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

Don’t be envious of evil men; neither desire to be with them:

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

for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about mischief.

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

Through wisdom a house is built; by understanding it is established;

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

by knowledge the rooms are filled with all rare and beautiful treasure.

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

A wise man has great power; and a knowledgeable man increases strength;

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

for by wise guidance you wage your war; and victory is in many advisors.

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

Wisdom is too high for a fool: he doesn’t open his mouth in the gate.

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

One who plots to do evil will be called a schemer.

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

The schemes of folly are sin. The mocker is detested by men.

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

If you falter in the time of trouble, your strength is small.

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

Rescue those who are being led away to death! Indeed, hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter!

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 you say, “Behold, we didn’t know this”; doesn’t he who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, doesn’t he know it? Shall he not render to every man according to his work?

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

My son, eat honey, for it is good; the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to your 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 you shall know wisdom to be to your soul; if you have found it, then there will be a reward, your hope will not be cut off.

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

Don’t lay in wait, wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous. Don’t destroy his resting place:

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

for a righteous man falls seven times, and rises up again; but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.

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

Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls. Don’t let your heart be glad when he is overthrown;

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

lest Yahweh 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,

Don’t fret yourself because of evildoers; neither be envious of the wicked:

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

for there will be no reward to the evil man; and the lamp of the wicked shall be snuffed out.

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

My son, fear Yahweh and the king. Don’t join those who are rebellious:

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

for their calamity will rise suddenly; the destruction from them both—who knows?

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

These also are sayings of the wise. To show partiality in judgment is not good.

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

He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous”; peoples shall curse him, and nations shall abhor him—

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

but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and a rich blessing will come on them.

26 L ips he kisseth who is returning straightforward words.

An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.

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 your work outside, and get your fields ready. Afterwards, build your house.

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

Don’t be a witness against your neighbor without cause. Don’t deceive with your lips.

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

Don’t say, “I will do to him as he has 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 sluggard, 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.

Behold, it was all grown over with thorns. Its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall 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 well. I saw, and received instruction:

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

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 your poverty will come as a robber, and your want as an armed man.