Proverbs 24
JPS Tanakh (Jewish Publication Society, 1917)
Berean Standard Bible
1Be not thou envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them.
1Do not envy wicked men or desire their company;
2For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.
2for their hearts devise violence, and their lips declare trouble.
3Through wisdom is a house builded; and by understanding it is established;
3By wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established;
4And by knowledge are the chambers filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
4through knowledge its rooms are filled with every precious and beautiful treasure.
5A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.
5A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge enhances his strength.
6For with wise advice thou shalt make thy war; and in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.
6Only with sound guidance should you wage war, and victory lies in a multitude of counselors.
7Wisdom is as unattainable to a fool as corals; he openeth not his mouth in the gate.
7Wisdom is too high for a fool; he does not open his mouth in the meeting place.
8He that deviseth to do evil, men shall call him a mischievous person.
8He who plots evil will be called a schemer.
9The thought of foolishness is sin; and the scorner is an abomination to men.
9A foolish scheme is sin, and a mocker is detestable to men.
10If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small indeed.
10If you faint in the day of distress, how small is your strength!
11Deliver them that are drawn unto death; and those that are ready to be slain wilt thou forbear to rescue?
11Rescue those being led away to death, and restrain those stumbling toward the slaughter.
12If 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?
12If you say, “Behold, we did not know about this,” does not He who weighs hearts consider it? Does not the One who guards your life know? Will He not repay a man according to his deeds?
13My son, eat thou honey, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to thy taste;
13Eat honey, my son, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to your taste.
14So 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.
14Know therefore that wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, there is a future for you, and your hope will never be cut off.
15Lie not in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous, spoil not his resting-place;
15Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, near the dwelling of the righteous; do not destroy his resting place.
16For a righteous man falleth seven times, and riseth up again, but the wicked stumble under adversity.
16For though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up; but the wicked stumble in bad times.
17Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth;
17Do not gloat when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles,
18Lest the LORD see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him.
18or the LORD will see and disapprove, and turn His wrath away from him.
19Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious at the wicked;
19Do not fret over evildoers, and do not be envious of the wicked.
20For there will be no future to the evil man, the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
20For the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.
21My son, fear thou the LORD and the king, and meddle not with them that are given to change;
21My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not associate with the rebellious.
22For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin from them both?
22For they will bring sudden destruction. Who knows what ruin they can bring?
23These also are sayings of the wise. To have respect of persons in judgment is not good.
23These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.
24He that saith unto the wicked: 'Thou art righteous', peoples shall curse him, nations shall execrate him;
24Whoever tells the guilty, “You are innocent”— peoples will curse him, and nations will denounce him;
25But to them that decide justly shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.
25but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come upon them.
26He kisseth the lips that giveth a right answer.
26An honest answer given is like a kiss on the lips.
27Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thy house.
27Complete your outdoor work and prepare your field; after that, you may build your house.
28Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips.
28Do not testify against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips.
29Say not: 'I will do so to him as he hath done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.'
29Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will repay the man according to his work.”
30I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;
30I went past the field of a slacker and by the vineyard of a man lacking judgment.
31And, lo, it was all grown over with thistles, the face thereof was covered with nettles, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.
31Thorns had grown up everywhere, thistles had covered the ground, and the stone wall was broken down.
32Then I beheld, and considered well; I saw, and received instruction.
32I observed and took it to heart; I looked and received instruction:
33'Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep' —
33A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,
34So shall thy poverty come as a runner, and thy want as an armed man.
34and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.
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