24 Don’t be envious of evil people,
    and don’t desire to be with them.
² For their minds are occupied with violence,
    and their lips speak of making trouble.

³ By wisdom a house is built,
    by understanding it is made secure,
⁴ and by knowledge its rooms are filled
    with all kinds of costly and pleasant possessions.

⁵ A wise man is strong;
    yes, a man of knowledge grows in strength.
⁶ For with clever strategy you wage your war,
    and victory comes from having many advisers.

⁷ Wisdom is too lofty for a fool;
    he keeps his mouth shut at the city gate.

⁸ He who plans to do evil
    people call a schemer.

⁹ The evil plans of the foolish are sin,
    and people detest a scorner.

¹⁰ If you slack off on a day of distress,
    your strength is small indeed.
¹¹ Yes, rescue those being dragged off to death —
    won’t you save those about to be killed?
¹² If you say, “We knew nothing about it,”
    won’t he who weighs hearts discern it?
Yes, he who guards you will know it
    and repay each one as his deeds deserve.

¹³ My son, eat honey, for it is good;
    honeycomb drippings are sweet to your taste.
¹⁴ Know that wisdom is similar[ly sweet] to your soul;
    if you find it, then you will have a future,
    what you hope for will not be cut off.

¹⁵ Don’t lurk like an outlaw near the home of the righteous,
    don’t raid the place where he lives.
¹⁶ For though he falls seven times, he will get up again;
    it’s the wicked who fail under stress.

¹⁷ Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls;
    don’t let your heart be glad when he stumbles.
¹⁸ For Adonai might see it, and it would displease him;
    he might withdraw his anger from your foe.

¹⁹ Don’t get upset because of evildoers;
    don’t be envious of the wicked.
²⁰ For the evil person has no future —
    the lamp of the wicked will go out.
²¹ My son, don’t get involved with revolutionaries,
    but fear Adonai and the king.
²² For disaster from them will suddenly appear,
    and who knows what ruin they both can cause?

²³ These also are sayings of the wise:

Showing partiality in judgment is not good.
²⁴ He who tells the guilty, “You are innocent,”
    will be cursed by peoples, reviled by nations;
²⁵ but with those who condemn him, things will go well,
    and a good blessing will come upon them.

²⁶ Giving an honest answer
    is like giving a kiss.

²⁷ Prepare your outside work,
and get things ready for yourself on the land;
    after that, build your house.

²⁸ Don’t be a witness against your neighbor for no reason —
    would you use your lips to deceive?

²⁹ Don’t say, “I’ll do to him what he did to me,
    I’ll pay him back what his deeds deserve.”

³⁰ I passed by the field of the lazy man
    and the vineyard of the man lacking sense.
³¹ There it was, overgrown with thistles;
    the ground was covered with nettles,
    and its stone wall was broken down.
³² I looked, and I thought about it;
    I saw, and I learned this lesson:
³³ “I’ll just lie here a bit, rest a little longer,
    just fold my hands for a little more sleep” —
³⁴ and poverty comes marching in on you,
    scarcity hits you like an invading soldier.