1Do not envy wicked men or desire their company;Don’t be envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them;Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.Be not thou envious against evil men; Neither desire to be with them:2for their hearts devise violence, and their lips declare trouble.for their hearts plot violence and their lips talk about mischief.For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.For their heart studieth oppression, And their lips talk of mischief.3By wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established;Through wisdom a house is built; by understanding it is established;Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:Through wisdom is a house builded; And by understanding it is established;4through knowledge its rooms are filled with every precious and beautiful treasure.by knowledge the rooms are filled with all rare and beautiful treasure.And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.And by knowledge are the chambers filled With all precious and pleasant riches.5A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge enhances his strength.A wise man has great power. A knowledgeable man increases strength,A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.A wise man is strong; Yea, a man of knowledge increaseth might.6Only with sound guidance should you wage war, and victory lies in a multitude of counselors.for by wise guidance you wage your war, and victory is in many advisors.For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.For by wise guidance thou shalt make thy war; And in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.7Wisdom is too high for a fool; he does not open his mouth in the meeting place.Wisdom is too high for a fool. He doesn’t open his mouth in the gate.Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate.Wisdom is too high for a fool: He openeth not his mouth in the gate.8He who plots evil will be called a schemer.One who plots to do evil will be called a schemer.He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.He that deviseth to do evil, Men shall call him a mischief-maker.9A foolish scheme is sin, and a mocker is detestable to men.The schemes of folly are sin. The mocker is detested by men.The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.The thought of foolishness is sin; And the scoffer is an abomination to men.10If you faint in the day of distress, how small is your strength!If you falter in the time of trouble, your strength is small.If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.If thou faint in the day of adversity, Thy strength is small.11Rescue those being led away to death, and restrain those stumbling toward the slaughter.Rescue those who are being led away to death! Indeed, hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter!If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain;Deliver them that are carried away unto death, And those that are ready to be slain see that thou hold back.12If 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?If you say, “Behold, we didn’t know this,” doesn’t he who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, doesn’t he know it? Shall he not give to every man according to his work?If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?If thou sayest, Behold, we knew not this; Doth not he that weigheth the hearts consider it? And he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? And shall not he render to every man according to his work?13Eat honey, my son, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to your taste.My son, eat honey, for it is good, the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to your taste;My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:My son, eat thou honey, for it is good; And the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to thy taste:14Know 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.so you shall know wisdom to be to your soul. If you have found it, then there will be a reward: Your hope will not be cut off.So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.So shalt thou know wisdom to be unto thy soul; If thou hast found it, then shall there be a reward, And thy hope shall not be cut off.15Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, near the dwelling of the righteous; do not destroy his resting place.Don’t lay in wait, wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous. Don’t destroy his resting place;Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place:Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous; Destroy not his resting-place:16For though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up; but the wicked stumble in bad times.for a righteous man falls seven times and rises up again, but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.For a righteous man falleth seven times, and riseth up again; But the wicked are overthrown by calamity.17Do not gloat when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles,Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls. Don’t let your heart be glad when he is overthrown,Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, And let not thy heart be glad when he is overthrown;18or the LORD will see and disapprove, and turn His wrath away from him.lest Yahweh see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.Lest the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.Lest Jehovah see it, and it displease him, And he turn away his wrath from him.19Do not fret over evildoers, and do not be envious of the wicked.Don’t fret yourself because of evildoers, neither be envious of the wicked;Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked;Fret not thyself because of evil-doers; Neither be thou envious at the wicked:20For the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.for there will be no reward to the evil man. The lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.For there shall be no reward to the evil man; The lamp of the wicked shall be put out.21My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not associate with the rebellious.My son, fear Yahweh and the king. Don’t join those who are rebellious,My son, fear thou the Lord and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:My son, fear thou Jehovah and the king; And company not with them that are given to change:22For they will bring sudden destruction. Who knows what ruin they can bring?for their calamity will rise suddenly. Who knows what destruction may come from them both?For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?For their calamity shall rise suddenly; And the destruction from them both, who knoweth it?23These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.These also are sayings of the wise. To have respect of persons in judgment is not good.24Whoever tells the guilty, “You are innocent”—peoples will curse him, and nations will denounce him;He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,” peoples will curse him, and nations will abhor him—He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him:He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous, Peoples shall curse him, nations shall abhor him;25but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come upon them.but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and a rich blessing will come on them.But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, And a good blessing shall come upon them.26An honest answer given is like a kiss on the lips.An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer.He kisseth the lips Who giveth a right answer.27Complete your outdoor work and prepare your field; after that, you may build your house.Prepare your work outside, and get your fields ready. Afterwards, build your house.Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.Prepare thy work without, And make it ready for thee in the field; And afterwards build thy house.28Do not testify against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips.Don’t be a witness against your neighbor without cause. Don’t deceive with your lips.Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips.Be not a witness against thy neighbor without cause; And deceive not with thy lips.29Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will repay the man according to his work.”Don’t say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will repay the man according to his work.”Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.30I went past the field of a slacker and by the vineyard of a man lacking judgment.I went by the field of the sluggard, by the vineyard of the man void of understanding.I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;I went by the field of the sluggard, And by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;31Thorns had grown up everywhere, thistles had covered the ground, and the stone wall was broken down.Behold, it was all grown over with thorns. Its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, The face thereof was covered with nettles, And the stone wall thereof was broken down.32I observed and took it to heart; I looked and received instruction:Then I saw, and considered well. I saw, and received instruction:Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.Then I beheld, and considered well; I saw, and received instruction:33A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep,Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep;34and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.so your poverty will come as a robber and your want as an armed man.So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.So shall thy poverty come as a robber, And thy want as an armed man.
Berean Standard Bible (public domain).World English Bible (public domain).King James Version (public domain in the US).American Standard Version, 1901 (public domain).