Beginning
24 ¶ Do not be envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them.
2 For their heart studies robbery, and their lips speak evil.
3 ¶ Through wisdom the house shall be built, and with intelligence it shall be established:
4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and beautiful riches.
5 The wise man is strong; and the man of understanding is a mighty man of valour.
6 For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war, and in the multitude of counsellors there is saving health.
7 ¶ Wisdom, is too high for a fool; he shall not open his mouth in the gate.
8 He that devises to do evil shall be called a man of evil designs.
9 The thought of the foolish is sin, and the scorner is an abomination to men.
10 ¶ If thou art slack in the day of tribulation, thy strength shall be reduced.
11 ¶ If thou forbear to deliver those that are drawn unto death and those that are ready to be slain,
12 if thou should say, Behold, we knew it not; shall not he that weighs the hearts understand it? and he that keeps thy soul, does he not know it? and shall he not render to every man according to his works?
13 ¶ My son, eat of the honey, because it is good, and of the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:
14 So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: if thou shalt find it, and in the end thy hope shall not be cut off.
15 ¶ Do not lay in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; do not spoil his resting place.
16 For a just man falls seven times and rises up again, but the wicked shall fall into evil.
17 ¶ Do not rejoice when thy enemy falls, and do not let thy heart be glad when he stumbles
18 lest the LORD see it and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.
19 ¶ Do not meddle with those who are evil, neither be envious of the wicked;
20 for the evil man shall not come to a good end; the fire of the wicked shall be put out.
21 ¶ My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not meddle with those that are given to change,
22 for their calamity shall rise suddenly; and the ruin of them both, who shall know it?
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 art righteous; him shall the peoples curse, nations shall abhor him:
25 But unto those that rebuke him shall be delight, and a blessing of good shall come upon them.
26 The lips of the one that gives a right answer shall be kissed.
27 ¶ Prepare thy work without and make it fit for thyself in thine inheritance, and afterwards thou shalt build thine house.
28 ¶ Do not be a false witness against thy neighbour, and do not flatter with thy lips.
29 Do not say, I will do unto him as he has done unto 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, behold, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered its face, and its stone wall was broken down.
32 Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it and received chastening.
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 travels and thy want as an armed man.
25 ¶ These are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.
2 ¶ It is the glory of God to conceal the word, but the honour of kings is to search out the word.
3 For the height of the heavens and depth of the earth and for the heart of kings, there is no investigation.
4 ¶ Take away the dross from the silver, and a vessel shall come forth for the finer.
5 Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.
6 ¶ Do not praise thyself in the presence of the king, and do not stand in the place of great men;
7 for it is better that it be said unto thee, Come up here than that thou should be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.
8 ¶ Do not go forth hastily to strive lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof when thy neighbour has put thee to shame.
9 Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself and do not uncover the secret to another
10 lest he that hears it put thee to shame and thine infamy not turn away.
11 ¶ A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold inscribed with silver.
12 As an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold, so is he who reproves a wise man who has a docile ear.
13 ¶ As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to those that send him, for he refreshes the soul of his master.
14 ¶ Whosoever boasts in a gift of falsehood is like clouds and wind without rain.
15 ¶ By long forbearing a prince is persuaded, and a soft tongue breaks the bones.
16 ¶ Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.
17 ¶ Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour’s house lest he be weary of thee and so hate thee.
18 ¶ A man that bears false witness against his neighbour is a maul and a sword and a sharp arrow.
19 ¶ Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.
20 ¶ As he that takes away a garment in cold weather and as vinegar upon soap, so is he that sings songs to a heavy heart.
21 ¶ If thy enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,
22 for thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.
23 ¶ The north wind drives away rain, so does an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.
24 ¶ It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop than with a brawling woman and in a wide house.
25 ¶ As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.
26 ¶ A righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain and a corrupt spring.
27 ¶ It is not good to eat much honey, so for men to search their own glory is not glory.
28 ¶ The man whose spirit has no restraint is like a city that is broken down and without walls.
26 ¶ As snow in summer and as rain in harvest, so honour is not suited for a fool.
2 ¶ As the sparrow in its wandering, as the swallow in its flight, so the curse causeless shall never come.
3 ¶ A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool’s back.
4 ¶ Never answer a fool according to his folly lest thou also be like unto him.
5 Answer the fool showing him his folly lest he be wise in his own conceit.
6 ¶ He that gives responsibility to one who is not able to carry it out is like him that sends a message by the hand of a fool, and he shall drink the damage.
7 Like unto the way that the one who is lame walks, so is a proverb in the mouth of the fool.
8 As he that binds the stone in the sling, so is he that gives honour to a fool.
9 As thorns sunk into the hand of one who is drunk, so is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
10 ¶ The great God that formed all things rewards both the fool and transgressors.
11 ¶ As a dog returns to his vomit, so the fool returns to his folly.
12 ¶ Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.
13 ¶ The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.
14 ¶ As the door turns upon his hinges, so does the slothful upon his bed.
15 ¶ The slothful hides his hand in his bosom; it grieves him to bring it again to his mouth.
16 ¶ The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can give him counsel.
17 ¶ He that passes by and meddles with strife not belonging to him is like one that takes a dog by the ears.
18 ¶ As a mad man who casts firebrands, arrows, and death,
19 so is the man that destroys his friend and says, Am I not in sport?
20 ¶ Where there is no wood, the fire goes out, so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceases.
21 Charcoal for burning coals and wood for fire, and a contentious man to kindle strife.
22 The words of a talebearer seem smooth, but they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
23 ¶ Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross.
24 ¶ He that hates dissembles with his lips and lays up deceit within him;
25 when he speaks fair, do not believe him, for there are seven abominations in his heart.
26 Even though his hatred is covered up in the desert, his wickedness shall be showed before the whole congregation.
27 ¶ Whosoever digs a pit shall fall therein, and he that rolls a stone, it will return upon him.
28 ¶ A lying tongue hates those that are afflicted by it, and a flattering mouth works ruin.
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