¶ Be not¹ thou envious against evil men, neither² desire to be with them.

³For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.

¶ Through wisdom⁴ is an house builded; and by understanding it is⁵ established:

⁶And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

A wise⁷ man is strong⁸; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

For by⁹ wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and¹⁰ in multitude of counsellors there is safety.

¶ Wisdom is too¹¹ high for a fool: he openeth¹² not his mouth in the gate.

¹³He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.

The thought¹⁴ of foolishness is sin: and the scorner¹⁵ is an abomination to men.

¶ If thou¹⁶ faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small¹⁷.

¶¹⁸If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain;

If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that¹⁹ pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth²⁰ thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall²¹ not he render to every man according to his works?

¶ My son, eat²² thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste²³:

So shall the²⁴ knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when²⁵ thou hast found it, then there²⁶ shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.

¶ Lay²⁷ not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil²⁸ not his resting place:

For a just²⁹ man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but³⁰ the wicked shall fall into mischief.

¶³¹Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:

Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him,³² and he turn away his wrath from him.

¶ Fret³³ not thyself because of evil men, neither³⁴ be thou envious at the wicked;

¶ For there³⁵ shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle³⁶ of the wicked shall be put out.

¶ My son, fear³⁷ thou the LORD and the king: and meddle³⁸ not with them that are given to change³⁹:

For their⁴⁰ calamity shall rise suddenly; and who⁴¹ knoweth the ruin of them both?

¶ These things⁴² also belong to the wise. It⁴³ is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.

He that⁴⁴ saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall⁴⁵ the people curse, nations shall abhor him:

But to them⁴⁶ that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing⁴⁷ shall come upon them.

Every man shall⁴⁸ kiss his lips that giveth a right answer⁴⁹.

¶⁵⁰Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.

¶ Be not⁵¹ a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive⁵² not with thy lips.

Say⁵³ not, I will do⁵⁴ so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.

¶ I went⁵⁵ by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void⁵⁶ of understanding;

And, lo, it⁵⁷ was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the⁵⁸ stone wall thereof was broken down.

Then I saw, and considered it⁵⁹ well: I looked⁶⁰ upon it, and received instruction.

⁶¹Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

So shall thy poverty⁶² come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man⁶³.