24 ¹Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them. ²For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief. ³Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: ⁴And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. ⁵A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength. ⁶For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety. ⁷Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate. ⁸He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person. ⁹The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men. ¹⁰If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small. ¹¹If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; ¹²If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works? ¹³My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste: ¹⁴So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off. ¹⁵Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place: ¹⁶For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief. ¹⁷Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: ¹⁸Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him. ¹⁹Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked: ²⁰For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out. ²¹My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change: ²²For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both? ²³These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment. ²⁴He that saith unto the wicked, Thou are righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him: ²⁵But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them. ²⁶Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer. ²⁷Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house. ²⁸Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips. ²⁹Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work. ³⁰I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; ³¹And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. ³²Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. ³³Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: ³⁴So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.

25 ¹These are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out. ²It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter. ³The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable. ⁴Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer. ⁵Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness. ⁶Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men: ⁷For better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen. ⁸Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame. ⁹Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a secret to another: ¹⁰Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and thine infamy turn not away. ¹¹A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. ¹²As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear. ¹³As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to them that send him: for he refresheth the soul of his masters. ¹⁴Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain. ¹⁵By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone. ¹⁶Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it. ¹⁷Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee. ¹⁸A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow. ¹⁹Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint. ²⁰As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart. ²¹If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: ²²For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee. ²³The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue. ²⁴It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman and in a wide house. ²⁵As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. ²⁶A righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring. ²⁷It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory. ²⁸He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.