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1 Don't be envious of evil people, and don't try to make friends with them. 2 Causing trouble is all they ever think about; every time they open their mouth someone is going to be hurt.
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3 Homes are built on the foundation of wisdom and understanding. 4 Where there is knowledge, the rooms are furnished with valuable, beautiful things.
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5 Being wise is better than being strong; yes, knowledge is more important than strength. 6 After all, you must make careful plans before you fight a battle, and the more good advice you get, the more likely you are to win.
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7 Wise sayings are too deep for stupid people to understand. They have nothing to say when important matters are being discussed.
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8 If you are always planning evil, you will earn a reputation as a troublemaker. 9 Any scheme a fool thinks up is sinful. People hate a person who has nothing but scorn for others.
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10 If you are weak in a crisis, you are weak indeed.
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11 Don't hesitate to rescue someone who is about to be executed unjustly. 12 You may say that it is none of your business, but God knows and judges your motives. He keeps watch on you; he knows. And he will reward you according to what you do.
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13 My child, eat honey; it is good. And just as honey from the comb is sweet on your tongue, 14 you may be sure that wisdom is good for the soul. Get wisdom and you have a bright future.
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15 Don't be like the wicked who scheme to rob honest people or to take away their homes. 16 No matter how often honest people fall, they always get up again; but disaster destroys the wicked.
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17 Don't be glad when your enemies meet disaster, and don't rejoice when they stumble. 18 The Lord will know if you are gloating, and he will not like it; and then maybe he won't punish them.
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19 Don't let evil people worry you; don't be envious of them. 20 A wicked person has no future—nothing to look forward to.
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21 Have reverence for the Lord, my child, and honor the king. Have nothing to do with people who rebel against them; 22 such people could be ruined in a moment. Do you realize the disaster that God or the king can cause?
More Wise Sayings
23 The wise have also said these things:
It is wrong for judges to be prejudiced. 24 If they pronounce a guilty person innocent, they will be cursed and hated by everyone. 25 Judges who punish the guilty, however, will be prosperous and enjoy a good reputation.
26 An honest answer is a sign of true friendship.
27 Don't build your house and establish a home until your fields are ready, and you are sure that you can earn a living.
28 Don't give evidence against others without good reason, or say misleading things about them. 29 Don't say, “I'll do to them just what they did to me! I'll get even with them!”
30 I walked through the fields and vineyards of a lazy, stupid person. 31 They were full of thorn bushes and overgrown with weeds. The stone wall around them had fallen down. 32 I looked at this, thought about it, and learned a lesson from it: 33 Go ahead and take your nap; go ahead and sleep. Fold your hands and rest awhile, 34 but while you are asleep, poverty will attack you like an armed robber.
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.