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¹ Don't be envious against evil men; Neither desire to be with them:² For their heart studies oppression, And their lips talk of mischief.

³ Through wisdom is a house built; And by understanding it is established;⁴ And by knowledge are the chambers filled With all precious and pleasant riches.⁵ A wise [noble] man is strong; Yes, a man of knowledge increases might⁶ For by wise guidance you shall make your war; And in the multitude of counselors there is safety.

⁷ Wisdom is too high for a fool: He does not open his mouth in the gate.⁸ He that devises to do evil, Men shall call him a mischief-maker.⁹ The thought of foolishness is sin; And the scoffer is disgusting to man.

¹⁰ If you faint in the day of adversity, Your strength is small.

¹¹ Deliver those that are carried away to death, And see that you hold back those that are ready to be slain.¹² If you say, Look, we did not know this; Does not he that weighs the hearts consider it? And he that keeps your soul, does he not know it? And shall he not render to man according to his work?

¹³ My son, eat honey, for it is good; And the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to your taste:¹⁴ So you shall know wisdom to be to your soul; If you have found it, then there shall be a reward, And your hope shall not be cut off.

¹⁵ Don't lay in wait, O wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous; Don't destroy his resting-place:¹⁶ For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises up again; But the wicked are overthrown by calamity.

¹⁷ Don't rejoice when your enemy falls, And don't let your heart be glad when he is overthrown;¹⁸ Or else Yahweh will see it, and it will be evil in his eyes, And he will turn away his wrath from him.

¹⁹ Don't fret yourself because of evil-doers; Neither be envious at the wicked:²⁰ For there shall be no reward to the evil man; The lamp of the wicked shall be put out.

²¹ My son, fear Yahweh and the king; [And] don't company with those that are given to change:²² For their calamity shall rise suddenly; And the destruction from them both, who knows it?

²³ These also are [words] of the wise. To have respect of persons in judgment is not good.²⁴ He that says to the wicked, You are righteous; Peoples shall curse him, nations shall abhor him:²⁵ But to those that rebuke [him] shall be delight, And a good blessing shall come on them.²⁶ He kisses the lips Who gives a right answer.

²⁷ Prepare your work outside, And make it ready for yourself in the field; And afterward build your house.

²⁸ Don't be a witness against your neighbor without cause; And do not deceive with your lips.²⁹ Don't say, I will do so to him as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.

³⁰ I went by the field of the sluggard, And by the vineyard of [the] man void of understanding;³¹ And, look, it was all grown over with thorns, The face thereof was covered with nettles, And the stone wall thereof was broken down.³² Then I looked, and considered well; I saw, and received instruction:³³ [Yet] a little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep;³⁴ So shall your poverty come as a robber, And your want as an armed man.