My Son, Fear Yahweh

1Do not be jealous of evil men,

And do not desire to be with them;

2For their heart meditates on destruction,

And their lips talk of mischief.

3By wisdom a house is built,

And by discernment it is firmly established;

4And by knowledge the rooms are filled

With all precious and pleasant riches.

5A wise man is [†]strong,

And a man of knowledge strengthens his power.

6For by guidance you will make war,

And in abundance of counselors there is salvation.

7Wisdom is too exalted for an ignorant fool,

He does not open his mouth in the gate.

8One who deliberately thinks to do evil,

Men will call a [†]schemer.

9The scheming of folly is sin,

And the scoffer is an abomination to men.

10If you are slack in the day of trouble,

Your strength is in trouble.

11Deliver those who are being taken away to death,

And those who are stumbling to the slaughter, Oh hold them back.

12If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”

Does not He who weighs the hearts understand?

And does not He who guards your soul know?

And will not He [†]render to man according to his work?

13Eat honey, my son, for it is good,

Indeed, the honey from the comb is sweet to your taste;

14Know 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.

15Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the abode of the righteous;

Do not destroy his resting place;

16For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again,

But the wicked will stumble in [†]calamity.

17When your enemy falls, do not be glad,

And when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice;

18Lest Yahweh see it and it be evil in His eyes,

And turn His anger away from him.

19Do not fret because of evildoers

Do not be jealous of the wicked;

20For there will be no [†]future for the evil one;

The lamp of the wicked will go out.

21My son, [†]fear Yahweh and the king;

Do not associate with those who change,

22For suddenly their disaster will rise,

And who knows the upheaval that comes from both of them?

23These also are sayings of the wise.

To [†]show partiality in judgment is not good.

24He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”

Peoples will curse him, nations will be indignant with him;

25But to those who reprove the wicked, it will be pleasant,

And a good blessing will come upon them.

26He kisses the lips

Who responds with right words.

27Establish your work outside

And make it ready for yourself in the field;

And afterwards, you shall build your house.

28Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause,

Nor deceive with your lips.

29Do not say, “As he did to me so I shall do to him;

I will [†]render to the man according to his work.”

30I passed by the field of the sluggard

And by the vineyard of the man lacking a heart of wisdom,

31And behold, it was completely [†]overgrown with thistles;

[†]Nettles have covered its surface,

And its stone wall has been torn down.

32And I beheld, I set my heart upon it;

I saw, I received discipline.

33“A little sleep, a little slumber,

A little folding of the hands to rest,”

34Then your poverty will come as [†]a robber

And your want like [†]an armed man.