Chapter 24

  Be not thou envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them;  

  for their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.  

  Through wisdom is a house built, and by understanding it is established;  

  and by knowledge are the chambers filled with all precious and pleasant substance.  

  A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge increaseth strength.  

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

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

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

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

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

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

  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.  

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  He kisseth the lips who giveth a right answer.  

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  So shall thy poverty come [as] a roving plunderer, and thy penury as an armed man.