| Chapter 24 |
1 | Be not thou envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them;
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2 | for their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.
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3 | Through wisdom is a house built, and by understanding it is established;
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4 | and by knowledge are the chambers filled with all precious and pleasant substance.
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5 | A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge increaseth strength.
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6 | For with good advice shalt thou make thy war; and in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.
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7 | Wisdom is too high for a fool: he will not open his mouth in the gate.
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8 | He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a master of intrigues.
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9 | The purpose of folly is sin, and the scorner is an abomination to men.
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10 | [If] thou losest courage in the day of trouble, thy strength is small.
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11 | Deliver them that are taken forth unto death, and withdraw not from them that stagger to slaughter.
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12 | If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not, will not he that weigheth the hearts consider it? And he that preserveth thy soul, he knoweth it; and he rendereth to man according to his work.
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13 | Eat honey, my son, for it is good; and a honeycomb is sweet to thy taste:
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14 | so consider wisdom for thy soul; if thou hast found it, there shall be a result, and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
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15 | Lay not wait, O wicked [man], against the dwelling of the righteous; lay not waste his resting-place.
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16 | For the righteous falleth seven times, and riseth up again; but the wicked stumble into disaster.
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17 | Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth;
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18 | lest Jehovah see it, and it be evil in his sight, and he turn away his anger from him.
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19 | Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, [and] be not envious of the wicked:
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20 | for there shall be no future to the evil [man]; the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
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21 | My son, fear Jehovah and the king: meddle not with them that are given to change.
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22 | For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?
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23 | These things also come from the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
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24 | He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous, peoples shall curse him, nations shall abhor him;
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25 | but to them that rebuke [him] shall be delight, and a good blessing cometh upon them.
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26 | He kisseth the lips who giveth a right answer.
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27 | Prepare thy work without, and put thy field in order, and afterwards build thy house.
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28 | Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and wouldest thou deceive with thy lips?
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29 | Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me, I will render to the man according to his work.
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30 | I went by the field of a sluggard, and by the vineyard of a man void of understanding;
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31 | and lo, it was all grown over with thistles, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and its stone wall was broken down.
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32 | Then I looked, I took it to heart; I saw, I received instruction:
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33 | -- A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest!
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34 | So shall thy poverty come [as] a roving plunderer, and thy penury as an armed man.
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