1Be not thou envious of wicked men, And desire not to be with them!
2For their heart studieth destruction, And their lips speak mischief.
3Through wisdom is a house builded, And by understanding is it established;
4Yea, by knowledge are the chambers filled With all precious and goodly substance.
5The wise man is strong; Yea, the man of understanding establisheth his strength.
6For by wise counsel shalt thou make war, And by the multitude of counsellors cometh success.
7Wisdom is too high for the fool; He openeth not his mouth at the gate.
8He that deviseth to do evil Shall be called mischief-master.
9The purpose of folly is sin; And a scoffer is an abomination to men.
10If thy spirit faint in the day of adversity, Faint will be thy strength.
11Deliver thou those who are dragged to death, And those who totter to the slaughter,—O keep them back!
12If thou sayst, “Behold, we knew it not!” Doth not he that weigheth the heart observe it? Yea, he that keepeth thy soul knoweth it. And he will render to every man according to his works.
13Eat honey, my son, for it is good, And the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste;
14So learn thou wisdom for thy soul! When thou hast found it, there shall be a reward, And thy expectation shall not be cut off.
15Plot not, O wicked man! against the habitation of the righteous; Spoil not his resting-place!
16For though the righteous fall seven times, yet shall he rise up again; But the wicked shall fall into mischief.
17Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, And let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth;
18Lest the LORD see, and it displease him, And he turn away his anger from him.
19Fret not thyself on account of evil men, Neither be thou envious of the wicked;
20For there shall be no posterity to the evil man; The lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
21My son, fear thou the LORD and the king; And mingle not with them that are given to change!
22For their calamity shall rise up suddenly, And their ruin, coming from them both, in a moment.
23These also are words of the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
24He that saith to the wicked, “Thou art righteous,” Him shall the people curse; Nations shall abhor him.
25But it shall be well with them that punish him, And the blessing of prosperity shall come upon them.
26He that giveth a right answer Kisseth the lips.
27Arrange thy work without, And prepare it in thy field: Afterwards thou mayst build thy house.
28Be not a witness without cause against thy neighbor, And deceive not with thy lips.
29Say not, “As he hath done to me, So will I do to him; I will render to the man according to his doings.”
30I passed by the field of the slothful, And by the vineyard of the man void of understanding,
31And, lo! it was all overgrown with thorns, And the face thereof was covered with nettles, And the stone wall thereof was broken down.
32Then I saw, and considered it well; I looked upon it. and received instruction.
33“A little sleep, a little slumber! A little folding of the hands to rest!”
34So shall poverty come upon thee like a highwayman; Yea, want like an armed man.