1 D o not be envious of evil men, Nor desire to be with them;

Be not envious of evil men, And desire not to be with them.

2 F or their heart devises violence, And their lips talk of troublemaking.

For destruction doth their heart meditate, And perverseness do their lips speak.

3 T hrough wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established;

By wisdom is a house builded, And by understanding it establisheth itself.

4 B y knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches.

And by knowledge the inner parts are filled, all precious and pleasant wealth.

5 A wise man is strong, Yes, a man of knowledge increases strength;

Mighty the wise in strength, And a man of knowledge is strengthening power,

6 F or by wise counsel you will wage your own war, And in a multitude of counselors there is safety.

For by plans thou makest for thyself war, And deliverance in a multitude of counsellors.

7 W isdom is too lofty for a fool; He does not open his mouth in the gate.

Wisdom high for a fool, In the gate he openeth not his mouth.

8 H e who plots to do evil Will be called a schemer.

Whoso is devising to do evil, Him they call a master of wicked thoughts.

9 T he devising of foolishness is sin, And the scoffer is an abomination to men.

The thought of folly sin, And an abomination to man a scorner.

10 I f you faint in the day of adversity, Your strength is small.

Thou hast shewed thyself weak in a day of adversity, Straitened is thy power,

11 D eliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.

If delivering those taken to death, And those slipping to the slaughter -- thou keepest back.

12 I f you say, “Surely we did not know this,” Does not 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 according to his deeds?

When thou sayest, `Lo, we knew not this.' Is not the Ponderer of hearts He who understandeth? And the Keeper of thy soul He who knoweth? And He hath rendered to man according to his work.

13 M y son, eat honey because it is good, And the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste;

Eat my son, honey that good, And the honeycomb -- sweet to thy palate.

14 S o shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul; If you have found it, there is a prospect, And your hope will not be cut off.

So the knowledge of wisdom to thy soul, If thou hast found that there is a posterity And thy hope is not cut off.

15 D o not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; Do not plunder his resting place;

Lay not wait, O wicked one, At the habitation of the righteous. Do not spoil his resting-place.

16 F or a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity.

For seven doth the righteous fall and rise, And the wicked stumble in evil.

17 D o not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;

In the falling of thine enemy rejoice not, And in his stumbling let not thy heart be joyful,

18 L est the Lord see it, and it displease Him, And He turn away His wrath from him.

Lest Jehovah see, and evil in His eyes, And He hath turned from off him His anger.

19 D o not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the wicked;

Fret not thyself at evil doers, Be not envious at the wicked,

20 F or there will be no prospect for the evil man; The lamp of the wicked will be put out.

For there is not a posterity to the evil, The lamp of the wicked is extinguished.

21 M y son, fear the Lord and the king; Do not associate with those given to change;

Fear Jehovah, my son, and the king, With changers mix not up thyself,

22 F or their calamity will rise suddenly, And who knows the ruin those two can bring? Further Sayings of the Wise

For suddenly doth their calamity rise, And the ruin of them both -- who knoweth!

23 T hese things also belong to the wise: It is not good to show partiality in judgment.

These also are for the wise: -- To discern faces in judgment is not good.

24 H e who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,” Him the people will curse; Nations will abhor him.

Whoso is saying to the wicked, `Thou righteous,' Peoples execrate him -- nations abhor him.

25 B ut those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, And a good blessing will come upon them.

And to those reproving it is pleasant, And on them cometh a good blessing.

26 H e who gives a right answer kisses the lips.

Lips he kisseth who is returning straightforward words.

27 P repare your outside work, Make it fit for yourself in the field; And afterward build your house.

Prepare in an out-place thy work, And make it ready in the field -- go afterwards, Then thou hast built thy house.

28 D o not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, For would you deceive with your lips?

Be not a witness for nought against thy neighbour, Or thou hast enticed with thy lips.

29 D o not say, “I will do to him just as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.”

Say not, `As he did to me, so I do to him, I render to each according to his work.'

30 I went by the field of the lazy man, And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding;

Near the field of a slothful man I passed by, And near the vineyard of a man lacking heart.

31 A nd there it was, all overgrown with thorns; Its surface was covered with nettles; Its stone wall was broken down.

And lo, it hath gone up -- all of it -- thorns! Covered its face have nettles, And its stone wall hath been broken down.

32 W hen I saw it, I considered it well; I looked on it and received instruction:

And I see -- I -- I do set my heart, I have seen -- I have received instruction,

33 A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest;

A little sleep -- a little slumber -- A little folding of the hands to lie down.

34 S o shall your poverty come like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.

And thy poverty hath come a traveller, And thy want as an armed man!