Beginning
24 Do not be envious against evil men, nor desire to be with them.
2 For their heart imagines destruction, and their lips speak mischief.
3 Through wisdom is a house built. And with understanding it is established.
4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
5 A wise man is strong. For a man of understanding increases his strength.
6 For with counsel you shall wage your war. And health is in a multitude of counselors.
7 Wisdom is high to a fool. He cannot open his mouth in the gate.
8 He who plots to do evil, men shall call him an author of wickedness.
9 The wicked thought of a fool is sin. And the scoffer is an abomination to men.
10 If you sink down on the day of adversity, your strength is small.
11 Deliver those who are drawn to death. And will you not preserve those who are led to be slain?
12 If you say, “Behold, we did not know of this”, does not He Who ponders hearts understand it? And does not He Who keeps your soul know it? Will He not also repay every man according to his works?
13 My son, eat honey, for it is good; and the honeycomb, for it is sweet to your mouth.
14 So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul if you find it. And there shall be an end; and your hope shall not be cut off.
15 Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the house of the righteous. And do not spoil his resting place.
16 For a just man falls seven times and rises again. But the wicked fall into mischief.
17 Do not be glad when your enemy falls. And do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles;
18 Lest the LORD see it, and it displease Him. And He turns His wrath from him.
19 Do not fret because of the malicious, nor be envious of the wicked.
20 For there shall be no posterity for the evil. The light of the wicked shall be put out.
21 My son, fear the LORD, and the King. Do not associate with those given to change.
22 For their destruction shall rise suddenly. And who knows the ruin of them both?
23 Also, these things pertain to the wise: It is not good to show partiality to any person in judgment.
24 He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous”, the people shall curse him. And the multitude shall abhor him.
25 But to those who rebuke him, shall be pleasure. And upon them shall come the blessing of goodness.
26 They shall kiss the lips of him who answers uprightly.
27 Prepare your outside work and make ready your things in the field. And afterward, build your house.
28 Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, and deceive with your lips.
29 Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me. I will recompense every man according to his work.”
30 I passed by the field of the slothful; and by the vineyard of the man destitute of understanding.
31 And lo, it was all grown over with thorns; nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.
32 Then I looked. I considered it well. I looked at it and received instruction.
33 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep.
34 So your poverty comes as drifter, and your necessity like an armed man.
25 These are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah, King of Judah, copied out.
2 The glory of God is to conceal a thing. But the King’s honor is to search out a thing.
3 As the heavens in height and the Earth in depth, so the king’s heart is unsearchable.
4 Take the dross from the silver, and there shall proceed a vessel for the refiner.
5 Take away the wicked from the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.
6 Do not boast before the king, and do not stand in the place of great men.
7 For it is better that it be said to you, “Come up here”, than for you to be lowered in the presence of the Prince whom your eyes have seen.
8 Do not go forth hastily to strife, lest you do not know what to do in the end, when your neighbor has put you to shame.
9 Debate your matter with your neighbor, and do not reveal the secret to another,
10 lest he who hears it puts you to shame, and your infamy does not cease.
11 A timely word spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
12 He who rebukes the wise and obedient ear, is as a golden earring and an ornament of fine gold.
13 As the cold of the snow at harvest time is a faithful messenger to those who send him. For he refreshes the soul of his masters.
14 A man who falsely boasts of giving is like clouds and wind without rain.
15 A prince is pacified by forbearance, and a soft tongue breaks the bones.
16 If you have found honey, eat what is sufficient for you, lest you be glutted and vomit it.
17 Withdraw your foot from your neighbor’s house, lest he be weary of you and hate you.
18 A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a hammer and a sword and a sharp arrow.
19 Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth and a disjointed foot.
20 He who takes away a garment in the cold is like pouring vinegar on soda, or like him who sings songs to a heavy heart.
21 If he who hates you is hungry, give him bread to eat. And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
22 For you shall lay coals upon his head. And the LORD shall repay you.
23 The north wind drives away the rain, and an angry face the slanderous tongue.
24 It is better to dwell on a corner of the housetop than to share the house with a contentious woman.
25 As are cold waters to a weary soul, so is good news from a far country.
26 A righteous man faltering before the wicked is like a polluted well and a corrupt spring.
27 It is not good to eat much honey; just as it is no glory to seek one’s own glory.
28 A man who does not refrain his appetites is like a city which is broken down and without walls.
26 As snow in summer and as rain at harvest, so is honor unseemly for a fool.
2 As the sparrow by wandering and the swallow by flying, so shall the causeless curse not come.
3 To the horse belongs a whip, to the ass a bridle, and to the fool’s back a rod.
4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him.
5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.
6 He who sends a message by the hand of a fool, is as he who cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.
7 As the legs of the lame are weak, so is a proverb in a fool’s mouth.
8 As the binding up of a stone in a sling is he who gives glory to a fool.
9 As a thorn goes up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
10 The Great God, Who formed all things, both gives the fool his hire and passes over the transgressors.
11 As a dog turns again to his own vomit, so a fool turns to his folly.
12 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
13 The slothful says, “A lion is in the road. A lion is in the streets.”
14 As the door turns upon its hinges, so does the slothful man upon his bed.
15 The slothful hides his hand in the dish, and it grieves him to put it to his mouth again.
16 The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven who can render a reason.
17 He who passes by and meddles in others’ quarrels, is as one who takes a dog by the ears.
18 As a madman who casts firebrands, arrows, and death,
19 is a man’s deception of his friend when he says, “I was only kidding!”
20 Without wood, the fire is quenched. And without a gossip, strife ceases.
21 As coal makes burning embers, and wood a fire, so the contentious man kindles strife.
22 The words of a gossip are as tasty morsels. And they descend into the bowels of the belly.
23 As silver overlaid upon an earthen vessel are burning lips and an evil heart.
24 He who hates will disguise it with his lips. But in his heart, he lays up deceit.
25 Though he speaks favorably, do not believe him. For there are seven abominations in his heart.
26 His hatred may be covered by deceit, but his malice shall be discovered in the congregation.
27 He who digs a pit shall fall therein. And he who rolls a stone shall have it roll back on him.
28 A false tongue hates the afflicted. And a flattering mouth causes ruin.
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