241 Do not be envious of evil men , Nor desire to be with them; 2 For their minds devise violence , And their lips talk of trouble .

3 By wisdom a house is built , And by understanding it is established ; 4 And by knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches . 5 A wise man is strong , And a man of knowledge increases power . 6 For by wise guidance you will wage war , And in abundance of counselors there is victory .

7 Wisdom is too exalted for a fool , He does not open his mouth in the gate . 8 One who plans to do evil , Men will call a schemer e . 9 The devising of folly is sin , And the scoffer is an abomination to men .

10 If you are slack in the day of distress , Your strength is limited .

11 Deliver those who are being taken away to death , And those who are staggering to slaughter , Oh hold them back . 12 If you say , "See , we did not know this ," Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts ? And does He not know it who keeps your soul ? And will He not render to man according to his work ?

13 My son , eat honey , for it is good , Yes, the honey from the comb is sweet to your taste ; 14 Know that wisdom is thus for your soul ; If you find it, then there will be a future , And your hope will not be cut off .

15 Do not lie in wait , O wicked man , against the dwelling of the righteous ; Do not destroy his resting place ; 16 For a righteous man falls seven times , and rises again, But the wicked stumble in time of calamity .

17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls , And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles ; 18 Or the Lord will see it and be displeased e , And turn His anger away from him.

19 Do not fret because of evildoers Or be envious of the wicked ; 20 For there will be no future for the evil man ; The lamp of the wicked will be put out.

21 My son , fear the Lord and the king ; Do not associate with those who are given to change , 22 For their calamity will rise suddenly , And who knows the ruin that comes from both of them?

23 These also are sayings of the wise . To show partiality e in judgment is not good . 24 He who says to the wicked , "You are righteous ," Peoples will curse him, nations will abhor him; 25 But to those who rebuke the wicked will be delight , And a good blessing will come upon them. 26 He kisses the lips Who gives a right answer .

27 Prepare your work outside And make it ready for yourself in the field ; Afterwards , then, build your house .

28 Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause , And do not deceive with your lips . 29 Do not say , "Thus I shall do to him as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work ."

30 I passed by the field of the sluggard And by the vineyard of the man lacking sense , 31 And behold , it was completely overgrown with thistles ; Its surface was covered with nettles , And its stone wall was broken down . 32 When I saw , I reflected e upon it; I looked , and received instruction . 33 " A little sleep , a little slumber , A little folding of the hands to rest ," 34 Then your poverty will come as a robber And your want like an armed man .

Comparisons and Moral Lessons

251 These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah , king of Judah , transcribed .

2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter , But the glory of kings is to search out a matter . 3 As the heavens for height and the earth for depth , So the heart of kings is unsearchable e .

4 Take away the dross from the silver , And there comes out a vessel for the smith ; 5 Take away the wicked before the king , And his throne will be established in righteousness .

6 Do not claim honor in the presence of the king , And do not stand in the place of great men ; 7 For it is better that it be said to you, "Come up here ," Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of the prince , Whom your eyes have seen .

8 Do not go out hastily to argue your case; Otherwise , what will you do in the end , When your neighbor humiliates you? 9 Argue your case with your neighbor , And do not reveal the secret of another , 10 Or he who hears it will reproach you, And the evil report about you will not pass away .

11 Like apples of gold in settings of silver Is a word spoken in right circumstances . 12 Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold Is a wise reprover to a listening ear .

13 Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest Is a faithful messenger to those who send him, For he refreshes the soul of his masters .

14 Like clouds and wind without rain Is a man who boasts of his gifts falsely .

15 By forbearance e a ruler may be persuaded , And a soft tongue breaks the bone .

16 Have you found honey ? Eat only what you need , That you not have it in excess and vomit it.

17 Let your foot rarely be in your neighbor's house , Or he will become weary of you and hate you.

18 Like a club and a sword and a sharp arrow Is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor .

19 Like a bad tooth and an unsteady foot Is confidence in a faithless man in time of trouble .

20 Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day , or like vinegar on soda , Is he who sings songs to a troubled heart .

21 If your enemy is hungry , give him food to eat ; And if he is thirsty , give him water to drink ; 22 For you will heap burning coals on his head , And the Lord will reward you.

23 The north wind brings forth rain , And a backbiting tongue , an angry countenance .

24 It is better to live in a corner of the roof Than in a house shared with a contentious woman .

25 Like cold water to a weary soul , So is good news from a distant land .

26 Like a trampled spring and a polluted well Is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked .

27 It is not good to eat much honey , Nor is it glory to search out one's own glory .

28 Like a city that is broken into and without walls Is a man who has no control over his spirit .

261 Like snow in summer and like rain in harvest , So honor is not fitting for a fool .

2 Like a sparrow in its flitting , like a swallow in its flying , So a curse without cause does not alight .

3 A whip is for the horse , a bridle for the donkey , And a rod for the back of fools .

4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly , Or you will also be like him. 5 Answer a fool as his folly deserves, That he not be wise in his own eyes .

6 He cuts off his own feet and drinks violence Who sends a message by the hand of a fool . 7 Like the legs which are useless to the lame , So is a proverb in the mouth of fools . 8 Like one who binds a stone in a sling , So is he who gives honor to a fool . 9 Like a thorn which falls into the hand of a drunkard , So is a proverb in the mouth of fools .

10 Like an archer who wounds everyone , So is he who hires a fool or who hires those who pass by.

11 Like a dog that returns to its vomit Is a fool who repeats his folly .

12 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes ? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

13 The sluggard says , "There is a lion in the road ! A lion is in the open square !"

14 As the door turns on its hinges , So does the sluggard on his bed .

15 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish ; He is weary of bringing it to his mouth again .

16 The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes Than seven men who can give a discreet answer .

17 Like one who takes a dog by the ears Is he who passes by and meddles with strife not belonging to him.

18 Like a madman who throws Firebrands , arrows and death , 19 So is the man who deceives his neighbor , And says , " Was I not joking ?"

20 For lack of wood the fire goes out, And where there is no whisperer , contention quiets down . 21 Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire , So is a contentious man to kindle strife . 22 The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels , And they go down into the innermost parts of the body .

23 Like an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross Are burning lips and a wicked heart .

24 He who hates disguises it with his lips , But he lays up deceit in his heart . 25 When he speaks graciously , do not believe him, For there are seven abominations in his heart . 26 Though his hatred covers itself with guile , His wickedness will be revealed before the assembly .

27 He who digs a pit will fall into it, And he who rolls a stone , it will come back on him.

28 A lying tongue hates those it crushes , And a flattering mouth works ruin .