¹Do not envy evil people,[#tn Heb “evil men,” although the context indicates a generic sense.]

do not desire to be with them;

²for their hearts contemplate violence,

and their lips speak harm.

³By wisdom a house is built,[#tn The preposition בְּ (bet, “by; through”) in these two lines indicates means.; #sn The twentieth saying, vv. 3-4, concerns the use of wisdom for domestic enterprises. In Prov 9:1 wisdom was personified as a woman who builds a house; but here the emphasis is primarily on the building – it is a sign of security and prosperity (C. H. Toy, Proverbs [ICC], 442). One could still make a secondary application from this line for a household or “family” (cf. NCV, which sees this as a reference to the family).]

and through understanding it is established;

⁴by knowledge its rooms are filled

with all kinds of precious and pleasing treasures.

⁵A wise warrior is strong,[#sn The twenty-first saying seems to be concerned with the need for wisdom in warfare. In line with that, the word used here is גֶּבֶר (gever), “mighty man; hero; warrior.”; #tn The expression בַּעוֹז (ba’oz) employs a beth essentiae, meaning he “is strong,” not “in strength.”]

and a man of knowledge makes his strength stronger;

⁶for with guidance you wage your war,

and with numerous advisers there is victory.

⁷Wisdom is unattainable for a fool;[#tc The MT reads רָאמוֹת (ra’mot, “corals”) – wisdom to the fool is corals, i.e., an unattainable treasure. With a slight change in the text, removing the א (alef), the reading is רָמוֹת (ramot, “high”), i.e., wisdom is too high – unattainable – for a fool. The internal evidence favors the emendation, which is followed by most English versions including KJV.]

in court he does not open his mouth.

⁸The one who plans to do evil

will be called a scheming person.

⁹A foolish scheme is sin,[#tn Heb “the scheme of folly” (NIV similar). The genitive functions as an attributive genitive, meaning “foolish scheme.” But it could also be interpreted as a genitive of source, the scheme that comes from folly (or from the fool if “folly” were metonymical).]

and the scorner is an abomination to people.

¹⁰If you faint in the day of trouble,[#tn Heb “show yourself slack” (NASB similar). The verb רָפָה (rafah) means “to sink; to relax.” In the causative stems it means “to let slacken; to let go; to refrain; to fail; to do nothing.” In the Hitpael stem BDB 952 s.v. defines it as “to show yourself slack.” It has also been rendered as “give up” (NCV, CEV); “fail” (NLT); “falter” (NIV). The colon implies a condition, for which the second part of the verse is the apodosis.; #tn The verse employs a paronomasia to underscore the point: “trouble” is צָרָה (tsarah), literally “a bind; a strait [or, narrow] place”; “small” is צַר (tsar), with the same idea of “narrow” or “close.”]

your strength is small!

¹¹Deliver those being taken away to death,

and hold back those slipping to the slaughter.

¹²If you say, “But we did not know about this,”

does not the one who evaluates hearts consider?

Does not the one who guards your life know?

Will he not repay each person according to his deeds?

¹³Eat honey, my child, for it is good,[#sn The twenty-sixth saying teaches that one should develop wisdom because it has a profitable future. The saying draws on the image of honey; its health-giving properties make a good analogy to wisdom.]

and honey from the honeycomb is sweet to your taste.

¹⁴Likewise, know that wisdom is sweet to your soul;[#tn D. W. Thomas argues for a meaning of “seek” in place of “know” (“Notes on Some Passages in the Book of Proverbs,” JTS 38 [1937]: 400-403).; #tn The phrase “is sweet” is supplied in the translation as a clarification.]

if you find it, you will have a future,

and your hope will not be cut off.

¹⁵Do not lie in wait like the wicked against the place where the righteous live;[#tn The word “wicked” could be taken as a vocative (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB, “O wicked man”); but since the next line refers to the wicked this is unlikely. It serves better as an adverbial accusative (“like the wicked”).]

do not assault his home.

¹⁶Although a righteous person may fall seven times, he gets up again,[#tn The clause beginning with כִּי (ki) could be interpreted as causal or conditional; but in view of the significance of the next clause it seems better to take it as a concessive clause (“although”). Its verb then receives a modal nuance of possibility. The apodosis is then “and he rises up,” which could be a participle or a perfect tense; although he may fall, he gets up (or, will get up).sn The righteous may suffer adversity or misfortune any number of times – seven times here – but they will “rise” for virtue triumphs over evil in the end (R. N. Whybray, Proverbs [CBC], 140).]

but the wicked will be brought down by calamity.

¹⁷Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,[#sn The saying (vv. 17, 18) warns against gloating over the misfortune of one’s enemies. The prohibition is formed with two negated jussives “do not rejoice” and “let not be glad,” the second qualified by “your heart” as the subject, signifying the inner satisfaction of such a defeat.]

and when he stumbles do not let your heart rejoice,

¹⁸lest the Lord see it, and be displeased,[#tn Heb “and [it is] evil in his eyes.”]

and turn his wrath away from him.

¹⁹Do not fret because of evil people

or be envious of wicked people,

²⁰for the evil person has no future,[#tn Heb “there is no end [i.e., future] for the evil.”]

and the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.

²¹Fear the Lord , my child, as well as the king,[#tn Heb “my son,” but there is no indication in the immediate context that this should be limited only to male children.]

and do not associate with rebels,

²²for suddenly their destruction will overtake them,[#tn Heb “will rise” (so NASB).]

and who knows the ruinous judgment both the Lord and the king can bring?

Further Sayings of the Wise

²³These sayings also are from the wise:

To show partiality in judgment is terrible:

²⁴The one who says to the guilty, “You are innocent,”[#tn The word means “wicked; guilty” or “criminal”; the contrast could be “wicked – righteous” (cf. KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB) or “innocent – guilty” (cf. NIV, TEV, CEV). Since this line follows the statement about showing partiality in judgment, it involves a forensic setting. Thus the statement describes one who calls a guilty person innocent or acquitted.; #tn Or “righteous”; the same Hebrew word may be translated either “innocent” or “righteous” depending on the context.]

peoples will curse him, and nations will denounce him.

²⁵But there will be delight for those who convict the guilty,[#tn The verb means “to be pleasant; to be delightful.” The imperfect tense promises that there “will be delight” to those who rebuke the wicked.; #tn The verb יָכַח (yakhakh) means “to decide; to adjudge; to prove.” This word occurs frequently in the book of Proverbs meaning “to reprove” or “to rebuke.” It deals with disputes, legal or otherwise. It can refer to a charge against someone or starting a dispute (and so rebuke); it can mean quarrel, argue; and it can mean settle a dispute. In this context the first or last use would work: (1) reproving the wicked for what they do (cf. KJV, NASB, NRSV), or (2) convicting them in a legal setting (cf. NAB, NIV, NLT). In light of the previous forensic context the second sense is preferred here.; #tn “The guilty” is supplied in the translation for clarity based on the preceding context. See the previous note on the word “convict”: If a non-forensic context is preferred for vv. 23-25, “wicked” would be supplied here.]

and a pleasing blessing will come on them.

²⁶Like a kiss on the lips[#tn Heb “the one who returns right words kisses the lips.” This is an implied comparison for giving an honest answer. Honesty is like a kiss. The kiss would signify love, devotion, sincerity, and commitment (in that culture) – an outward expression of what is in the heart. It is an apt illustration of telling the truth. Some English versions now replace the figure to avoid cultural misunderstanding (cf. TEV, CEV “a sign of true friendship”; NLT “an honor”).]

is the one who gives an honest answer.

²⁷Establish your work outside and get your fields ready;

afterward build your house.

²⁸Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause,[#sn The legal setting of these sayings continues with this warning against being a false accuser. The “witness” in this line is one who has no basis for his testimony. “Without cause” is the adverb from חָנָן (khanan), which means “to be gracious.” The adverb means “without a cause; gratis; free.” It is also cognate to the word חֵן (“grace” or “unmerited [or, undeserved] favor.” The connotation is that the opposite is due. So the adverb would mean that there was no cause, no justification for the witness, but that the evidence seemed to lie on the other side.]

and do not deceive with your words.

²⁹Do not say, “I will do to him just as he has done to me;

I will pay him back according to what he has done.”

³⁰I passed by the field of a sluggard,

by the vineyard of one who lacks wisdom.

³¹I saw that thorns had grown up all over it,[#tn The Hebrew term וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh, traditionally “and, lo” [KJV, ASV]) is a deictic particle that calls attention to what comes next. “And look” is too abrupt here; “I saw” calls attention to the field that was noticed.]

the ground was covered with weeds,

and its stone wall was broken down.

³²When I saw this, I gave careful consideration to it;[#sn Heb “I set my heart.” The “heart” represents the mind and the will combined; to “set” the mind and will means to give careful consideration to what was observed.]

I received instruction from what I saw:

³³“A little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the hands to relax,

³⁴and your poverty will come like a bandit,

and your need like an armed robber.”