24:1

אַל־תְּקַנֵּא בְּאַנְשֵׁי רָעָה וְאַל־תתאו [תִּתְאָיו] לִהְיוֹת אִתָּם׃

Be not thou envious of evil men, Neither desire to be with them.

24:2

כִּי־שֹׁד יֶהְגֶּה לִבָּם וְעָמָל שִׂפְתֵיהֶם תְּדַבֵּרְנָה׃

For their heart studieth destruction, And their lips talk of mischief.

24:3

בְּחָכְמָה יִבָּנֶה בָּיִת וּבִתְבוּנָה יִתְכּוֹנָן׃

Through wisdom is a house builded; And by understanding it is established;

24:4

וּבְדַעַת חֲדָרִים יִמָּלְאוּ כָּל־הוֹן יָקָר וְנָעִים׃

And by knowledge are the chambers filled With all precious and pleasant riches.

24:5

גֶּבֶר־חָכָם בַּעוֹז וְאִישׁ־דַּעַת מְאַמֶּץ־כֹּחַ׃

A wise man is strong; Yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

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24:6

כִּי בְתַחְבֻּלוֹת תַּעֲשֶׂה־לְּךָ מִלְחָמָה וּתְשׁוּעָה בְּרֹב יוֹעֵץ׃

For with wise advice thou shalt make thy war; And in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.

24:7

רָאמוֹת לֶאֱוִיל חָכְמוֹת בַּשַּׁעַר לֹא יִפְתַּח־פִּיהוּ׃

Wisdom is as unattainable to a fool as corals; He openeth not his mouth in the gate.

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24:8

מְחַשֵּׁב לְהָרֵעַ לוֹ בַּעַל־מְזִמּוֹת יִקְרָאוּ׃

He that deviseth to do evil, Men shall call him a mischievous person.

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24:9

זִמַּת אִוֶּלֶת חַטָּאת וְתוֹעֲבַת לְאָדָם לֵץ׃

The thought of foolishness is sin; And the scorner is an abomination to men.

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24:10

הִתְרַפִּיתָ בְּיוֹם צָרָה צַר כֹּחֶכָה׃

If thou faint in the day of adversity, Thy strength is small indeed.

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24:11

הַצֵּל לְקֻחִים לַמָּוֶת וּמָטִים לַהֶרֶג אִם־תַּחְשׂוֹךְ׃

Deliver them that are drawn unto death; And those that are ready to be slain wilt thou forbear to rescue?

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24:12

כִּי־תֹאמַר הֵן לֹא־יָדַעְנוּ זֶה הֲ‍לֹא־תֹכֵן לִבּוֹת הוּא־יָבִין וְנֹצֵר נַפְשְׁךָ הוּא יֵדָע וְהֵשִׁיב לְאָדָם כְּפָעֳלוֹ׃

If thou sayest: ‘Behold, we knew not this’, Doth not He that weigheth the hearts consider it? And He that keepeth thy soul, doth not He know it? And shall not He render to every man according to his works?

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24:13

אֱכָל־בְּנִי דְבַשׁ כִּי־טוֹב וְנֹפֶת מָתוֹק עַל־חִכֶּךָ׃

My son, eat thou honey, for it is good, And the honeycomb is sweet to thy taste;

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24:14

כֵּן דְּעֶה חָכְמָה לְנַפְשֶׁךָ אִם־מָצָאתָ וְיֵשׁ אַחֲרִית וְתִקְוָתְךָ לֹא תִכָּרֵת׃

So know thou wisdom to be unto thy soul; If thou hast found it, then shall there be a future, And thy hope shall not be cut off.

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24:15

אַל־תֶּאֱרֹב רָשָׁע לִנְוֵה צַדִּיק אַל־תְּשַׁדֵּד רִבְצוֹ׃

Lie not in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous, Spoil not his resting-place;

24:16

כִּי שֶׁבַע יִפּוֹל צַדִּיק וָקָם וּרְשָׁעִים יִכָּשְׁלוּ בְרָעָה׃

For a righteous man falleth seven times, and riseth up again, But the wicked stumble under adversity.

24:17

בִּנְפֹל אויביך [אוֹיִבְךָ] אַל־תִּשְׂמָח וּבִכָּשְׁלוֹ אַל־יָגֵל לִבֶּךָ׃

Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, And let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth;

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24:18

פֶּן־יִרְאֶה יְהוָה וְרַע בְּעֵינָיו וְהֵשִׁיב מֵעָלָיו אַפּוֹ׃

Lest the LORD see it, and it displease Him, And He turn away His wrath from him.

24:19

אַל־תִּתְחַר בַּמְּרֵעִים אַל־תְּקַנֵּא בָּרְשָׁעִים׃

Fret not thyself because of evildoers, Neither be thou envious at the wicked;

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24:20

כִּי לֹא־תִהְיֶה אַחֲרִית לָרָע נֵר רְשָׁעִים יִדְעָךְ׃

For there will be no future to the evil man, The lamp of the wicked shall be put out.

24:21

יְרָא־אֶת־יְהוָה בְּנִי וָמֶלֶךְ עִם־שׁוֹנִים אַל־תִּתְעָרָב׃

My son, fear thou the LORD and the king, And meddle not with them that are given to change;

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24:22

כִּי־פִתְאֹם יָקוּם אֵידָם וּפִיד שְׁנֵיהֶם מִי יוֹדֵעַ׃

For their calamity shall rise suddenly; And who knoweth the ruin from them both?

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24:23

גַּם־אֵלֶּה לַחֲכָמִים הַכֵּר־פָּנִים בְּמִשְׁפָּט בַּל־טוֹב׃

These also are sayings of the wise. To have respect of persons in judgment is not good.

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24:24

אֹמֵר לְרָשָׁע צַדִּיק אָתָּה יִקְּבֻהוּ עַמִּים יִזְעָמוּהוּ לְאֻמִּים׃

He that saith unto the wicked: ‘Thou art righteous’, Peoples shall curse him, nations shall execrate him;

24:25

וְלַמּוֹכִיחִים יִנְעָם וַעֲלֵיהֶם תָּבוֹא בִרְכַּת־טוֹב׃

But to them that decide justly shall be delight, And a good blessing shall come upon them.

24:26

שְׂפָתַיִם יִשָּׁק מֵשִׁיב דְּבָרִים נְכֹחִים׃

He kisseth the lips That giveth a right answer.

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24:27

הָכֵן בַּחוּץ מְלַאכְתֶּךָ וְעַתְּדָהּ בַּשָּׂדֶה לָךְ אַחַר וּבָנִיתָ בֵיתֶךָ׃

Prepare thy work without, And make it fit for thyself in the field; And afterwards build thy house.

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24:28

אַל־תְּהִי עֵד־חִנָּם בְּרֵעֶךָ וַהֲפִתִּיתָ בִּשְׂפָתֶיךָ׃

Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; And deceive not with thy lips.

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24:29

אַל־תֹּאמַר כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה־לִי כֵּן אֶעֱשֶׂה־לּוֹ אָשִׁיב לָאִישׁ כְּפָעֳלוֹ׃

Say not: ‘I will do so to him as he hath done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.’

24:30

עַל־שְׂדֵה אִישׁ־עָצֵל עָבַרְתִּי וְעַל־כֶּרֶם אָדָם חֲסַר־לֵב׃

I went by the field of the slothful, And by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;

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24:31

וְהִנֵּה עָלָה כֻלּוֹ קִמְּשֹׂנִים כָּסּוּ פָנָיו חֲרֻלִּים וְגֶדֶר אֲבָנָיו נֶהֱרָסָה׃

And, lo, it was all grown over with thistles, The face thereof was covered with nettles, And the stone wall thereof was broken down.

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24:32

וָאֶחֱזֶה אָנֹכִי אָשִׁית לִבִּי רָאִיתִי לָקַחְתִּי מוּסָר׃

Then I beheld, and considered well; I saw, and received instruction.

24:33

מְעַט שֵׁנוֹת מְעַט תְּנוּמוֹת מְעַט חִבֻּק יָדַיִם לִשְׁכָּב׃

’Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep’—

24:34

וּבָא־מִתְהַלֵּךְ רֵישֶׁךָ וּמַחְסֹרֶיךָ כְּאִישׁ מָגֵן׃

So shall thy poverty come as a runner, And thy want as an armed man.

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