Proverbs 24

¹Emulate not evil men, neither desire thou to be with them:

²because their mind doth meditate robberies, and their lips speak deceits.

³By wisdom the house shall be built, and by prudence it shall be strengthened.

⁴In doctrine the cellars shall be replenished with all precious and most beautiful substance.

⁵A wise man is strong: and a learned man, strong and valiant.

⁶Because war is managed by due ordering: & there shall be salvation where many counsels are.

⁷Wisdom is high for a fool, in the gate he shall not open his mouth.

⁸He that thinketh to do evils, shall be called a fool.

⁹The cogitation of a fool is sin: and a detracter the abomination of men.

¹⁰If thou despair being weary in the day of distress: thy strength shall be diminished.

¹¹Deliver them that are led to death: and those that are drawn to death cease not to deliver.

¹²If thou say, I am not of force: he that seeth into the heart, he understandeth, and nothing deceiveth the keeper of thy soul, and he shall render to man according to his works.

¹³Eat honey my son, because it is good, and the honey-comb most sweet to thy throat:

¹⁴so also the doctrine of wisdom to thy soul: which when thou shalt find, thou shalt have hope in the later end, and thy hope shall not perish.

¹⁵Lie not in wait, nor seek impiety in the house of the just, nor spoil his rest.

¹⁶For seven times shall the just fall, and shall rise again: but the impious shall fall into evil.

¹⁷When thine enemy shall fall, be not glad, and in his ruin let not thy heart rejoice:

¹⁸Lest perhaps our Lord see, and it displease him, and he take away his wrath from him.

¹⁹Contend not with the most wicked, nor emulate the impious:

²⁰because evil men have not hope of things to come, and the lamp of the impious shall be extinguished.

²¹Fear our Lord, my son, and the king: & with detracters meddle not:

²²because their perdition shall suddenly rise; and the ruin of both who knoweth?

²³These things also to the wise: to know a person in judgement is not good.

²⁴They that say to the impious: Thou art just; peoples shall curse them, and tribes shall detest them.

²⁵They that rebuke him, shall be praised: and blessing shall come upon them.

²⁶He shall kiss the lips, who answereth right words.

²⁷Prepare thy work abroad, and diligently till thy ground: that afterward thou mayst build thy house.

²⁸Be not witness without cause against thy neighbour: neither allure any man with thy lips.

²⁹Say not, As he hath done to me, so will I do to him: I will render to every one according to his work.

³⁰I passed by the field of a slothful man, and by the vineyard of a foolish man:

³¹and behold nettles had filled it wholly, and thorns had covered the face thereof, and the wall of stones was destroyed.

³²Which when I had seen, I laid it in my heart, and by the example I learned discipline.

³³A little I say, thou shalt sleep, a little thou shalt slumber, a little shalt thou join thy hands together to rest:

³⁴and as a post, poverty shall come to thee, & beggary as a man armed.