¹ Do not envy evil men, nor desire to be with them.

² For their heart studies violence, and their lips talk of mischief.

³ Through wisdom a house is built, and it is established by understanding,

⁴ and by knowledge the rooms shall be filled with precious and pleasant riches.

⁵ A wise warrior is in strength: yes, a man of knowledge firms up power.

⁶ For you shall make war for yourself by wise advice, and safety is in the great Counselor.

⁷ Wisdom is too high for a fool, he does not open his mouth in the gate.

⁸ He who plots to do evil shall be called a lord of evil plots.

⁹ The plot of foolishness is sin, and the scorner is hateful to men.

¹⁰ Your strength is small if you faint in the day of distress,

¹¹ if you hold back to deliver those being taken to death, and those stumbling for killing.

¹² For you say, Behold, we did not know this. Does not He who weighs the heart consider it? And the Keeper of your soul, does He not know? Yea, He repays to a man according to his work.

¹³ My son, eat honey because it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to your palate;

¹⁴ so shall knowledge of wisdom be to your soul, when you have found there is a future, and your hope is not cut off.

¹⁵ Oh wicked one, do not lie in ambush against the dwelling of the righteous; do not violate his resting place,

¹⁶ for a just one falls seven times, and rises up again, but the wicked shall stumble into evil.

¹⁷ Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles,

¹⁸ that Jehovah not see and it be evil in His eyes, and He turn away His anger from him.

¹⁹ Do not burn in anger because of evildoers, and do not envy the wicked;

²⁰ for no hereafter shall be to the evil; the lamp of the wicked will be put out.

²¹ My son, fear Jehovah and the king; do not meddle with those who change,

²² for their calamity shall rise suddenly, and who knows the ruin of both of them?

²³ These also are for the wise: to respect persons in judgment is not good.

²⁴ He who says to the wicked, You are righteous, the peoples shall curse him, nations shall abhor him.

²⁵ But to those who rebuke, it is pleasant, and a good blessing comes to them.

²⁶ He shall kiss the lips that return right words.

²⁷ Prepare your work outside, and make it fit for yourself in the field, and afterwards build your house.

²⁸ Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, or deceive with your lips,.

²⁹ Do not say, I will do to him as he has done to me; I will repay each according to his work.

³⁰ I went over the field of the lazy man, and by the vineyard of the man lacking heart,

³¹ and, lo, it was all risen up with thistles, nettles had covered its surface, and its stone wall was broken down.

³² Then I saw, I set my heart on it; I looked, I received instruction:

³³ A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to lie down,

³⁴ so shall your poverty come stalking, and your want like a man with a shield.