¹Be not uenvious of evil men,

nor desire to be vwith them,

²for their hearts wdevise violence,

and their lips xtalk of trouble.

³By ywisdom a house is built,

and by understanding it is established;

⁴by knowledge the rooms are filled

with all zprecious and pleasant riches.

⁵aA wise man is full of strength,

and a man of knowledge enhances his might,

⁶for by bwise guidance you can wage your war,

and in cabundance of counselors there is victory.

⁷Wisdom is dtoo high for a fool;

in ethe gate he does not open his mouth.

⁸Whoever fplans to do evil

will be called a schemer.

⁹gThe devising1 of folly is sin,

and hthe scoffer is an abomination to mankind.

¹⁰If you ifaint in the day of adversity,

your strength is small.

¹¹jRescue those who are being taken away to death;

hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.

¹²If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”

kdoes not he who lweighs the heart perceive it?

Does not he who mkeeps watch over your soul know it,

and will he not repay man naccording to his work?

¹³My son, oeat honey, for it is good,

and pthe drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.

¹⁴Know that wisdom is such to your soul;

if you find it, there will be qa future,

and your hope will not be cut off.

¹⁵rLie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous;

do no violence to his home;

¹⁶sfor the righteous falls tseven times and rises again,

but uthe wicked stumble in times of calamity.

¹⁷vDo not rejoice when your enemy falls,

and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,

¹⁸lest the Lord see it and be displeased,

and turn away his anger from him.

¹⁹wFret not yourself because of evildoers,

and be not xenvious of the wicked,

²⁰for the evil man has no qfuture;

ythe lamp of the wicked will be put out.

²¹My son, zfear the Lord and the king,

and do not join with those who do otherwise,

²²for disaster will arise suddenly from them,

and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?

More Sayings of the Wise

²³These also are sayings of athe wise.

bPartiality in judging is not good.

²⁴Whoever csays to the wicked, “You are in the right,”

dwill be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations,

²⁵but those who rebuke the wicked will have delight,

and a good blessing will come upon them.

²⁶Whoever gives an honest answer

kisses the lips.

²⁷ePrepare your work outside;

get everything ready for yourself in the field,

and after that build your house.

²⁸fBe not a witness against your neighbor without cause,

and do not deceive with your lips.

²⁹Do not say, g“I will do to him as he has done to me;

I will pay the man back for what he has done.”

³⁰hI passed by the field of a sluggard,

by the vineyard of a man ilacking sense,

³¹and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns;

the ground was covered with nettles,

and its stone jwall was broken down.

³²Then I saw and kconsidered it;

I looked and received instruction.

³³lA little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the hands to rest,

³⁴and poverty will come upon you like a robber,

and want like an armed man.