| Berean Study Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Do not envy wicked men or desire their company; | 1Don't envy evil men or desire to be with them, |
| 2for their hearts devise violence, and their lips declare trouble. | 2for their hearts plan violence, and their words stir up trouble. |
| 3By wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established; | 3A house is built by wisdom, and it is established by understanding; |
| 4through knowledge its rooms are filled with every precious and beautiful treasure. | 4by knowledge the rooms are filled with every precious and beautiful treasure. |
| 5A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge enhances his strength. | 5A wise warrior is better than a strong one, and a man of knowledge than one of strength; |
| 6Only with sound guidance should you wage war, and victory lies in a multitude of counselors. | 6for you should wage war with sound guidance-- victory comes with many counselors. |
| 7Wisdom is too high for a fool; he does not open his mouth in the meeting place. | 7Wisdom is inaccessible to a fool; he does not open his mouth at the gate. |
| 8He who plots evil will be called a schemer. | 8The one who plots evil will be called a schemer. |
| 9A foolish scheme is sin, and a mocker is detestable to men. | 9A foolish scheme is sin, and a mocker is detestable to people. |
| 10If you faint in the day of distress, how small is your strength! | 10If you do nothing in a difficult time, your strength is limited. |
| 11Rescue those being led away to death, and restrain those stumbling toward the slaughter. | 11Rescue those being taken off to death, and save those stumbling toward slaughter. |
| 12If you say, “Behold, we did not know about this,” does not He who weighs hearts consider it? Does not the One who guards your life know? Will He not repay a man according to his deeds? | 12If you say, "But we didn't know about this," won't He who weighs hearts consider it? Won't He who protects your life know? Won't He repay a person according to his work? |
| 13Eat honey, my son, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to your taste. | 13Eat honey, my son, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to your palate; |
| 14Know therefore that wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, there is a future for you, and your hope will never be cut off. | 14realize that wisdom is the same for you. If you find it, you will have a future, and your hope will never fade. |
| 15Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, near the dwelling of the righteous; do not destroy his resting place. | 15Wicked man, don't set an ambush, at the camp of the righteous man; don't destroy his dwelling. |
| 16For though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up; but the wicked stumble in bad times. | 16Though a righteous man falls seven times, he will get up, but the wicked will stumble into ruin. |
| 17Do not gloat when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles, | 17Don't gloat when your enemy falls, and don't let your heart rejoice when he stumbles, |
| 18or the LORD will see and disapprove, and turn His wrath away from him. | 18or the LORD will see, be displeased, and turn His wrath away from him. |
| 19Do not fret over evildoers, and do not be envious of the wicked. | 19Don't be agitated by evildoers, and don't envy the wicked. |
| 20For the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished. | 20For the evil have no future; the lamp of the wicked will be put out. |
| 21My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not associate with the rebellious. | 21My son, fear the LORD, as well as the king, and don't associate with rebels, |
| 22For they will bring sudden destruction. Who knows what ruin they can bring? | 22for destruction from them will come suddenly; who knows what distress these two can bring? |
| 23These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good. | 23These sayings also belong to the wise: It is not good to show partiality in judgment. |
| 24Whoever tells the guilty, “You are innocent”—peoples will curse him, and nations will denounce him; | 24Whoever says to the guilty, "You are innocent"-- people will curse him, and tribes will denounce him; |
| 25but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come upon them. | 25but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and a generous blessing will come to them. |
| 26An honest answer given is like a kiss on the lips. | 26He who gives an honest answer gives a kiss on the lips. |
| 27Complete your outdoor work and prepare your field; after that, you may build your house. | 27Complete your outdoor work, and prepare your field; afterward, build your house. |
| 28Do not testify against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips. | 28Don't testify against your neighbor without cause. Don't deceive with your lips. |
| 29Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will repay the man according to his work.” | 29Don't say, "I'll do to him what he did to me; I'll repay the man for what he has done." |
| 30I went past the field of a slacker and by the vineyard of a man lacking judgment. | 30I went by the field of a slacker and by the vineyard of a man lacking sense. |
| 31Thorns had grown up everywhere, thistles had covered the ground, and the stone wall was broken down. | 31Thistles had come up everywhere, weeds covered the ground, and the stone wall was ruined. |
| 32I observed and took it to heart; I looked and received instruction: | 32I saw, and took it to heart; I looked, and received instruction: |
| 33A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, | 33a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to rest, |
| 34and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit. | 34and your poverty will come like a robber, your need, like a bandit. |
|
