New International Version NIV
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Do not envy the wicked, do not desire their company;
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Have no envy for evil men, or any desire to be with them:
2 for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble.
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For the purposes of their hearts are destruction, and their lips are talking of trouble.
3 By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established;
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The building of a house is by wisdom, and by reason it is made strong:
4 through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.
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And by knowledge its rooms are full of all dear and pleasing things.
5 The wise prevail through great power, and those who have knowledge muster their strength.
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A wise man is strong; and a man of knowledge makes strength greater.
6 Surely you need guidance to wage war, and victory is won through many advisers.
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For by wise guiding you will overcome in war: and in a number of wise guides there is salvation.
7 Wisdom is too high for fools; in the assembly at the gate they must not open their mouths.
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Wisdom is outside the power of the foolish: he keeps his mouth shut in the public place.
8 Whoever plots evil will be known as a schemer.
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He whose purposes are bad will be named a man of evil designs.
9 The schemes of folly are sin, and people detest a mocker.
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The purpose of the foolish is sin: and the hater of authority is disgusting to others.
10 If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength!
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If you give way in the day of trouble, your strength is small.
11 Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.
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Be the saviour of those who are given up to death, and do not keep back help from those who are slipping to destruction.
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?
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If you say, See, we had no knowledge of this: does not the tester of hearts give thought to it? and he who keeps your soul, has he no knowledge of it? and will he not give to every man the reward of his work?
13 Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.
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My son, take honey, for it is good; and the flowing honey, which is sweet to your 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.
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So let your desire be for wisdom: if you have it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
15 Do not lurk like a thief near the house of the righteous, do not plunder their dwelling place;
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Do not keep a secret watch, O evil-doer, against the fields of the upright man, or send destruction on his resting-place:
16 for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.
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For an upright man, after falling seven times, will get up again: but trouble is the downfall of the evil.
17 Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice,
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Do not be glad at the fall of your hater, and let not your heart have joy at his downfall:
18 or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from them.
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For fear that the Lord may see it, and it may be evil in his eyes, and his wrath may be turned away from him.
19 Do not fret because of evildoers or be envious of the wicked,
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Do not be troubled because of evil-doers, or have envy of sinners:
20 for the evildoer has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
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For there will be no future for the evil man; the light of sinners will be put out.
21 Fear the LORD and the king, my son, and do not join with rebellious officials,
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My son, go in fear of the Lord and the king: have nothing to do with those who are in high positions:
22 for those two will send sudden destruction on them, and who knows what calamities they can bring?
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For their downfall will come suddenly; and who has knowledge of the destruction of those in high positions?
23 These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judging is not good:
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These are more sayings of the wise: To have respect for a person's position when judging is not good.
24 Whoever says to the guilty, “You are innocent,” will be cursed by peoples and denounced by nations.
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He who says to the evil-doer, You are upright, will be cursed by peoples and hated by nations.
25 But it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come on them.
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But those who say sharp words to him will have delight, and a blessing of good will come on them.
26 An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.
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He gives a kiss with his lips who gives a right answer.
27 Put your outdoor work in order and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.
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Put your work in order outside, and make it ready in the field; and after that, see to the building of your house.
28 Do not testify against your neighbor without cause— would you use your lips to mislead?
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Do not be a violent witness against your neighbour, or let your lips say what is false.
29 Do not say, “I’ll do to them as they have done to me; I’ll pay them back for what they did.”
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Say not, I will do to him as he has done to me; I will give the man the reward of his work.
30 I went past the field of a sluggard, past the vineyard of someone who has no sense;
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I went by the field of the hater of work, and by the vine-garden of the man without sense;
31 thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins.
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And it was all full of thorns, and covered with waste plants, and its stone wall was broken down.
32 I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw:
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Then looking at it, I gave thought: I saw, and I got teaching from it.
33 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—
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A little sleep, a little rest, a little folding of the hands in sleep:
34 and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.
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So loss will come on you like an outlaw, and your need like 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 Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.