24 不要羡慕惡人,
    不要嚮往與他們為友;
因為他們心裡圖謀暴行,
    口中談論惡事。
家靠智慧而建立,
    靠悟性而穩固,
藉知識而充滿各種珍寶。
智者充滿能力,
    哲士力上加力。
出征打仗,要憑智謀;
    謀士眾多,勝券在握。
智慧對愚人高不可及,
    他在城門口沉默不語。
圖謀作惡的必被稱為陰謀家。
愚人的計謀是罪惡,
    人人都厭惡嘲諷者。
10 逆境中喪膽的是弱者。
11 被拉去屠殺的,你要搶救;
    踉蹌受死的,你要攔阻。
12 不要推說自己毫不知情,
    鑒察人心的主洞悉一切,
    保守你生命的上帝知情,
    祂必按你的行為報應你。
13 孩子啊,你要吃美好的蜂蜜,
    蜂房滴下的蜜甘甜可口。
14 智慧同樣使你的心靈甘甜;
    你若找到智慧,前途必光明,
    盼望也不會幻滅。
15 不要像惡人一樣暗算義人,
    破壞他的家。
16 因為義人跌倒七次也必起來,
    惡人卻被災禍擊垮。
17 仇敵跌倒,不要幸災樂禍;
    仇敵敗落,不要心裡歡喜。
18 否則,耶和華看見會不悅,
    不再向仇敵發烈怒。
19 不要因惡人而憤憤不平,
    也不要羡慕歹徒;
20 因為惡人毫無前途,
    惡人的燈終必熄滅。
21 孩子啊,要敬畏耶和華和君王,
    不要跟反復無常之徒為伍。
22 因為災禍必驟然臨到他們,
    誰知道耶和華和君王如何毀滅他們?

其他智言

23 以下也是智者的箴言:
    判案時偏袒實為不善。
24 判惡人無罪的,
    必遭萬人咒詛,
    為列國痛恨。
25 責備惡人的必有歡樂,
    美好的福氣必臨到他。
26 誠實的回答如同友好的親吻。
27 要安排好外面的事,
    把田間的工作準備妥當,
    然後建造房屋。
28 別無故作證害鄰舍,
    也不可撒謊欺騙人。
29 不可說:「別人怎樣待我,
    我就怎樣待他;
    我要照他所做的報復他。」
30 我走過懶惰人的田地和無知者的葡萄園,
31 那裡荊棘遍地,
    刺草叢生,
    石牆倒塌。
32 我仔細思想所見之事,
    領悟到一個教訓:
33 再睡一會兒,
    打個盹兒,
    抱著手躺一會兒,
34 貧窮必像強盜一樣臨到你,
    缺乏必像武士一樣撲向你。

Do Not Envy Evil Men

24 Do not be (A)envious of evil men,
Nor desire to be with them;
For their heart devises violence,
And their lips talk of troublemaking.

Through wisdom a house is built,
And by understanding it is established;
By knowledge the rooms are filled
With all precious and pleasant riches.

(B)A wise man is strong,
Yes, a man of knowledge increases strength;
(C)For by wise counsel you will wage your own war,
And in a multitude of counselors there is safety.

(D)Wisdom is too lofty for a fool;
He does not open his mouth in the gate.

He who (E)plots to do evil
Will be called a [a]schemer.
The devising of foolishness is sin,
And the scoffer is an abomination to men.

10 If you (F)faint in the day of adversity,
Your strength is small.

11 (G)Deliver those who are drawn toward death,
And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.
12 If you say, “Surely we did not know this,”
Does not (H)He who weighs the hearts consider it?
He who keeps your soul, does He not know it?
And will He not render to each man (I)according to his deeds?

13 My son, (J)eat honey because it is good,
And the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste;
14 (K)So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul;
If you have found it, there is a [b]prospect,
And your hope will not be cut off.

15 Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous;
Do not plunder his resting place;
16 (L)For a righteous man may fall seven times
And rise again,
(M)But the wicked shall fall by calamity.

17 (N)Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;
18 Lest the Lord see it, and [c]it displease Him,
And He turn away His wrath from him.

19 (O)Do not fret because of evildoers,
Nor be envious of the wicked;
20 For there will be no prospect for the evil man;
The lamp of the wicked will be put out.

21 My son, (P)fear the Lord and the king;
Do not associate with those given to change;
22 For their calamity will rise suddenly,
And who knows the ruin those two can bring?

Further Sayings of the Wise

23 These things also belong to the wise:

(Q)It is not good to [d]show partiality in judgment.
24 (R)He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”
Him the people will curse;
Nations will abhor him.
25 But those who rebuke the wicked will have (S)delight,
And a good blessing will come upon them.

26 He who gives a right answer kisses the lips.

27 (T)Prepare your outside work,
Make it fit for yourself in the field;
And afterward build your house.

28 (U)Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause,
[e]For would you deceive with your lips?
29 (V)Do not say, “I will do to him just as he has done to me;
I will render to the man according to his work.”

30 I went by the field of the lazy man,
And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding;
31 And there it was, (W)all overgrown with thorns;
Its surface was covered with nettles;
Its stone wall was broken down.
32 When I saw it, I considered it well;
I looked on it and received instruction:
33 (X)A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest;
34 (Y)So shall your poverty come like [f]a prowler,
And your need like [g]an armed man.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 24:8 Lit. master of evil plots
  2. Proverbs 24:14 Lit. latter end
  3. Proverbs 24:18 Lit. it be evil in His eyes
  4. Proverbs 24:23 Lit. recognize faces
  5. Proverbs 24:28 LXX, Vg. Do not deceive
  6. Proverbs 24:34 Lit. one who walks about
  7. Proverbs 24:34 Lit. a man with a shield

24 Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.

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

Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:

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

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

For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.

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

He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.

The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.

10 If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

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

12 If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?

13 My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:

14 So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.

15 Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place:

16 For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:

18 Lest the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.

19 Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked:

20 For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.

21 My son, fear thou the Lord and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:

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

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 are righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him:

25 But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.

26 Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer.

27 Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.

28 Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips.

29 Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to 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, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.

32 Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.

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 travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.

Saying 20

24 Do not envy(A) the wicked,
    do not desire their company;
for their hearts plot violence,(B)
    and their lips talk about making trouble.(C)

Saying 21

By wisdom a house is built,(D)
    and through understanding it is established;
through knowledge its rooms are filled
    with rare and beautiful treasures.(E)

Saying 22

The wise prevail through great power,
    and those who have knowledge muster their strength.
Surely you need guidance to wage war,
    and victory is won through many advisers.(F)

Saying 23

Wisdom is too high for fools;
    in the assembly at the gate they must not open their mouths.

Saying 24

Whoever plots evil
    will be known as a schemer.
The schemes of folly are sin,
    and people detest a mocker.

Saying 25

10 If you falter in a time of trouble,
    how small is your strength!(G)
11 Rescue those being led away to death;
    hold back those staggering toward slaughter.(H)
12 If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,”
    does not he who weighs(I) the heart perceive it?
Does not he who guards your life know it?
    Will he not repay(J) everyone according to what they have done?(K)

Saying 26

13 Eat honey, my son, for it is good;
    honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.
14 Know also that wisdom is like honey for you:
    If you find it, there is a future hope for you,
    and your hope will not be cut off.(L)

Saying 27

15 Do not lurk like a thief near the house of the righteous,
    do not plunder their dwelling place;
16 for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again,
    but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.(M)

Saying 28

17 Do not gloat(N) when your enemy falls;
    when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice,(O)
18 or the Lord will see and disapprove
    and turn his wrath away from them.(P)

Saying 29

19 Do not fret(Q) because of evildoers
    or be envious of the wicked,
20 for the evildoer has no future hope,
    and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.(R)

Saying 30

21 Fear the Lord and the king,(S) my son,
    and do not join with rebellious officials,
22 for those two will send sudden destruction(T) on them,
    and who knows what calamities they can bring?

Further Sayings of the Wise

23 These also are sayings of the wise:(U)

To show partiality(V) in judging is not good:(W)
24 Whoever says to the guilty, “You are innocent,”(X)
    will be cursed by peoples and denounced by nations.
25 But it will go well with those who convict the guilty,
    and rich blessing will come on them.

26 An honest answer
    is like a kiss on the lips.

27 Put your outdoor work in order
    and get your fields ready;
    after that, build your house.

28 Do not testify against your neighbor without cause(Y)
    would you use your lips to mislead?
29 Do not say, “I’ll do to them as they have done to me;
    I’ll pay them back for what they did.”(Z)

30 I went past the field of a sluggard,(AA)
    past the vineyard of someone who has no sense;
31 thorns had come up everywhere,
    the ground was covered with weeds,
    and the stone wall was in ruins.
32 I applied my heart to what I observed
    and learned a lesson from what I saw:
33 A little sleep, a little slumber,
    a little folding of the hands to rest(AB)
34 and poverty will come on you like a thief
    and scarcity like an armed man.(AC)