdom in your soul: for if you find it, your end shall be good, and hope shall not fail you.

¹⁵ Bring not an ungodly man into the dwelling of the righteous: neither be deceived by the feeding of the belly.

¹⁶ For a righteous man will fall seven times, and rise again: but the ungodly shall be without strength in troubles.

¹⁷ If your enemy should fall, rejoice not over him, neither be elated at his overthrow.

¹⁸ For the Lord will see it, and it will not please him, and he will turn away his wrath from him.

¹⁹ Rejoice not in evil-doers, neither be envious of sinners.

²⁰ For the evil man shall have no posterity: and the light of the wicked shall be put out.

²¹ My son, fear God and the king; and do not disobey either of them.

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.

³⁰ A foolish man is like a farm, and a senseless man is like a vineyard.

³¹ If you let him alone, he will altogether remain barren and covered with weeds; and he becomes destitute, and his stone walls are broken down.

³² Afterwards I reflected, I looked that I might receive instruction.

³³ The sluggard says, I slumber a little, and I sleep a little, and for a little while I fold my arms across my breast.

⁶ For by wise guidance thou shalt make thy war: and in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.

⁷ Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate.

⁸ He that deviseth to do evil, men shall call him a mischievous person.

⁹ The thought of the foolish is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.

¹⁰ If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

¹¹ Deliver them that are carried away unto death, and those that are ready to be slain see that thou hold back.

¹² If thou sayest, Behold, we knew not this: doth not he that weigheth the hearts consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his work?

¹³ My son, eat thou honey, for it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:

¹⁴ So shalt thou know wisdom to be unto thy soul: if thou hast found it, then shall there be a reward, and thy hope shall not be cut off.

¹⁵ Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous; spoil not his resting place:

¹⁶ For a righteous man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.

¹⁷ Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he is overthrown:

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

¹⁹ Fret not thyself because of evil-doers; neither be thou envious at the wicked:

²⁰ For there will be no reward to the evil man; the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.

²¹ My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:

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.

³⁰ I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;

³¹ And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, the face thereof was covered with nettles, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.

³² Then I beheld, and considered well: I saw, and received instruction.

³³ Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

⁶ Leaders can fight battles if they have wise advisors, and they win those battles if they have many good advisors.

⁷ Foolish people cannot understand wise sayings/talk; at public meetings they are not able to say anything that is useful.

⁸ Those who are always planning to do evil things will be called troublemakers.

⁹ It is sinful to plan to do foolish things, and people hate those who make fun of everything that is good.

¹⁰ If you act as though you are helpless when you have troubles, you are truly very weak.

¹¹ If it is unjustly decided that someone must be executed, try hard to rescue them DOU.

¹² If you say, “I did not know anything about it, so ◄it is not my concern/I did not try to help him►,” remember that God knows what we have done, and he knows what we were thinking IDM, RHQ, and he will certainly RHQ repay us as we deserve for what we have done or for not doing what we should have done.

¹³ My child/son, eat honey, because it is good for you; the honey that drips from honeycombs tastes very sweet.

¹⁴ Similarly, being wise is good for your soul; if you become wise, you will be happy in the future, and God will certainly do for you what you are confidently expecting him to do LIT.

¹⁵ Do not be like wicked people who hide and wait to break into the houses of righteous/good people and rob/steal things.

¹⁶ Even if good people fall down seven/many times, they always stand/get up again, but when a disaster happens to wicked people, it ruins/destroys them.

¹⁷ Do not be happy when something bad happens to one of your enemies; do not rejoice when he stumbles and falls,

¹⁸ because Yahweh will know what you are thinking, and he will not like it, and as a result he will not punish that enemy of yours.

¹⁹ Do not become angry/upset about those who do what is evil, and do not SYN envy them,

²⁰ because nothing good will happen to wicked people; they are like a lamp that will soon be extinguished MET.

²¹ My child/son, revere Yahweh and also honor the king, and do not associate with people who want to rebel against either of them,

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.”

³⁰ One day I walked by the vineyards of a lazy man, a man who did not have good sense.

³¹ I was surprised to see that the fields were full of all kinds of thorny bushes, and the stone wall around the garden had ◄collapsed/fallen down►.

³² When I saw that, I thought about it, and I learned this:

³³ If you spend a lot of time sleeping and napping and folding your hands while you rest,

⁶ War is carried on with generalship, and aid is supplied to the heart of a counsellor.

⁷ Wisdom and good understanding are in the gates of the wise: the wise turn not aside from the mouth of the Lord,

⁸ but deliberate in council. Death befalls uninstructed men.

⁹ The fools also dies in sins; and uncleanness attaches to a pestilent man.

¹⁰ He shall be defiled in the evil day, and in the day of affliction, until he be utterly consumed.

¹¹ Deliver them that are led away to death, and redeem them that are appointed to be slain; spare not your help.

¹² But if you should say, I know not this man; know that the Lord knows the hearts of all; and he that formed breath for all, he knows all things, who renders to every man according to his works.

¹³ My son, eat honey, for the honeycomb is good, that your throat may be sweetened.

¹⁴ Thus shall you perceive wisdom in your soul: for if you find it, your end shall be good, and hope shall not fail you.

¹⁵ Bring not an ungodly man into the dwelling of the righteous: neither be deceived by the feeding of the belly.

¹⁶ For a righteous man will fall seven times, and rise again: but the ungodly shall be without strength in troubles.

¹⁷ If your enemy should fall, rejoice not over him, neither be elated at his overthrow.

¹⁸ For the Lord will see it, and it will not please him, and he will turn away his wrath from him.

¹⁹ Rejoice not in evil-doers, neither be envious of sinners.

²⁰ For the evil man shall have no posterity: and the light of the wicked shall be put out.

²¹ My son, fear God and the king; and do not disobey either of them.

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.

³⁰ A foolish man is like a farm, and a senseless man is like a vineyard.

³¹ If you let him alone, he will altogether remain barren and covered with weeds; and he becomes destitute, and his stone walls are broken down.

³² Afterwards I reflected, I looked that I might receive instruction.

³³ The sluggard says, I slumber a little, and I sleep a little, and for a little while I fold my arms across my breast.

⁶ for by wise guidance you wage your war, and victory is in many advisors.

⁷ Wisdom is too high for a fool. He doesn’t open his mouth in the gate.

⁸ One who plots to do evil will be called a schemer.

⁹ The schemes of folly are sin. The mocker is detested by men.

¹⁰ If you falter in the time of trouble, your strength is small.

¹¹ Rescue those who are being led away to death! Indeed, hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter!

¹² If you say, “Behold, we didn’t know this,” doesn’t he who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, doesn’t he know it? Shall he not render to every man according to his work?

¹³ My son, eat honey, for it is good, the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to your taste;

¹⁴ so you shall know wisdom to be to your soul. If you have found it, then there will be a reward: Your hope will not be cut off.

¹⁵ Don’t lay in wait, wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous. Don’t destroy his resting place;

¹⁶ for a righteous man falls seven times and rises up again, but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.

¹⁷ Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls. Don’t let your heart be glad when he is overthrown,

¹⁸ lest Yahweh see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.

¹⁹ Don’t fret yourself because of evildoers, neither be envious of the wicked;

²⁰ for there will be no reward to the evil man. The lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.

²¹ My son, fear Yahweh and the king. Don’t join those who are rebellious,

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.”

³⁰ I went by the field of the sluggard, by the vineyard of the man void of understanding.

³¹ Behold, it was all grown over with thorns. Its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.

³² Then I saw, and considered well. I saw, and received instruction:

³³ a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep,

⁶ for by wise guidance you wage your war, and victory is in many advisors.

⁷ Wisdom is too high for a fool. He doesn’t open his mouth in the gate.

⁸ One who plots to do evil will be called a schemer.

⁹ The schemes of folly are sin. The mocker is detested by men.

¹⁰ If you falter in the time of trouble, your strength is small.

¹¹ Rescue those who are being led away to death! Indeed, hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter!

¹² If you say, “Behold, we didn’t know this,” doesn’t he who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, doesn’t he know it? Shall he not render to every man according to his work?

¹³ My son, eat honey, for it is good, the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to your taste;

¹⁴ so you shall know wisdom to be to your soul. If you have found it, then there will be a reward: Your hope will not be cut off.

¹⁵ Don’t lay in wait, wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous. Don’t destroy his resting place;

¹⁶ for a righteous man falls seven times and rises up again, but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.

¹⁷ Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls. Don’t let your heart be glad when he is overthrown,

¹⁸ lest Yahweh see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.

¹⁹ Don’t fret yourself because of evildoers, neither be envious of the wicked;

²⁰ for there will be no reward to the evil man. The lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.

²¹ My son, fear Yahweh and the king. Don’t join those who are rebellious,

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.”

³⁰ I went by the field of the sluggard, by the vineyard of the man void of understanding.

³¹ Behold, it was all grown over with thorns. Its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.

³² Then I saw, and considered well. I saw, and received instruction:

³³ a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep,

⁶ for by wise guidance you wage your war, and victory is in many advisors.

⁷ Wisdom is too high for a fool. He doesn’t open his mouth in the gate.

⁸ One who plots to do evil will be called a schemer.

⁹ The schemes of folly are sin. The mocker is detested by men.

¹⁰ If you falter in the time of trouble, your strength is small.

¹¹ Rescue those who are being led away to death! Indeed, hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter!

¹² If you say, “Behold, we didn’t know this,” doesn’t he who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, doesn’t he know it? Shall he not render to every man according to his work?

¹³ My son, eat honey, for it is good, the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to your taste;

¹⁴ so you shall know wisdom to be to your soul. If you have found it, then there will be a reward: Your hope will not be cut off.

¹⁵ Don’t lay in wait, wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous. Don’t destroy his resting place;

¹⁶ for a righteous man falls seven times and rises up again, but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.

¹⁷ Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls. Don’t let your heart be glad when he is overthrown,

¹⁸ lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.

¹⁹ Don’t fret yourself because of evildoers, neither be envious of the wicked;

²⁰ for there will be no reward to the evil man. The lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.

²¹ My son, fear the LORD and the king. Don’t join those who are rebellious,

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.”

³⁰ I went by the field of the sluggard, by the vineyard of the man void of understanding.

³¹ Behold, it was all grown over with thorns. Its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.

³² Then I saw, and considered well. I saw, and received instruction:

³³ a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep,

⁶ For by wise guiding you will overcome in war: and in a number of wise guides there is salvation.

⁷ Wisdom is outside the power of the foolish: he keeps his mouth shut in the public place.

⁸ He whose purposes are bad will be named a man of evil designs.

⁹ The purpose of the foolish is sin: and the hater of authority is disgusting to others.

¹⁰ If you give way in the day of trouble, your strength is small.

¹¹ Be the saviour of those who are given up to death, and do not keep back help from those who are slipping to destruction.

¹² If you say, See, we had no knowledge of this: does not the tester of hearts give thought to it? and he who keeps your soul, has he no knowledge of it? and will he not give to every man the reward of his work?

¹³ My son, take honey, for it is good; and the flowing honey, which is sweet to your taste:

¹⁴ So let your desire be for wisdom: if you have it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

¹⁵ Do not keep a secret watch, O evil-doer, against the fields of the upright man, or send destruction on his resting-place:

¹⁶ For an upright man, after falling seven times, will get up again: but trouble is the downfall of the evil.

¹⁷ Do not be glad at the fall of your hater, and let not your heart have joy at his downfall:

¹⁸ For fear that the Lord may see it, and it may be evil in his eyes, and his wrath may be turned away from him.

¹⁹ Do not be troubled because of evil-doers, or have envy of sinners:

²⁰ For there will be no future for the evil man; the light of sinners will be put out.

²¹ My son, go in fear of the Lord and the king: have nothing to do with those who are in high positions:

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.

³⁰ I went by the field of the hater of work, and by the vine-garden of the man without sense;

³¹ And it was all full of thorns, and covered with waste plants, and its stone wall was broken down.

³² Then looking at it, I gave thought: I saw, and I got teaching from it.

³³ A little sleep, a little rest, a little folding of the hands in sleep:

⁶ For with good advice shalt thou make thy war; and in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.

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

⁸ He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a master of intrigues.

⁹ The purpose of folly is sin, and the scorner is an abomination to men.

¹⁰ If thou losest courage in the day of trouble, thy strength is small.

¹¹ Deliver them that are taken forth unto death, and withdraw not from them that stagger to slaughter.

¹² If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not, will not he that weigheth the hearts consider it? And he that preserveth thy soul, he knoweth it; and he rendereth to man according to his work.

¹³ Eat honey, my son, for it is good; and a honeycomb is sweet to thy taste:

¹⁴ so consider wisdom for thy soul; if thou hast found it, there shall be a result, and thine expectation shall not be cut off.

¹⁵ Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; lay not waste his resting-place.

¹⁶ For the righteous falleth seven times, and riseth up again; but the wicked stumble into disaster.

¹⁷ Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth;

¹⁸ lest Jehovah see it, and it be evil in his sight, and he turn away his anger from him.

¹⁹ Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, and be not envious of the wicked:

²⁰ for there shall be no future to the evil man; the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.

²¹ My son, fear Jehovah and the king: meddle not with them that are given to change.

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.

³⁰ I went by the field of a sluggard, and by the vineyard of a man void of understanding;

³¹ and lo, it was all grown over with thistles, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and its stone wall was broken down.

³² Then I looked, I took it to heart; I saw, I received instruction:

³³ — A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest!

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

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

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

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

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

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

¹² If 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.

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

¹⁴ So 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

⁶ for with wise guidance you can go to war; you will be victorious by having many good advisors.

⁷ Wisdom goes over the heads of stupid people; they have nothing to contribute when important matters are discussed.

⁸ Anyone who plans to do evil will be seen as a troublemaker.

⁹ Plans thought up by stupid people are sinful. Everyone hates those who are scornful of others.

¹⁰ If you give up in times of trouble, it shows how weak you are.

¹¹ Rescue those who are being led away to be executed; save those who are stumbling on their way to be slaughtered.

¹² If you say, “Look, we didn't know anything about this,” don't you think the God who judges your motives will see what's happening? He who watches over you knows, and he will pay people back for what they've done.

¹³ My son, eating honey is good for you; the honeycomb tastes sweet.

¹⁴ In the same way, you should know that wisdom is good for you; if you find it, there will be a future for you, and your hope will not be crushed.

¹⁵ Don't be like a criminal waiting to ambush the home of good people; don't attack the place where they live.

¹⁶ Those who do right may fall down seven times, and still get up again; but the wicked are brought down by disaster.

¹⁷ Don't celebrate when your enemies fall; don't be glad when they trip up,

¹⁸ otherwise when the Lord sees it, he'll be unhappy with you and won't punish your enemies as he planned.

¹⁹ Don't get all upset over the wicked, or be jealous of those who do wrong,

²⁰ for evil people have no future—the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.

²¹ My son, honor the Lord and the king, and don't join those who are rebellious,

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!”

³⁰ I walked past the field of a lazy man, past a vineyard of someone with no sense.

³¹ It was all overgrown with thorns, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall had fallen down.

³² As I looked I thought about it, and what I saw taught me a lesson:

³³ You may say, “Please, just a little more sleep, a little longer snooze, a little more folding of the arms to rest”—

⁶ For with counsel thou shalt enterprise thy warre, and in the multitude of them that can giue counsell, is health.

⁷ Wisdome is hie to a foole: therefore he can not open his mouth in the gate.

⁸ Hee that imagineth to doe euill, men shall call him an autour of wickednes.

⁹ The wicked thought of a foole is sinne, and the scorner is an abomination vnto men.

¹⁰ If thou bee faint in the day of aduersitie, thy strength is small.

¹¹ Deliuer them that are drawen to death: wilt thou not preserue them that are led to be slaine?

¹² If thou say, Beholde, we knew not of it: he that pondereth the heartes, doeth not hee vnderstand it? and hee that keepeth thy soule, knoweth he it not? will not he also recompense euery man according to his workes?

¹³ My sonne, eate hony, for it is good, and the hony combe, for it is sweete vnto thy mouth.

¹⁴ So shall the knowledge of wisdome be vnto thy soule, if thou finde it, and there shall be an ende, and thine hope shall not be cut off.

¹⁵ Laye no waite, O wicked man, against the house of the righteous, and spoyle not his resting place.

¹⁶ For a iust man falleth seuen times, and riseth againe: but the wicked fall into mischiefe.

¹⁷ Bee thou not glad when thine enemie falleth, and let not thine heart reioyce when hee stumbleth,

¹⁸ Least the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turne his wrath from him.

¹⁹ Fret not thy selfe because of the malicious, neither be enuious at the wicked.

²⁰ For there shall bee none ende of plagues to the euill man: the light of the wicked shall bee put out.

²¹ My sonne feare the Lord, and the King, and meddle not with them that are sedicious.

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.

³⁰ I passed by the fielde of the slouthfull, and by the vineyarde of the man destitute of vnderstanding.

³¹ And lo, it was al growen ouer with thornes, and nettles had couered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken downe.

³² Then I behelde, and I considered it well: I looked vpon it, and receiued instruction.

³³ Yet a litle sleepe, a litle slumber, a litle folding of the handes to sleepe.

⁶ For with wise advice thou shalt make thy war; and in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.

⁷ Wisdom is as unattainable to a fool as corals; he openeth not his mouth in the gate.

⁸ He that deviseth to do evil, men shall call him a mischievous person.

⁹ The thought of foolishness is sin; and the scorner is an abomination to men.

¹⁰ If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small indeed.

¹¹ Deliver them that are drawn unto death; and those that are ready to be slain wilt thou forbear to rescue?

¹² If thou sayest: 'Behold, we knew not this', doth not He that weigheth the hearts consider it? And He that keepeth thy soul, doth not He know it? And shall not He render to every man according to his works?

¹³ My son, eat thou honey, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to thy taste;

¹⁴ So know thou wisdom to be unto thy soul; if thou hast found it, then shall there be a future, and thy hope shall not be cut off.

¹⁵ Lie not in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous, spoil not his resting-place;

¹⁶ For a righteous man falleth seven times, and riseth up again, but the wicked stumble under adversity.

¹⁷ Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth;

¹⁸ Lest the LORD see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him.

¹⁹ Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious at the wicked;

²⁰ For there will be no future to the evil man, the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.

²¹ My son, fear thou the LORD and the king, and meddle not with them that are given to change;

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.'

³⁰ I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;

³¹ And, lo, it was all grown over with thistles, the face thereof was covered with nettles, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.

³² Then I beheld, and considered well; I saw, and received instruction.

³³ 'Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep' —

⁶ For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: And in multitude of counsellers there is safety.

⁷ Wisdom is too high for a fool: He openeth not his mouth in the gate.

⁸ He that deviseth to do evil Shall be called a mischievous person.

⁹ The thought of foolishness is sin: And the scorner is an abomination to men.

¹⁰ If thou faint in the day of adversity, Thy strength is small.

¹¹ If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, And those that are ready to be slain;

¹² If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; Doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? And he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? And shall not he render to every man according to his works?

¹³ My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; And the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:

¹⁴ So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: When thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, And thy expectation shall not be cut off.

¹⁵ Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; Spoil not his resting place:

¹⁶ For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: But the wicked shall fall into mischief.

¹⁷ Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, And let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:

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

¹⁹ Fret not thyself because of evil men, Neither be thou envious at the wicked;

²⁰ For there shall be no reward to the evil man; The candle of the wicked shall be put out.

²¹ My son, fear thou the Lord and the king: And meddle not with them that are given to change:

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.

³⁰ I went by the field of the slothful, And by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;

³¹ And lo, it was all grown over with thorns, And nettles had covered the face thereof, And the stone wall thereof was broken down.

³² Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.

³³ Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep:

⁶ For by wise counsel canst thou conduct thy war; and there is help in a multitude of counsellors.

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

⁸ Him that deviseth to do evil, men call a master of wicked devices.

⁹ The counsel of folly is sin; and an abomination to men is the scorner.

¹⁰ If thou despond on the day of distress, thy strength is small.

¹¹ Deliver those that are taken unto death, and those that are moved away to the slaughter hold back.

¹² If thou shouldst say, Behold, we know not this man: lo, he that weigheth hearts will truly regard it, and he that keepeth thy soul will surely know it; and he will give a recompense to man according to his doing.

¹³ Eat honey, my son, because it is good; and the fine honey, which is sweet to thy palate:

¹⁴ So obtain the knowledge of wisdom for thy soul: when thou hast found her, then shall there be a happy future, and thy hope shall not be cut off.

¹⁵ Lie not in wait, O wicked man! against the dwelling of the righteous; waste not his resting-place;

¹⁶ For though the righteous were to fall seven times, he will rise up again; but the wicked shall stumble into misfortune.

¹⁷ At the fall of thy enemy do not rejoice; and at his stumbling let not thy heart be glad:

¹⁸ Lest the Lord see it and it be displeasing in his eyes, and he turn away from him his wrath.

¹⁹ Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, neither be thou envious of the wicked;

²⁰ For there will be no happy future for the bad man: the lamp of the wicked will be quenched.

²¹ My son, fear the Lord and the king: with those that are desirous to change do not mingle thyself;

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.

³⁰ By the field of a slothful man I once passed along, and by the vineyard of a man void of sense:

³¹ And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, nettles had covered its surface, and its stone-wall was broken down.

³² And when I had indeed beheld this I took it to my heart: I saw it, and received a warning.

³³ “A little more sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands in lying down;”

⁶ War is carried on with generalship, And aid is supplied to the heart of a counselor.

⁷ Wisdom and good understanding are in the gates of the wise: The wise turn not aside from the mouth of the Lord,

⁸ But deliberate in council. Death befalls uninstructed men.

⁹ The fool also dies in sins; And uncleanness attaches to a pestilent man.

¹⁰ He shall be defiled in the evil day, And in the day of affliction, until he be utterly consumed.

¹¹ Deliver them that are led away to death, And redeem them that are appointed to be slain; spare not thy help.

¹² But if thou shouldest say, I know not this man; Know that the Lord knows the hearts of all; And he that formed breath for all, he knows all things, Who renders to every man according to his works.

¹³ My son, eat honey, for the honeycomb is good, That thy throat may be sweetened.

¹⁴ Thus shalt thou perceive wisdom in thy soul: For if thou find it, thine end shall be good, And hope shall not fail thee.

¹⁵ Bring not an ungodly man into the dwelling of the righteous: Neither be deceived by the feeding of the belly.

¹⁶ For a righteous man will fall seven times, and rise again: But the ungodly shall be without strength in troubles.

¹⁷ If thine enemy should fall, rejoice not over him, Neither be elated at his overthrow.

¹⁸ For the Lord will see it, and it will not please him, And he will turn away his wrath from him.

¹⁹ Rejoice not in evildoers, Neither be envious of sinners.

²⁰ For the evil man shall have no posterity: And the light of the wicked shall be put out.

²¹ My son, fear God and the king; And do not disobey either of them.

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.

³⁰ A foolish man is like a farm, And a senseless man is like a vineyard.

³¹ If thou let him alone, he will altogether remain barren and covered with weeds; And he becomes destitute, And his stone walls are broken down.

³² Afterward I reflected, I looked that I might receive instruction.

³³ The sluggard says, I slumber a little, and I sleep a little, And for a little while I fold my arms across my breast.

⁶ For by wise counsel shalt thou make war, And by the multitude of counsellors cometh success.

⁷ Wisdom is too high for the fool; He openeth not his mouth at the gate.

⁸ He that deviseth to do evil Shall be called mischief-master.

⁹ The purpose of folly is sin; And a scoffer is an abomination to men.

¹⁰ If thy spirit faint in the day of adversity, Faint will be thy strength.

¹¹ Deliver thou those who are dragged to death, And those who totter to the slaughter,—O keep them back!

¹² If thou sayst, “Behold, we knew it not!” Doth not he that weigheth the heart observe it? Yea, he that keepeth thy soul knoweth it. And he will render to every man according to his works.

¹³ Eat honey, my son, for it is good, And the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste;

¹⁴ So learn thou wisdom for thy soul! When thou hast found it, there shall be a reward, And thy expectation shall not be cut off.

¹⁵ Plot not, O wicked man! against the habitation of the righteous; Spoil not his resting-place!

¹⁶ For though the righteous fall seven times, yet shall he rise up again; But the wicked shall fall into mischief.

¹⁷ Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, And let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth;

¹⁸ Lest the LORD see, and it displease him, And he turn away his anger from him.

¹⁹ Fret not thyself on account of evil men, Neither be thou envious of the wicked;

²⁰ For there shall be no posterity to the evil man; The lamp of the wicked shall be put out.

²¹ My son, fear thou the LORD and the king; And mingle not with them that are given to change!

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.”

³⁰ I passed by the field of the slothful, And by the vineyard of the man void of understanding,

³¹ And, lo! it was all overgrown with thorns, And the face thereof was covered with nettles, And the stone wall thereof was broken down.

³² Then I saw, and considered it well; I looked upon it. and received instruction.

³³ “A little sleep, a little slumber! A little folding of the hands to rest!”

⁶ for by wise guidance you wage your war; and victory is in many advisers.

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

⁸ One who plots to do evil will be called a schemer.

⁹ The schemes of folly are sin. The mocker is detested by men.

¹⁰ If you falter in the time of trouble, your strength is small.

¹¹ Rescue those who are being led away to death! Indeed, hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter!

¹² If you say, “Behold, we didn’t know this;” does not he who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does not he know it? Surely he shall render to every man according to his work.

¹³ My son, eat honey, for it is good; the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to your taste:

¹⁴ so you shall know wisdom to be to your soul; if you have found it, then there will be a reward, your hope will not be cut off.

¹⁵ Don’t lay in wait, wicked man, against the habitation of the upright. Don’t destroy his resting place:

¹⁶ for a upright man falls seven times, and rises up again; but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.

¹⁷ Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls. Don’t let your heart be glad when he is overthrown;

¹⁸ lest Adonai see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.

¹⁹ Don’t fret yourself because of evildoers; neither be envious of the wicked:

²⁰ for there will be no reward to the evil man; and the lamp candle of the wicked shall be snuffed out.

²¹ My son, fear Adonai and the king. Don’t join those who are rebellious:

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.”

³⁰ I went by the field of the sluggard, by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;

³¹ Behold, it was all grown over with thorns. Its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.

³² Then I saw, and considered well. I saw, and received instruction:

³³ a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep;

⁶ for by wise direction you can wage your war and with many advisors there is victory.

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

⁸ There is one who plans to do evil— people call him a master of schemes.

⁹ A foolish plan is sin and men despise a mocker.

¹⁰ If you become weak with fear in the day of trouble, then your strength is small.

¹¹ Rescue those who are being taken away to death and hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter.

¹² If you say, “Behold, we knew nothing about this,” does not the one who weighs the heart understand what you are saying? The one who guards your life, does he not know it? Will God not give to each one what he deserves?

¹³ My son, eat honey because it is good, because the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.

¹⁴ Such is wisdom for your soul— if you find it, there will be a future and your hope will not be cut off.

¹⁵ Do not lie in wait like the wicked person who attacks the house of the righteous person. Do not destroy his home!

¹⁶ For the righteous person falls down seven times and rises again, but wicked people are brought down by calamity.

¹⁷ Do not celebrate when your enemy falls and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,

¹⁸ or Yahweh will see and disapprove and turn away his wrath from him.

¹⁹ Do not worry because of evildoers, and do not envy wicked people,

²⁰ for the evil person has no future and the lamp of wicked people will go out.

²¹ Fear Yahweh, and fear the king, my son; do not associate with those who rebel against them,

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.”

³⁰ I went by the field of a lazy man, past the vineyard of the man having no sense.

³¹ Thorns had grown up everywhere, the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.

³² Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction.

³³ A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—

⁶ for by wise guidance you wage your war, and victory is in many advisors.

⁷ Wisdom is too high for a fool. He doesn’t open his mouth in the gate.

⁸ One who plots to do evil will be called a schemer.

⁹ The schemes of folly are sin. The mocker is detested by men.

¹⁰ If you falter in the time of trouble, your strength is small.

¹¹ Rescue those who are being led away to death! Indeed, hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter!

¹² If you say, “Behold, we didn’t know this,” doesn’t he who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, doesn’t he know it? Shall he not render to every man according to his work?

¹³ My son, eat honey, for it is good, the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to your taste;

¹⁴ so you shall know wisdom to be to your soul. If you have found it, then there will be a reward: Your hope will not be cut off.

¹⁵ Don’t lay in wait, wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous. Don’t destroy his resting place;

¹⁶ for a righteous man falls seven times and rises up again, but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.

¹⁷ Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls. Don’t let your heart be glad when he is overthrown,

¹⁸ lest Yahweh see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.

¹⁹ Don’t fret yourself because of evildoers, neither be envious of the wicked;

²⁰ for there will be no reward to the evil man. The lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.

²¹ My son, fear Yahweh and the king. Don’t join those who are rebellious,

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.”

³⁰ I went by the field of the sluggard, by the vineyard of the man void of understanding.

³¹ Behold, it was all grown over with thorns. Its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.

³² Then I saw, and considered well. I saw, and received instruction:

³³ a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep,

⁶ for by wise guidance you wage your war, and victory is in many advisors.

⁷ Wisdom is too high for a fool. He doesn’t open his mouth in the gate.

⁸ One who plots to do evil will be called a schemer.

⁹ The schemes of folly are sin. The mocker is detested by men.

¹⁰ If you falter in the time of trouble, your strength is small.

¹¹ Rescue those who are being led away to death! Indeed, hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter!

¹² If you say, “Behold, we didn’t know this,” doesn’t he who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, doesn’t he know it? Shall he not render to every man according to his work?

¹³ My son, eat honey, for it is good, the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to your taste;

¹⁴ so you shall know wisdom to be to your soul. If you have found it, then there will be a reward: Your hope will not be cut off.

¹⁵ Don’t lay in wait, wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous. Don’t destroy his resting place;

¹⁶ for a righteous man falls seven times and rises up again, but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.

¹⁷ Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls. Don’t let your heart be glad when he is overthrown,

¹⁸ lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.

¹⁹ Don’t fret yourself because of evildoers, neither be envious of the wicked;

²⁰ for there will be no reward to the evil man. The lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.

²¹ My son, fear the LORD and the king. Don’t join those who are rebellious,

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.”

³⁰ I went by the field of the sluggard, by the vineyard of the man void of understanding.

³¹ Behold, it was all grown over with thorns. Its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.

³² Then I saw, and considered well. I saw, and received instruction:

³³ a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep,

⁶ For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counselors there is safety.

⁷ Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate.

⁸ He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.

⁹ The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.

¹⁰ If thou faintest in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

¹¹ If thou forbearest to deliver them that are drawn to death, and those that are ready to be slain;

¹² If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it ? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it ? and will not he render to every man according to his works?

¹³ My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honey-comb, which is sweet to thy taste:

¹⁴ So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to thy soul: when thou hast found it , then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.

¹⁵ Lay not wait, O wicked man , against the dwelling of the righteous; destroy not his resting-place:

¹⁶ For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

¹⁷ Rejoice not when thy enemy falleth, and let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth:

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

¹⁹ Fret not thyself because of evil men , neither be thou envious at the wicked;

²⁰ For there shall be no reward to the evil man ; the candle of the wicked shall be extinguished.

²¹ My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:

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.

³⁰ I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;

³¹ And lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face of it, and its stone wall was broken down.

³² Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it , and received instruction.

³³ Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

⁶ for by wise guidance you wage your war, and victory is in many advisors.

⁷ Wisdom is too high for a fool. He doesn’t open his mouth in the gate.

⁸ One who plots to do evil will be called a schemer.

⁹ The schemes of folly are sin. The mocker is detested by men.

¹⁰ If you falter in the time of trouble, your strength is small.

¹¹ Rescue those who are being led away to death! Indeed, hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter!

¹² If you say, “Behold, we didn’t know this,” doesn’t he who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, doesn’t he know it? Shall he not render to every man according to his work?

¹³ My son, eat honey, for it is good, the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to your taste;

¹⁴ so you shall know wisdom to be to your soul. If you have found it, then there will be a reward: Your hope will not be cut off.

¹⁵ Don’t lay in wait, wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous. Don’t destroy his resting place;

¹⁶ for a righteous man falls seven times and rises up again, but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.

¹⁷ Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls. Don’t let your heart be glad when he is overthrown,

¹⁸ lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.

¹⁹ Don’t fret yourself because of evildoers, neither be envious of the wicked;

²⁰ for there will be no reward to the evil man. The lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.

²¹ My son, fear the LORD and the king. Don’t join those who are rebellious,

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.”

³⁰ I went by the field of the sluggard, by the vineyard of the man void of understanding.

³¹ Behold, it was all grown over with thorns. Its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.

³² Then I saw, and considered well. I saw, and received instruction:

³³ a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep,

⁶ for by wise guidance you wage your war, and victory is in many advisors.

⁷ Wisdom is too high for a fool. He doesn’t open his mouth in the gate.

⁸ One who plots to do evil will be called a schemer.

⁹ The schemes of folly are sin. The mocker is detested by men.

¹⁰ If you falter in the time of trouble, your strength is small.

¹¹ Rescue those who are being led away to death! Indeed, hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter!

¹² If you say, “Behold, we didn’t know this,” doesn’t he who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, doesn’t he know it? Shall he not render to every man according to his work?

¹³ My son, eat honey, for it is good, the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to your taste;

¹⁴ so you shall know wisdom to be to your soul. If you have found it, then there will be a reward: Your hope will not be cut off.

¹⁵ Don’t lay in wait, wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous. Don’t destroy his resting place;

¹⁶ for a righteous man falls seven times and rises up again, but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.

¹⁷ Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls. Don’t let your heart be glad when he is overthrown,

¹⁸ lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.

¹⁹ Don’t fret yourself because of evildoers, neither be envious of the wicked;

²⁰ for there will be no reward to the evil man. The lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.

²¹ My son, fear the LORD and the king. Don’t join those who are rebellious,

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.”

³⁰ I went by the field of the sluggard, by the vineyard of the man void of understanding.

³¹ Behold, it was all grown over with thorns. Its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.

³² Then I saw, and considered well. I saw, and received instruction:

³³ a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep,

⁶ For why battle is begun with ordinance; and health shall be, where many counsels be.

⁷ Wisdom is high to a fool; in the gate he shall not open his mouth.

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

⁹ The thought of a fool is sin; and a backbiter is abomination of men.

¹⁰ If thou hast slid, despairest in the day of anguish, thy strength shall be made less.

¹¹ Deliver thou them, that be led to death; and cease thou not to deliver them, that be drawn to death.

¹² If thou sayest, Strengths or Strong-holds suffice not; he that is the beholder of the heart, understandeth, and nothing deceiveth the keeper of thy soul, and he shall yield to a man after his works.

¹³ My son, eat thou honey, for it is good; and the honeycomb for it is full sweet to thy throat.

¹⁴ So and the teaching of wisdom is good to thy soul; and when thou hast found it, thou shalt have hope in the last things, and thine hope shall not perish.

¹⁵ Ambush thou not, and seek not wickedness in the house of a just or rightwise man, neither waste thou, his resting place.

¹⁶ For a just or rightwise man shall fall seven times in the day, and shall rise again; but wicked men shall fall into evil.

¹⁷ When thine enemy falleth, have thou not joy; and thine heart have not full out joying in his falling;

¹⁸ lest peradventure the Lord see, and it displease him, and he take away his ire or his wrath from him.

¹⁹ Strive thou not with the worst men, neither pursue or follow thou wicked men.

²⁰ For why evil men have not hope of things to come, and the lantern of wicked men shall be quenched.

²¹ My son, dread thou God, and the king; and be thou not meddled or mingled with backbiters.

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.

³⁰ I passed by the field of a slow man, and by the vinery or the vineyard of a fond or foolish man;

³¹ and lo! nettles had filled all, thorns had covered the higher part thereof, and the wall of stones without mortar was destroyed.

³² And when I had seen this thing, I setted or put in mine heart, and by ensample, I learned teaching.

³³ How long sleepest thou, slow man? when shalt thou rise from sleep? Soothly thou shalt sleep a little, thou shalt nap a little, thou shalt join together the hands a little, to take rest;

⁶ For why battle is begun with ordinance; and health shall be, where many counsels be. (For battle is begun with forethought; and victory shall be, where there be many plans, or much good advice.)

⁷ Wisdom is high to a fool; in the gate he shall not open his mouth. (Wisdom is too high for a fool to reach; in court or at the city gates, he shall not even dare to open his mouth.)

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

⁹ The thought of a fool is (a) sin; and a backbiter is abomination of men (or and a backbiter is an abomination to everyone).

¹⁰ If thou hast slid, despairest (thou) in the day of anguish, (for) thy strength shall be made less.

¹¹ Deliver thou them, that be led to death, (or Rescue thou them, who be led to death); and cease thou not to deliver them, that be drawn to death.

¹² If thou sayest, Strongholds suffice not; he that is the beholder of the heart, understandeth, and nothing deceiveth the keeper of thy soul, and he shall yield to a man after his works.

¹³ My son, eat thou honey, for it is good; and the honeycomb for it is full sweet to thy throat.

¹⁴ So and the teaching of wisdom is good to thy soul; and when thou hast found it, thou shalt have hope in the last things, and thine hope shall not perish. (And so the teaching of wisdom is good for thy soul; and when thou hast found it, thou shalt have hope unto the end, and thy hope shall never perish.)

¹⁵ Ambush thou not, and seek not (to bring) wickedness in the house of a just man, neither waste thou, his rest(ing) (place). (Do not thou ambush, and do not seek to bring wickedness into the house of a righteous person, nor destroy thou his resting place.)

¹⁶ For a just man shall fall seven times in the day, and shall rise again; but wicked men shall fall into evil. (For a righteous person shall fall seven times in a day, and shall rise up again each time; but the wicked shall fall into evil, and shall never get out of it.)

¹⁷ When thine enemy falleth, have thou not joy; and thine heart have not full out joying in his falling;

¹⁸ lest peradventure the Lord see, and it displease him, and he take away his ire from him.

¹⁹ Strive thou not with the worst men, neither follow thou wicked men. (Argue thou not with the wicked, nor follow thou the wicked.)

²⁰ For why evil men have not hope of things to come, and the lantern of wicked men shall be quenched. (For evil people have no hope in things to come, and the lantern of the wicked shall be quenched.)

²¹ My son, dread thou God, and the king; and be thou not meddled with backbiters. (My son, fear thou God or have thou reverence for God, and the king; and be thou not mixed in, or mingled, with backbiters.)

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.

³⁰ I passed by the field of a slow man, and by the vinery of a fond man; (I passed by a lazy man’s field, and by a foolish person’s vineyard;)

³¹ and lo! nettles had filled all, thorns had covered the higher part thereof, and the wall of stones without mortar was destroyed.

³² And when I had seen this thing, I setted (it) in mine heart, and by ensample, I learned (the) teaching. (And when I had seen this, I put it in my heart, and by example, I learned the lesson.)

³³ How long sleepest thou, slow man? when shalt thou rise from sleep? Soothly thou shalt sleep a little, thou shalt nap a little, thou shalt join together the hands a little, to take rest; (How long sleepest thou, O lazy man? when shalt thou rise from sleep? Truly thou shalt sleep a little, thou shalt nap a little, and then thou shalt join together thy hands a little, and take rest again;)

⁶ For by plans thou makest for thyself war, And deliverance is in a multitude of counsellors.

⁷ Wisdom is high for a fool, In the gate he openeth not his mouth.

⁸ Whoso is devising to do evil, Him they call a master of wicked thoughts.

⁹ The thought of folly is sin, And an abomination to man is a scorner.

¹⁰ Thou hast shewed thyself weak in a day of adversity, Straitened is thy power,

¹¹ If from delivering those taken to death, And those slipping to the slaughter — thou keepest back.

¹² When thou sayest, 'Lo, we knew not this.' Is not the Ponderer of hearts He who understandeth? And the Keeper of thy soul He who knoweth? And He hath rendered to man according to his work.

¹³ Eat my son, honey that is good, And the honeycomb — sweet to thy palate.

¹⁴ So is the knowledge of wisdom to thy soul, If thou hast found that there is a posterity And thy hope is not cut off.

¹⁵ Lay not wait, O wicked one, At the habitation of the righteous. Do not spoil his resting-place.

¹⁶ For seven times doth the righteous fall and rise, And the wicked stumble in evil.

¹⁷ In the falling of thine enemy rejoice not, And in his stumbling let not thy heart be joyful,

¹⁸ Lest Jehovah see, and it be evil in His eyes, And He hath turned from off him His anger.

¹⁹ Fret not thyself at evil doers, Be not envious at the wicked,

²⁰ For there is not a posterity to the evil, The lamp of the wicked is extinguished.

²¹ Fear Jehovah, my son, and the king, With changers mix not up thyself,

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.'

³⁰ Near the field of a slothful man I passed by, And near the vineyard of a man lacking heart.

³¹ And lo, it hath gone up — all of it — thorns! Covered its face have nettles, And its stone wall hath been broken down.

³² And I see — I — I do set my heart, I have seen — I have received instruction,

³³ A little sleep — a little slumber — A little folding of the hands to lie down.