–19–
1 Don't be jealous of crooks
or want to be their friends.
2 All they think about
and talk about
is violence and cruelty.
–20–
3 Use wisdom and understanding
to establish your home;
4 let good sense fill the rooms
with priceless treasures.
–21–
5 Wisdom brings strength,
and knowledge gives power.
6 Battles are won
by listening to advice
and making a lot of plans.
–22–
7 Wisdom is too much for fools!
Their advice is no good.
–23–
8 No one but troublemakers
think up trouble.
9 Everyone hates senseless fools
who think up ways to sin.
–24–
10 Don't give up and be helpless
in times of trouble.
–25–
11 Don't fail to rescue those
who are doomed to die.
12 Don't say, “I didn't know it!”
God can read your mind.
He watches each of us
and knows our thoughts.
And God will pay us back
for what we do.
–26–
13 Honey is good for you,
my children,
and it tastes sweet.
14 Wisdom is like honey
for your life—
if you find it,
your future is bright.
–27–
15 Don't be a cruel person
who attacks good people
and hurts their families.
16 Even if good people
fall seven times,
they will get back up.
But when trouble strikes
the wicked,
that's the end of them.
–28–
17 Don't be happy
to see your enemies trip
and fall down.
18 The Lord will find out
and be unhappy.
Then he will stop
being angry with them.
–29–
19 Don't let evil people
worry you
or make you jealous.
20 They will soon be gone
like the flame of a lamp
that burns out.
–30–
21 My children, you must respect
the Lord and the king,
and you must not make friends
with anyone who rebels
against either of them.
22 Who knows what sudden disaster
the Lord or a ruler
might bring?
More Sayings That Make Good Sense
23 Here are some more sayings
that make good sense:
When you judge,
you must be fair.
24 If you let the guilty
go free,
people of all nations
will hate and curse you.
25 But if you punish the guilty,
things will go well for you,
and you will prosper.
26 Giving an honest answer
is a sign
of true friendship.
27 Get your fields ready
and plant your crops
before starting a home.
28 Don't accuse anyone
who isn't guilty.
Don't ever tell a lie
29 or say to someone,
“I'll get even with you!”
30 I once walked by the field
and the vineyard
of a lazy fool.
31 Thorns and weeds
were everywhere,
and the stone wall
had fallen down.
32 When I saw this,
it taught me a lesson:
33 Sleep a little. Doze a little.
Fold your hands
and twiddle your thumbs.
34 Suddenly poverty hits you
and everything is gone!
1 Be not thou enuious against euill men, neither desire to be with them. 2 For their heart imagineth destruction, and their lippes speake mischiefe. 3 Through wisdome is an house builded, and with vnderstanding it is established. 4 And by knowledge shall the chambers bee filled with all precious, and pleasant riches. 5 A wise man is strong: for a man of vnderstanding encreaseth his strength. 6 For with counsel thou shalt enterprise thy warre, and in the multitude of them that can giue counsell, is health. 7 Wisdome is hie to a foole: therefore he can not open his mouth in the gate. 8 Hee that imagineth to doe euill, men shall call him an autour of wickednes. 9 The wicked thought of a foole is sinne, and the scorner is an abomination vnto men. 10 If thou bee faint in the day of aduersitie, thy strength is small. 11 Deliuer them that are drawen to death: wilt thou not preserue them that are led to be slaine? 12 If thou say, Beholde, we knew not of it: he that pondereth the heartes, doeth not hee vnderstand it? and hee that keepeth thy soule, knoweth he it not? will not he also recompense euery man according to his workes? 13 My sonne, eate hony, for it is good, and the hony combe, for it is sweete vnto thy mouth. 14 So shall the knowledge of wisdome be vnto thy soule, if thou finde it, and there shall be an ende, and thine hope shall not be cut off. 15 Laye no waite, O wicked man, against the house of the righteous, and spoyle not his resting place. 16 For a iust man falleth seuen times, and riseth againe: but the wicked fall into mischiefe. 17 Bee thou not glad when thine enemie falleth, and let not thine heart reioyce when hee stumbleth, 18 Least the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turne his wrath from him. 19 Fret not thy selfe because of the malicious, neither be enuious at the wicked. 20 For there shall bee none ende of plagues to the euill man: the light of the wicked shall bee put out. 21 My sonne feare the Lord, and the King, and meddle not with them that are sedicious. 22 For their destruction shall rise suddenly, and who knoweth the ruine of them both? 23 ALSO THESE THINGS PERTEINE TO THE WISE, It is not good to haue respect of any person in iudgement. 24 He that saith to the wicked, Thou art righteous, him shall the people curse, and the multitude shall abhorre him. 25 But to them that rebuke him, shall be pleasure, and vpon them shall come the blessing of goodnesse. 26 They shall kisse the lippes of him that answereth vpright wordes. 27 Prepare thy worke without, and make readie thy thinges in the fielde, and after, builde thine house. 28 Be not a witnes against thy neighbour without cause: for wilt thou deceiue with thy lippes? 29 Say not, I wil doe to him, as he hath done to mee, I will recompence euery man according to his worke. 30 I passed by the fielde of the slouthfull, and by the vineyarde of the man destitute of vnderstanding. 31 And lo, it was al growen ouer with thornes, and nettles had couered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken downe. 32 Then I behelde, and I considered it well: I looked vpon it, and receiued instruction. 33 Yet a litle sleepe, a litle slumber, a litle folding of the handes to sleepe. 34 So thy pouertie commeth as one that traueileth by the way, and thy necessitie like an armed man.