The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Message Bible MSG
1 Don't be envious of evil people, and don't desire to be with them.
1
Don't envy bad people; don't even want to be around them.
2 For their minds are occupied with violence, and their lips speak of making trouble.
2
All they think about is causing a disturbance; all they talk about is making trouble.
3 By wisdom a house is built, by understanding it is made secure,
3
It takes wisdom to build a house, and understanding to set it on a firm foundation;
4 and by knowledge its rooms are filled with all kinds of costly and pleasant possessions.
4
It takes knowledge to furnish its rooms with fine furniture and beautiful draperies.
5 A wise man is strong; yes, a man of knowledge grows in strength.
5
It's better to be wise than strong; intelligence outranks muscle any day.
6 For with clever strategy you wage your war, and victory comes from having many advisers.
6
Strategic planning is the key to warfare; to win, you need a lot of good counsel.
7 Wisdom is too lofty for a fool; he keeps his mouth shut at the city gate.
7
Wise conversation is way over the head of fools; in a serious discussion they haven't a clue.
8 He who plans to do evil people call a schemer.
8
The person who's always cooking up some evil soon gets a reputation as prince of rogues.
9 The evil plans of the foolish are sin, and people detest a scorner.
9
Fools incubate sin; cynics desecrate beauty. Rescue the Perishing
10 If you slack off on a day of distress, your strength is small indeed.
10
If you fall to pieces in a crisis, there wasn't much to you in the first place.
11 Yes, rescue those being dragged off to death -won't you save those about to be killed?
11
Rescue the perishing; don't hesitate to step in and help.
12 If you say, "We knew nothing about it,"won't he who weighs hearts discern it? Yes, he who guards you will know it and repay each one as his deeds deserve.
12
If you say, "Hey, that's none of my business," will that get you off the hook? Someone is watching you closely, you know - Someone not impressed with weak excuses.
13 My son, eat honey, for it is good; honeycomb drippings are sweet to your taste.
13
Eat honey, dear child - it's good for you - and delicacies that melt in your mouth.
14 Know that wisdom is similar[ly sweet] to your soul; if you find it, then you will have a future, what you hope for will not be cut off.
14
Likewise knowledge, and wisdom for your soul - Get that and your future's secured, your hope is on solid rock.
15 Don't lurk like an outlaw near the home of the righteous, don't raid the place where he lives.
15
Don't interfere with good people's lives; don't try to get the best of them.
16 For though he falls seven times, he will get up again; it's the wicked who fail under stress.
16
No matter how many times you trip them up, God-loyal people don't stay down long; Soon they're up on their feet, while the wicked end up flat on their faces.
17 Don't rejoice when your enemy falls; don't let your heart be glad when he stumbles.
17
Don't laugh when your enemy falls; don't crow over his collapse.
18 For ADONAI might see it, and it would displease him; he might withdraw his anger from your foe.
18
God might see, and become very provoked, and then take pity on his plight.
19 Don't get upset because of evildoers; don't be envious of the wicked.
19
Don't bother your head with braggarts or wish you could succeed like the wicked.
20 For the evil person has no future -the lamp of the wicked will go out.
20
Those people have no future at all; they're headed down a dead-end street.
21 My son, don't get involved with revolutionaries, but fear ADONAI and the king.
21
Fear God, dear child - respect your leaders; don't be defiant or mutinous.
22 For disaster from them will suddenly appear, and who knows what ruin they both can cause?
22
Without warning your life can turn upside-down, and who knows how or when it might happen?
23 These also are sayings of the wise: Showing partiality in judgment is not good.
23
It's wrong, very wrong, to go along with injustice.
24 He who tells the guilty, "You are innocent,"will be cursed by peoples, reviled by nations;
24
Whoever whitewashes the wicked gets a black mark in the history books,
25 but with those who condemn him, things will go well, and a good blessing will come upon them.
25
But whoever exposes the wicked will be thanked and rewarded.
26 Giving an honest answer is like giving a kiss.
26
An honest answer is like a warm hug.
27 Prepare your outside work, and get things ready for yourself on the land; after that, build your house.
27
First plant your fields; then build your barn.
28 Don't be a witness against your neighbor for no reason -would you use your lips to deceive?
28
Don't talk about your neighbors behind their backs - no slander or gossip, please.
29 Don't say, "I'll do to him what he did to me, I'll pay him back what his deeds deserve."
29
Don't say to anyone, "I'll get back at you for what you did to me. I'll make you pay for what you did!"
30 I passed by the field of the lazy man and the vineyard of the man lacking sense.
30
One day I walked by the field of an old lazybones, and then passed the vineyard of a lout;
31 There it was, overgrown with thistles; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.
31
They were overgrown with weeds, thick with thistles, all the fences broken down.
32 I looked, and I thought about it; I saw, and I learned this lesson:
32
I took a long look and pondered what I saw; the fields preached me a sermon and I listened:
33 "I'll just lie here a bit, rest a little longer, just fold my hands for a little more sleep"-
33
"A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there, sit back, take it easy - do you know what comes next?
34 and poverty comes marching in on you, scarcity hits you like an invading soldier.
34
Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life, with poverty as your permanent houseguest!"
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.