New International Version NIV
American Standard Version ASV
1 Do not envy the wicked, do not desire their company;
1
Be not thou envious against evil men; Neither desire to be with them:
2 for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble.
2
For their heart studieth oppression, And their lips talk of mischief.
3 By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established;
3
Through wisdom is a house builded; And by understanding it is established;
4 through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.
4
And by knowledge are the chambers filled With all precious and pleasant riches.
5 The wise prevail through great power, and those who have knowledge muster their strength.
5
A wise man is strong; Yea, a man of knowledge increaseth might.
6 Surely you need guidance to wage war, and victory is won through many advisers.
6
For by wise guidance thou shalt make thy war; And in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.
7 Wisdom is too high for fools; in the assembly at the gate they must not open their mouths.
7
Wisdom is too high for a fool: He openeth not his mouth in the gate.
8 Whoever plots evil will be known as a schemer.
8
He that deviseth to do evil, Men shall call him a mischief-maker.
9 The schemes of folly are sin, and people detest a mocker.
9
The thought of foolishness is sin; And the scoffer is an abomination to men.
10 If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength!
10
If thou faint in the day of adversity, Thy strength is small.
11 Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.
11
Deliver them that are carried away unto death, And those that are ready to be slain see that thou hold back.
12 If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?
12
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 work?
13 Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.
13
My son, eat thou honey, for it is good; And the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to thy taste:
14 Know also that wisdom is like honey for you: If you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.
14
So shalt thou know wisdom to be unto thy soul; If thou hast found it, then shall there be a reward, And thy hope shall not be cut off.
15 Do not lurk like a thief near the house of the righteous, do not plunder their dwelling place;
15
Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous; Destroy not his resting-place:
16 for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.
16
For a righteous man falleth seven times, and riseth up again; But the wicked are overthrown by calamity.
17 Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice,
17
Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, And let not thy heart be glad when he is overthrown;
18 or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from them.
18
Lest Jehovah see it, and it displease him, And he turn away his wrath from him.
19 Do not fret because of evildoers or be envious of the wicked,
19
Fret not thyself because of evil-doers; Neither be thou envious at the wicked:
20 for the evildoer has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
20
For there shall be no reward to the evil man; The lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
21 Fear the LORD and the king, my son, and do not join with rebellious officials,
21
My son, fear thou Jehovah and the king; [And] company not with them that are given to change:
22 for those two will send sudden destruction on them, and who knows what calamities they can bring?
22
For their calamity shall rise suddenly; And the destruction from them both, who knoweth it?
23 These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judging is not good:
23
These also are [sayings] of the wise. To have respect of persons in judgment is not good.
24 Whoever says to the guilty, “You are innocent,” will be cursed by peoples and denounced by nations.
24
He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; Peoples shall curse him, nations shall abhor him:
25 But it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come on them.
25
But to them that rebuke [him] shall be delight, And a good blessing shall come upon them.
26 An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.
26
He kisseth the lips Who giveth a right answer.
27 Put your outdoor work in order and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.
27
Prepare thy work without, And make it ready for thee in the field; And afterwards build thy house.
28 Do not testify against your neighbor without cause— would you use your lips to mislead?
28
Be not a witness against thy neighbor without cause; And deceive not with thy lips.
29 Do not say, “I’ll do to them as they have done to me; I’ll pay them back for what they did.”
29
Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.
30 I went past the field of a sluggard, past the vineyard of someone who has no sense;
30
I went by the field of the sluggard, And by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;
31 thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins.
31
And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, The face thereof was covered with nettles, And the stone wall thereof was broken down.
32 I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw:
32
Then I beheld, and considered well; I saw, and received instruction:
33 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—
33
[Yet] a little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep;
34 and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.
34
So shall thy poverty come as a robber, And thy want as an armed man.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
The American Standard Version is in the public domain.