Proverbs 24

¹Be not thou envious against evil men;

Neither desire to be with them:

²For their heart studieth oppression,

And their lips talk of mischief.

³Through wisdom is a house builded;

And by understanding it is established;

⁴And by knowledge are the chambers filled

With all precious and pleasant riches.

⁵A wise man is strong;

Yea, a man of knowledge increaseth might.

⁶For by wise guidance thou shalt make thy war;

And in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.

⁷Wisdom is too high for a fool:

He openeth not his mouth in the gate.

⁸He that deviseth to do evil,

Men shall call him a mischief-maker.

⁹The thought of foolishness is sin;

And the scoffer is an abomination to men.

¹⁰If thou faint in the day of adversity,

Thy strength is small.

¹¹Deliver them that are carried away unto death,

And those that are ready to be slain see that thou hold back.

¹²If thou sayest, Behold, we knew not this;

Doth not he that weigheth the hearts consider it?

And he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it?

And shall not he render to every man according to his work?

¹³My son, eat thou honey, for it is good;

And the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to thy taste:

¹⁴So shalt thou know wisdom to be unto thy soul;

If thou hast found it, then shall there be a reward,

And thy hope shall not be cut off.

¹⁵Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous;

Destroy not his resting-place:

¹⁶For a righteous man falleth seven times, and riseth up again;

But the wicked are overthrown by calamity.

¹⁷Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth,

And let not thy heart be glad when he is overthrown;

¹⁸Lest Jehovah see it, and it displease him,

And he turn away his wrath from him.

¹⁹Fret not thyself because of evil-doers;

Neither be thou envious at the wicked:

²⁰For there shall be no reward to the evil man;

The lamp of the wicked shall be put out.

²¹My son, fear thou Jehovah and the king;

And company not with them that are given to change:

²²For their calamity shall rise suddenly;

And the destruction from them both, who knoweth it?