Proverbs 24
1Be not thou envious of anshei ra'ah, 1 neither desire to be with them. 1
2For their lev plotteth violence, 1 and their sfatayim (lips) talk of amal (trouble). 1
3Through chochmah is a bais built, 1 and by tevunah (understanding) it is established. 1
4And by da'as shall the chadarim (chambers, rooms) be filled 1 with all precious and pleasant hon (riches, wealth). 1
5A gever chacham is strong; 1 indeed, an ish da'as (man of knowledge) increaseth ko'ach. 1
6For by tachbulot (guidance) thou shalt wage thy milchamah (war), 1 and in a multitude of yo'etz (counselors) there is teshu'ah (victory, safety). 1
7Chochmah is too lofty for a fool; 1 he openeth not his peh (mouth) at the sha'ar. 1
8He that plotteth to do evil shall be called 1 a ba'al mezimmot (master of schemes). 1
9The scheme of folly is chattat (sin), 1 and the scoffer is a to'evah to adam (man). 1
10If thou faint in the yom tzarah, 1 thy strength is small. 1
11Save those who are drawn away toward mavet, 1 and hold back those stumbling toward slaughter. 1
12If thou sayest, See, we knew it not, 1 doth not He that weigheth the levavot consider it? 1 And He that is guard over thy nefesh, doth not He know it? 1 And shall not He render to every adam according to his works? 1
13Beni (my son), eat thou devash, because it is tov; 1 and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste; 1
14So shall the knowledge of chochmah be unto thy nefesh; 1 when thou hast found it, then there shall be an acharit (latter end, future), 1 and thy tikvah (hope) shall not be cut off. 1
15Lay not in wait, O rasha, against the naveh (dwelling) of the tzaddik; 1 assault not his resting place; 1
16For a tzaddik falleth sheva (seven times), and riseth up again, 1 but the resha'im are overthrown in ra'ah. 1
17Gloat not when thine oyev falleth, 1 and let not thine lev rejoice when he stumbleth, 1
18Lest Hashem see it, and it is rah in His eyes, 1 and He turn away His wrath from him. 1
19Fret not thyself because of ra'im, 1 neither be thou envious of the resha'im, 1
20For there shall be no acharit (latter end, future) to the rah; 1 the ner (light) of the resha'im shall be put out. 1
21Beni (my son), fear thou Hashem and the Melech, 1 and do not associate with them that are otherwise disposed. 1
22For their calamity shall arise suddenly; 1 and who hath da'as of ruin those two + 24:22 i.e., Hashem and the Melech can bring? 1
23These things also belong to chachamim: 1 it is not tov to show partiality in mishpat. 1
24He that saith unto the rashah, Thou are tzaddik, 1 him shall the people curse, nations shall detest him; 1
25But to them that rebuke the wicked, it is well, 1 and birkat tov shall come upon them. 1
26He that giveth an answer that is nakhon (right, correct), 1 giveth a kiss on the sfatayim. 1
27Set in order thy outside work, 1 and make ready for thyself in the sadeh; 1 then afterwards build thine bais. 1
28Be not an ed (witness) against thy re'a without cause, 1 and deceive not with thy sfatayim (lips). 1
29Say not, 1 I will do so to him as he hath done to me, 1 I will render to the ish according to his work. 1
30I went by the sadeh of the ish atzel (sluggard, lazy one), 1 and went past the kerem (vineyard) of the adam chasar lev (the man void of lev ), + 24:30 of understanding 1
31And, hinei, it was all grown over with thorns, 1 and charullim (nettles) had covered the surface thereof, 1 and the stone wall thereof was broken down. 1
32Then I saw, and considered it well in my lev; 1 I looked upon it, and received musar. 1
33Yet a little shenot (slumber), a little sleep, 1 a little folding of the yadayim to rest; 1
34So shall thy poverty come like a prowler; 1 and thy want like an ish mogen (armed warrior).