24:1 Be not envious of evil men, And desire not to be with them.

24:2 For destruction doth their heart meditate, And perverseness do their lips speak.

24:3 By wisdom is a house builded, And by understanding it establisheth itself.

24:4 And by knowledge the inner parts are filled, [With] all precious and pleasant wealth.

24:5 Mighty [is] the wise in strength, And a man of knowledge is strengthening power,

24:6 For by plans thou makest for thyself war, And deliverance [is] in a multitude of counsellors.

24:7 Wisdom [is] high for a fool, In the gate he openeth not his mouth.

24:8 Whoso is devising to do evil, Him they call a master of wicked thoughts.

24:9 The thought of folly [is] sin, And an abomination to man [is] a scorner.

24:10 Thou hast shewed thyself weak in a day of adversity, Straitened is thy power,

24:11 If [from] delivering those taken to death, And those slipping to the slaughter -- thou keepest back.

24:12 When 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.

24:13 Eat my son, honey that [is] good, And the honeycomb -- sweet to thy palate.

24:14 So [is] the knowledge of wisdom to thy soul, If thou hast found that there is a posterity And thy hope is not cut off.

24:15 Lay not wait, O wicked one, At the habitation of the righteous. Do not spoil his resting-place.

24:16 For seven [times] doth the righteous fall and rise, And the wicked stumble in evil.

24:17 In the falling of thine enemy rejoice not, And in his stumbling let not thy heart be joyful,

24:18 Lest Jehovah see, and [it be] evil in His eyes, And He hath turned from off him His anger.

24:19 Fret not thyself at evil doers, Be not envious at the wicked,

24:20 For there is not a posterity to the evil, The lamp of the wicked is extinguished.

24:21 Fear Jehovah, my son, and the king, With changers mix not up thyself,

24:22 For suddenly doth their calamity rise, And the ruin of them both -- who knoweth!

24:23 These also are for the wise: -- To discern faces in judgment is not good.

24:24 Whoso is saying to the wicked, `Thou [art] righteous,` Peoples execrate him -- nations abhor him.

24:25 And to those reproving it is pleasant, And on them cometh a good blessing.

24:26 Lips he kisseth who is returning straightforward words.

24:27 Prepare in an out-place thy work, And make it ready in the field -- go afterwards, Then thou hast built thy house.

24:28 Be not a witness for nought against thy neighbour, Or thou hast enticed with thy lips.

24:29 Say not, `As he did to me, so I do to him, I render to each according to his work.`

24:30 Near the field of a slothful man I passed by, And near the vineyard of a man lacking heart.

24:31 And lo, it hath gone up -- all of it -- thorns! Covered its face have nettles, And its stone wall hath been broken down.

24:32 And I see -- I -- I do set my heart, I have seen -- I have received instruction,

24:33 A little sleep -- a little slumber -- A little folding of the hands to lie down.