1Do not envy wicked men
2for their hearts devise violence,
3By wisdom a house is built
4through knowledge its rooms are filled
5A wise man is strong,24:5 LXX The wise are mightier than the strong
6Only with sound guidance should you wage war,
7Wisdom is too high for a fool;
8He who plots evil
9A foolish scheme is sin,
10If you faint in the day of distress,
11Rescue those being led away to death,
12If you say, “Behold, we did not know about this,”
13Eat honey, my son, for it is good,
14Know therefore that wisdom is sweet to your soul.
15Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, near the dwelling of the righteous;
16For though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up;
17Do not gloat when your enemy falls,
18or the LORD will see and disapprove,
19Do not fret over evildoers,
20For the evil man has no future;
21My son, fear the LORD and the king,
22For they will bring sudden destruction.
23These also are sayings of the wise:
24Whoever tells the guilty, “You are innocent”—
25but it will go well with those who convict the guilty,
26An honest answer given
27Complete your outdoor work and prepare your field;
28Do not testify against your neighbor without cause,
29Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me;
30I went past the field of a slacker
31Thorns had grown up everywhere,
32I observed and took it to heart;
33A little sleep, a little slumber,
34and poverty will come upon you like a robber,