24:1 Do not envy evil people, 1
do not desire 2 to be with them;
24:2 for their hearts contemplate violence,
and their lips speak harm. 3
24:3 By 4 wisdom a house is built, 5
and through understanding it is established;
24:4 by knowledge its rooms are filled
with all kinds of precious and pleasing treasures.
24:5 A wise warrior 6 is strong, 7
and a man of knowledge makes his strength stronger;
24:6 for with guidance you wage your war,
and with numerous advisers there is victory. 8
24:7 Wisdom is unattainable 9 for a fool;
in court 10 he does not open his mouth. 11
24:8 The one who plans to do evil
will be called a scheming person. 12
24:9 A foolish scheme 13 is sin,
and the scorner is an abomination to people. 14
24:10 If you faint 15 in the day of trouble, 16
your strength is small! 17
24:11 Deliver those being taken away to death,
and hold back those slipping to the slaughter. 18
24:12 If you say, “But we did not know about this,”
does not the one who evaluates 19 hearts consider?
Does not the one who guards your life know?
Will he not repay each person according to his deeds? 20
24:13 Eat honey, 21 my child, for it is good,
and honey from the honeycomb is sweet to your taste.
24:14 Likewise, know 22 that wisdom is sweet 23 to your soul;
if you find it, 24 you will have a future, 25
and your hope will not be cut off.
24:15 Do not lie in wait like the wicked 26 against the place where the righteous live;
do not assault 27 his home.
24:16 Although 28 a righteous person may fall seven times, he gets up again,
but the wicked will be brought down 29 by calamity.
24:17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, 30
and when he stumbles do not let your heart rejoice,
24:18 lest the Lord see it, and be displeased, 31
and turn his wrath away from him. 32
24:19 Do not fret because of evil people
or be envious of wicked people,
24:20 for the evil person has no future, 33
and the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished. 34
24:21 Fear the Lord, my child, 35 as well as the king,
and do not associate 36 with rebels, 37
24:22 for suddenly their destruction will overtake them, 38
and who knows the ruinous judgment both the Lord and the king can bring? 39
24:23 These sayings also are from the wise:
To show partiality 40 in judgment is terrible: 41
24:24 The one who says to the guilty, 42 “You are innocent,” 43
peoples will curse him, and nations will denounce 44 him.
24:25 But there will be delight 45 for those who convict 46 the guilty, 47
and a pleasing blessing 48 will come on them.
24:26 Like a kiss on the lips 49
is the one who gives an honest answer.
24:27 Establish your work outside and get your fields ready;
afterward build 50 your house. 51
24:28 Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, 52
and do not deceive with your words. 53
24:29 Do not say, “I will do to him just as he has done to me;
I will pay him back 54 according to what he has done.” 55
24:30 I passed by the field of a sluggard,
by the vineyard of one who lacks wisdom. 56
24:31 I saw 57 that thorns had grown up all over it,
the ground 58 was covered with weeds,
and its stone wall was broken down.
24:32 When I saw this, I gave careful consideration to it; 59
I received instruction from what I saw: 60
24:33 “A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to relax,
24:34 and your poverty will come like a bandit,
and your need like an armed robber.” 61
25:1 These also are proverbs of Solomon,
which the men of King Hezekiah of Judah copied: 62
25:2 It is the glory of God 63 to conceal 64 a matter,
and it is the glory of a king to search out a matter.
25:3 As the heaven is high 65 and the earth is deep
so the hearts of kings are unsearchable. 66
25:4 Remove the dross from the silver,
and material 67 for the silversmith will emerge;
25:5 remove the wicked from before the king, 68
and his throne 69 will be established in righteousness. 70
25:6 Do not honor yourself before the king,
and do not stand in the place of great men;
25:7 for it is better for him 71 to say to you, “Come up here,” 72
than to put you lower 73 before a prince,
whom your eyes have seen. 74
25:8 Do not go out hastily to litigation, 75
or 76 what will you do afterward
when your neighbor puts you to shame?
25:9 When you argue a case 77 with your neighbor,
do not reveal the secret of another person, 78
25:10 lest the one who hears it put you to shame
and your infamy 79 will never go away.
25:11 Like apples of gold in settings of silver, 80
so is a word skillfully spoken. 81
25:12 Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold, 82
so is a wise reprover to the ear of the one who listens. 83
25:13 Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest, 84
so is a faithful messenger to those who send him,
for he refreshes the heart 85 of his masters.
25:14 Like cloudy skies and wind that produce no rain, 86
so is the one who boasts 87 of a gift not given. 88
25:15 Through patience 89 a ruler can be persuaded, 90
and a soft tongue 91 can break a bone. 92
25:16 When you find 93 honey, eat only what is sufficient for you,
lest you become stuffed 94 with it and vomit it up. 95
25:17 Don’t set foot too frequently 96 in your neighbor’s house,
lest he become weary 97 of you and hate you.
25:18 Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow, 98
so is the one who testifies against 99 his neighbor as a false witness. 100
25:19 Like a bad tooth or a foot out of joint, 101
so is confidence 102 in an unfaithful person at the time of trouble. 103
25:20 Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, 104
or like vinegar poured on soda, 105
so is one who sings songs to a heavy heart. 106
25:21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat,
and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,
25:22 for you will heap coals of fire on his head, 107
and the Lord will reward you. 108
25:23 The north wind 109 brings forth rain,
and a gossiping tongue 110 brings forth 111 an angry look. 112
25:24 It is better to live on a corner of the housetop
than in a house in company with a quarrelsome wife. 113
25:25 Like cold water to a weary person, 114
so is good news from a distant land. 115
25:26 Like a muddied 116 spring and a polluted 117 well,
so is a righteous person who gives way 118 before the wicked.
25:27 It is not good 119 to eat too much honey,
nor is it honorable for people to seek their own glory. 120
25:28 Like a city that is broken down and without a wall,
so is a person who cannot control his temper. 121
26:1 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,
so honor 122 is not fitting for a fool. 123
26:2 Like a fluttering bird or like a flying swallow,
so a curse without cause 124 does not come to rest. 125
26:3 A whip for the horse and a bridle for the donkey,
and a rod for the backs of fools! 126
26:4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, 127
lest you yourself also be like him. 128
26:5 Answer a fool according to his folly, 129
lest he be wise in his own estimation. 130
26:6 Like cutting off the feet or drinking violence, 131
so is sending 132 a message by the hand of a fool. 133
26:7 Like legs that hang limp 134 from the lame,
so 135 is a proverb 136 in the mouth of fools.
26:8 Like tying a stone in a sling, 137
so is giving honor to a fool.
26:9 Like a thorn 138 that goes into the hand of a drunkard,
so is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. 139
26:10 Like an archer who wounds at random, 140
so is the one who hires 141 a fool or hires any passer-by.
26:11 Like a dog that returns to its vomit, 142
so a fool repeats his folly. 143
26:12 Do you see 144 a man wise in his own eyes? 145
There is more hope for a fool 146 than for him.
26:13 The sluggard 147 says, “There is a lion in the road!
A lion in the streets!” 148
26:14 Like 149 a door that turns on its hinges, 150
so a sluggard turns 151 on his bed.
26:15 The sluggard plunges 152 his hand in the dish;
he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth. 153
26:16 The sluggard is wiser in his own estimation 154
than seven people who respond with good sense. 155
26:17 Like one who grabs a wild dog by the ears, 156
so is the person passing by who becomes furious 157 over a quarrel not his own.
26:18 Like a madman 158 who shoots
firebrands and deadly arrows, 159
26:19 so is a person 160 who deceives his neighbor,
and says, “Was I not only joking?” 161
26:20 Where there is no wood, a fire goes out,
and where there is no gossip, 162 contention ceases. 163
26:21 Like charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire,
so is a contentious person 164 to kindle strife. 165
26:22 The words of a gossip are like delicious morsels;
they go down into a person’s innermost being. 166
26:23 Like a coating of glaze 167 over earthenware
are fervent 168 lips with an evil heart. 169
26:24 The one who hates others disguises 170 it with his lips,
but he stores up 171 deceit within him. 172
26:25 When 173 he speaks graciously, 174 do not believe him, 175
for there are seven 176 abominations 177 within him.
26:26 Though his 178 hatred may be concealed 179 by deceit,
his evil will be uncovered 180 in the assembly.
26:27 The one who digs a pit 181 will fall into it;
the one who rolls a stone – it will come back on him.
26:28 A lying tongue 182 hates those crushed by it,
and a flattering mouth works ruin. 183
27:1 Do not boast 184 about tomorrow; 185
for you do not know 186 what a day may bring forth.
27:2 Let another 187 praise you, and not your own mouth; 188
someone else, 189 and not your own lips.
27:3 A stone is heavy and sand is weighty,
but vexation 190 by a fool is more burdensome 191 than the two of them.
27:4 Wrath is cruel and anger is overwhelming, 192
but who can stand before jealousy? 193
27:5 Better is open 194 rebuke
than hidden 195 love.
27:6 Faithful 196 are the wounds of a friend,
but the kisses 197 of an enemy are excessive. 198
27:7 The one whose appetite 199 is satisfied loathes honey,
but to the hungry mouth 200 every bitter thing is sweet.
27:8 Like a bird that wanders 201 from its nest,
so is a person who wanders from his home. 202
27:9 Ointment and incense make the heart rejoice, 203
likewise the sweetness of one’s friend from sincere counsel. 204
27:10 Do not forsake your friend and your father’s friend,
and do not enter your brother’s house in the day of your disaster;
a neighbor nearby is better than a brother far away. 205
27:11 Be wise, my son, 206 and make my heart glad,
so that I may answer 207 anyone who taunts me. 208
27:12 A shrewd person sees danger and hides himself,
but the naive keep right on going 209 and suffer for it.
27:13 Take a man’s 210 garment when he has given security for a stranger,
and when he gives surety for a stranger, 211 hold him in pledge. 212
27:14 If someone blesses 213 his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning, 214
it will be counted as a curse to him. 215
27:15 A continual dripping on a rainy day
and a contentious wife 216 are alike. 217
27:16 Whoever hides her hides the wind 218
or grasps 219 oil with his right hand. 220
27:17 As 221 iron sharpens 222 iron,
so a person 223 sharpens his friend. 224
27:18 The one who tends a fig tree 225 will eat its fruit, 226
and whoever takes care of 227 his master will be honored.
27:19 As in water the face is reflected as a face, 228
so a person’s heart 229 reflects the person.
27:20 As 230 Death and Destruction are never satisfied, 231
so the eyes of a person 232 are never satisfied. 233
27:21 As the crucible is for silver and the furnace is for gold, 234
so a person 235 is proved 236 by the praise he receives. 237
27:22 If you should pound 238 the fool in the mortar
among the grain 239 with the pestle,
his foolishness would not depart from him. 240
27:23 Pay careful attention to 241 the condition of your flocks, 242
give careful attention 243 to your herds,
27:24 for riches do not last 244 forever,
nor does a crown last 245 from generation to generation.
27:25 When the hay is removed and new grass appears,
and the grass from the hills is gathered in,
27:26 the lambs will be for your clothing,
and the goats will be for the price of a field. 246
27:27 And there will be enough goat’s milk for your food, 247
for the food of your household,
and for the sustenance 248 of your servant girls.