1Verse 1. Do not envy wicked men or desire their company;
2Verse 2. for their hearts devise violence, and their lips declare trouble.
3Verse 3. By wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established;
4Verse 4. through knowledge its rooms are filled with every precious and beautiful treasure.
5Verse 5. A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge enhances his strength.
6Verse 6. Only with sound guidance should you wage war, and victory lies in a multitude of counselors.
7Verse 7. Wisdom is too high for a fool; he does not open his mouth in the meeting place.
8Verse 8. He who plots evil will be called a schemer.
9Verse 9. A foolish scheme is sin, and a mocker is detestable to men.
10Verse 10. If you faint in the day of distress, how small is your strength!
11Verse 11. Rescue those being led away to death, and restrain those stumbling toward the slaughter.
12Verse 12. If you say, “Behold, we did not know about this,” does not He who weighs hearts consider it? Does not the One who guards your life know? Will He not repay a man according to his deeds?
13Verse 13. Eat honey, my son, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to your taste.
14Verse 14. Know therefore that wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, there is a future for you, and your hope will never be cut off.
15Verse 15. Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, near the dwelling of the righteous; do not destroy his resting place.
16Verse 16. For though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up; but the wicked stumble in bad times.
17Verse 17. Do not gloat when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles,
18Verse 18. or the LORD will see and disapprove, and turn His wrath away from him.
19Verse 19. Do not fret over evildoers, and do not be envious of the wicked.
20Verse 20. For the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.
21Verse 21. My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not associate with the rebellious.
22Verse 22. For they will bring sudden destruction. Who knows what ruin they can bring?
23Verse 23. These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.
24Verse 24. Whoever tells the guilty, “You are innocent”— peoples will curse him, and nations will denounce him;
25Verse 25. but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come upon them.
26Verse 26. An honest answer given is like a kiss on the lips.
27Verse 27. Complete your outdoor work and prepare your field; after that, you may build your house.
28Verse 28. Do not testify against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips.
29Verse 29. Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will repay the man according to his work.”
30Verse 30. I went past the field of a slacker and by the vineyard of a man lacking judgment.
31Verse 31. Thorns had grown up everywhere, thistles had covered the ground, and the stone wall was broken down.
32Verse 32. I observed and took it to heart; I looked and received instruction:
33Verse 33. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,
34Verse 34. and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.