Proverbs 24

¹Do not envy men of evil,

²For their minds will devise violence,

³By wisdom a house is built,

⁴And by knowledge, rooms are filled

⁵The warrior of wisdom is in strength,

⁶For with wise guidance you shall make war for yourself,

⁷Wisdom is too high for fools;

⁸He who plans to do evil for himself,[#Or “to”]

⁹Devising folly is a sin,

¹⁰If you faint on the day of adversity,

¹¹Rescue those who are led away to the death

¹²if you say, “Look, we do not know this,”

¹³My child, eat honey, for it is good,

¹⁴Thus know wisdom for the sake of your soul,[#Or “life,” or “inner self”]

¹⁵Do not lie in wait like an outlaw against the home of the righteous;

¹⁶For seven times the righteous will fall, but he will rise,

¹⁷While your enemies are falling, do not rejoice;

¹⁸lest Yahweh see and it be evil in his eyes,

¹⁹Do not fret because of the evildoers;

²⁰For there will not be a future for the evil;

²¹Fear Yahweh, my son, and the king;

²²For suddenly their disaster will come,

²³These sayings are also for the wise:

²⁴Whoever says to the guilty, “You are righteous,” the people will curse him;

²⁵But they who rebuke will have delight,

²⁶He will kiss the lips,

²⁷Prepare your work in the street and get it ready for yourself in the field;

²⁸Do not be a witness without cause against your neighbor

²⁹Do not say, “Just as he has done to me, so shall I do to him;

³⁰I passed by the field of a lazy person,

³¹and behold, it was overgrown—all of it was covered with thorns, its surface with nettles,

³²Then I myself saw and my heart considered;[#Or “mind”]

³³A little sleep, a little slumber,

³⁴and your poverty will come running,