1 B e not envious of evil men, And desire not to be with them.

Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.

2 F or destruction doth their heart meditate, And perverseness do their lips speak.

For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.

3 B y wisdom is a house builded, And by understanding it establisheth itself.

Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:

4 A nd by knowledge the inner parts are filled, all precious and pleasant wealth.

and by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

5 M ighty the wise in strength, And a man of knowledge is strengthening power,

A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

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

For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.

7 W isdom high for a fool, In the gate he openeth not his mouth.

Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate.

8 W hoso is devising to do evil, Him they call a master of wicked thoughts.

He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.

9 T he thought of folly sin, And an abomination to man a scorner.

The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.

10 T hou hast shewed thyself weak in a day of adversity, Straitened is thy power,

If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

11 I f delivering those taken to death, And those slipping to the slaughter -- thou keepest back.

If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain;

12 W hen 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.

if thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?

13 E at my son, honey that good, And the honeycomb -- sweet to thy palate.

My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:

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

so shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.

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

Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place:

16 F or seven doth the righteous fall and rise, And the wicked stumble in evil.

for a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

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

Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:

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

lest the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.

19 F ret not thyself at evil doers, Be not envious at the wicked,

Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked;

20 F or there is not a posterity to the evil, The lamp of the wicked is extinguished.

for there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.

21 F ear Jehovah, my son, and the king, With changers mix not up thyself,

My son, fear thou the Lord and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:

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

for their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?

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

These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.

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

He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him:

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

but to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.

26 L ips he kisseth who is returning straightforward words.

Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer.

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

Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.

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

Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips.

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

Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.

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

I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;

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

and, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.

32 A nd I see -- I -- I do set my heart, I have seen -- I have received instruction,

Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.

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

Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

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

so shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.