1Do not envy evil men, Nor desire to be with them;

2For their heart plots to ravage, And their lips talk of trouble.

3By wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established;

4And by knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches.

5Mighty is the wise in strength, And a man of knowledge strengthens power;

6For by wise guidance you wage your own battle, And delivery is by a great counsellor.

7Wisdom is high for a fool; He does not open his mouth in the gate.

8He who plots to do evil Is called a master of evil plots.

9The purpose of folly is sin, And the scoffer is an abomination to men.

10If you falter in the day of distress, Your strength is small!

11Deliver those taken to death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter,

12If you say, “See, we did not know this,” Would not He who weighs the hearts discern it? He who watches over your life, Would He not know it? And shall He not repay man according to his work?

13My son, eat honey, for it is good, And the honeycomb, sweet to your taste;

14Know that wisdom is thus to your being; If you have found it, there is a future, And your expectancy is not cut off.

15Do not lie in wait, O wrong one, Against the dwelling of the righteous; Do not ravage his resting place;

16For seven times a righteous man falls and rises, But the wrong one stumbles into evil.

17Do not exult when your enemy falls, And let not your heart rejoice when he stumbles;

18Lest יהוה see and it be evil in His eyes, And He turn away His wrath from him.

19Do not fret because of evil-doers, And do not envy the wrong;

20For there is no future for the evil-doer; The lamp of the wrongdoers is put out.

21My son, fear יהוה and the sovereign; Do not mingle with those who change;

22For their calamity arises suddenly, And who knows the ruin of both of them?

23These also are for the wise: It is not good to show partiality in right-ruling.

24He who says to the wrong, “You are righteous” – peoples curse him, Nations despise him.

25But those who rebuke the wrong, It is pleasant, and a good blessing comes on them.

26He who gives a right answer kisses the lips.

27Prepare your outside work, And make it fit for yourself in the field; Then you shall build your house.

28Do not witness against your neighbour without cause, And do not deceive with your lips.

29Do not say, “Let me do to him as he did to me; I repay each according to his work.”

30I passed by the field of the lazy, And by the vineyard of the man lacking heart;

31And see, it was all overgrown with thorns; Its surface was covered with nettles; And its stone wall was broken down.

32When I saw it, I set my heart on it; I looked and received discipline:

33A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest;

34And your poverty shall come, a prowler, And your need like an armed man.