My Son, Fear Yahweh
Do not be ajealous of evil men,And do not desire to bbe with them;Ps 37:1; Prov 3:31; 23:17; 24:19Ps 1:1; Prov 1:152 For their heart meditates on adestruction,And their lips btalk of mischief.Is 30:12; Jer 22:17Job 15:35; Ps 10:7; 38:12
3 aBy wisdom a house is built,And by discernment it is firmly established;Prov 9:1; 14:14 And by knowledge the rooms are afilledWith all precious and pleasant riches.Prov 8:21
5 A awise man is 1strong,And a man of knowledge strengthens his power.Lit in strengthProv 21:226 For aby guidance you will make war,And bin abundance of counselors there is salvation.Prov 20:18Prov 11:14
7 Wisdom is atoo exalted for an ignorant fool,He does not open his mouth bin the gate.Ps 10:5; Prov 14:6; 17:16Job 5:4; Ps 127:5
8 One who adeliberately thinks to do evil,Men will call a 1schemer.Or deviser of evilProv 6:14; 14:22; Rom 1:309 The ascheming of folly is sin,And the scoffer is an abomination to men.Matt 15:19; Acts 8:22
10 If you aare slack in the day of trouble,Your strength is in trouble.Deut 20:8; Job 4:5; Jer 51:46; Heb 12:3
11 aDeliver those who are being taken away to death,And those who are stumbling to the slaughter, Oh hold them back.Ps 82:4; Is 58:6, 712 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 1erender to man according to his work?Lit bring back1 Sam 16:7; Prov 21:2Eccl 5:8Ps 94:9-11Ps 121:3-8Job 34:11; Prov 12:14
13 Eat ahoney, my son, for it is good,Indeed, the bhoney from the comb is sweet to your taste;Ps 19:10; 119:103; Prov 25:16; Song 5:1Prov 16:24; 27:7; Song 4:1114 Know that awisdom is thus for your soul;If you find it, then there will be a 1bfuture,And your hope will not be cut off.Lit latter endProv 2:10Prov 23:18
15 aDo not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the abode of the righteous;Do not destroy his resting place;Ps 10:9, 1016 For a arighteous man falls seven times, and rises again,But the bwicked will stumble in 1calamity.Lit evilJob 5:19; Ps 37:24; Mic 7:8Prov 6:15; 14:32; 24:22; Jer 18:17
17 When your enemy falls, ado not be glad,And when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice;Job 31:29; Ps 35:15, 19; Prov 17:5; Obad 1218 Lest Yahweh see it and it be evil in His eyes,And turn His anger away from him.
19 aDo not fret because of evildoersDo not be bjealous of the wicked;Ps 37:1Prov 23:17; 24:120 For athere will be no 1bfuture for the evil one;The clamp of the wicked will go out.Lit latter endJob 15:31Prov 23:18Job 18:5, 6; 21:17; Prov 13:9; 20:20
21 My son, 1afear Yahweh and the king;Do not associate with those who change,Or reverenceRom 13:1-7; 1 Pet 2:1722 For suddenly their adisaster will rise,And who knows the upheaval that comes from both of them?Prov 24:16
23 These also are asayings of the wise.To 1bshow partiality in judgment is not good.Lit recognize a faceProv 1:6; 22:17Prov 18:5; 28:2124 He awho says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”bPeoples will curse him, nations will be indignant with him;Prov 17:15; Is 5:23Prov 11:2625 But ato those who reprove the wicked, it will be pleasant,And a good blessing will come upon them.Prov 28:2326 He kisses the lipsWho responds with right words.
27 Establish your work outsideAnd amake it ready for yourself in the field;And afterwards, you shall build your house.Prov 27:23-27
28 Do not be a awitness against your neighbor without cause,Nor bdeceive with your lips.Prov 25:18Lev 6:2, 3; 19:11; Eph 4:2529 aDo not say, “As he did to me so I shall do to him;I will 1render to the man according to his work.”Lit bring backProv 20:22; Matt 5:39; Rom 12:17
30 I passed by the field of the sluggardAnd by the vineyard of the man alacking a heart of wisdom,Prov 6:3231 And behold, it was completely 1aovergrown with thistles;2bNettles have covered its surface,And its stone cwall has been torn down.Lit gone upA kind of weedGen 3:18Job 30:7Is 5:532 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,”Prov 6:1034 Then your poverty will come as 1a robberAnd your want like 2an armed man.Or a vagabond; lit one who walksLit a man with a shield