My Son, Fear Yahweh
Do not be ajealous of evil men,
And do not desire to bbe with them;
2 For their heart meditates on adestruction,
And their lips btalk of mischief.
3 aBy wisdom a house is built,
And by discernment it is firmly established;
4 And by knowledge the rooms are afilled
With all precious and pleasant riches.
5 A awise man is strong,
And a man of knowledge strengthens his power.
6 For aby guidance you will make war,
And bin abundance of counselors there is salvation.
7 Wisdom is atoo exalted for an ignorant fool,
He does not open his mouth bin the gate.
8 One who adeliberately thinks to do evil,
Men will call a schemer.
9 The ascheming of folly is sin,
And the scoffer is an abomination to men.
10 If you aare slack in the day of trouble,
Your strength is in trouble.
11 aDeliver those who are being taken away to death,
And those who are stumbling to the slaughter, Oh hold them back.
12 If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”
Does not He awho weighs the hearts bunderstand?
And cdoes not He who dguards your soul know?
And will not He erender to man according to his work?
13 Eat ahoney, my son, for it is good,
Indeed, the bhoney from the comb is sweet to your taste;
14 Know that awisdom is thus for your soul;
If you find it, then there will be a bfuture,
And your hope will not be cut off.
15 aDo not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the abode of the righteous;
Do not destroy his resting place;
16 For a arighteous man falls seven times, and rises again,
But the bwicked will stumble in calamity.
17 When your enemy falls, ado not be glad,
And when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice;
18 Lest Yahweh see it and it be evil in His eyes,
And turn His anger away from him.
19 aDo not fret because of evildoers
Do not be bjealous of the wicked;
20 For athere will be no bfuture for the evil one;
The clamp of the wicked will go out.
21 My son, afear Yahweh and the king;
Do not associate with those who change,
22 For suddenly their adisaster will rise,
And who knows the upheaval that comes from both of them?
23 These also are asayings of the wise.
To bshow partiality in judgment is not good.
24 He awho says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”
bPeoples will curse him, nations will be indignant with him;
25 But ato those who reprove the wicked, it will be pleasant,
And a good blessing will come upon them.
26 He kisses the lips
Who responds with right words.
27 Establish your work outside
And amake it ready for yourself in the field;
And afterwards, you shall build your house.
28 Do not be a awitness against your neighbor without cause,
Nor bdeceive with your lips.
29 aDo not say, “As he did to me so I shall do to him;
I will render to the man according to his work.”
30 I passed by the field of the sluggard
And by the vineyard of the man alacking a heart of wisdom,
31 And behold, it was completely aovergrown with thistles;
bNettles have covered its surface,
And its stone cwall has been torn down.
32 And I beheld, I set my heart upon it;
I saw, I received discipline.
33 “aA little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest,”
34 Then your poverty will come as a robber
And your want like an armed man.