1 Don’t be envious of evil men,

neither desire to be with them;

2 for their hearts plot violence

and their lips talk about mischief.

3 Through wisdom a house is built;

by understanding it is established;

4 by knowledge the rooms are filled

with all rare and beautiful treasure.

5 A wise man has great power.

A knowledgeable man increases strength,

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,

34 so your poverty will come as a robber

and your want as an armed man.

1 Do not be envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them.

2 For their heart studies robbery, and their lips speak evil.

3 Through wisdom the house shall be built, and with intelligence it shall be established:

4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and beautiful riches.

5 The wise man is strong; and the man of understanding is a mighty man of valour.

6 For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war, and in the multitude of counsellors there is saving health.

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

8 He that devises to do evil shall be called a man of evil designs.

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

10 If thou art slack in the day of tribulation, thy strength shall be reduced.

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

12 if thou should say, Behold, we knew it not; shall not he that weighs the hearts understand [it]? and he that keeps thy soul, does he [not] know [it]? and shall he [not] render to [every] man according to his works?

13 My son, eat of the honey, because [it is] good, and of the honeycomb, [which is] sweet to thy taste:

14 So [shall] the knowledge of wisdom [be] unto thy soul: if thou shalt find [it], and in the end thy hope shall not be cut off.

15 Do not lay [in] wait, O wicked [man], against the dwelling of the righteous; do not spoil his resting place.

16 For a just [man] falls seven times and rises up again, but the wicked shall fall into evil.

17 Do not rejoice when thy enemy falls, and do not let thy heart be glad when he stumbles

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

19 Do not meddle with those who are evil, neither be envious of the wicked;

20 for the evil [man] shall not come to a good end; the fire of the wicked shall be put out.

21 My son, fear the LORD and the king, [and] do not meddle with those that are given to change,

22 for their calamity shall rise suddenly; and the ruin of them both, who shall know it?

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 peoples curse, nations shall abhor him:

25 But unto those that rebuke [him] shall be delight, and a blessing of good shall come upon them.

26 The lips of the one that gives a right answer shall be kissed.

27 Prepare thy work without and make it fit for thyself in thine inheritance, and afterwards thou shalt build thine house.

28 Do not be a false witness against thy neighbour, and do not flatter with thy lips.

29 Do not say, I will do unto him as he has done unto 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, behold, it was all grown over with thorns, [and] nettles had covered its face, and its stone wall was broken down.

32 Then I saw, [and] considered [it] well: I looked upon [it] [and] received chastening.

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

34 So shall thy poverty come [as] one that travels and thy want as an armed man.: