New International Version NIV
New Century Version NCV
1 Do not envy the wicked, do not desire their company;
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Don't envy evil people or try to be friends with them.
2 for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble.
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Their minds are always planning violence, and they always talk about making trouble.
3 By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established;
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It takes wisdom to have a good family, and it takes understanding to make it strong.
4 through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.
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It takes knowledge to fill a home with rare and beautiful treasures.
5 The wise prevail through great power, and those who have knowledge muster their strength.
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Wise people have great power, and those with knowledge have great strength.
6 Surely you need guidance to wage war, and victory is won through many advisers.
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So you need advice when you go to war. If you have lots of good advice, you will win.
7 Wisdom is too high for fools; in the assembly at the gate they must not open their mouths.
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Foolish people cannot understand wisdom. They have nothing to say in a discussion.
8 Whoever plots evil will be known as a schemer.
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Whoever makes evil plans will be known as a troublemaker.
9 The schemes of folly are sin, and people detest a mocker.
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Making foolish plans is sinful, and making fun of wisdom is hateful.
10 If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength!
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If you give up when trouble comes, it shows that you are weak.
11 Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.
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Save those who are being led to their death; rescue those who are about to be killed.
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, "We don't know anything about this," God, who knows what's in your mind, will notice. He is watching you, and he will know. He will reward each person for what he has done.
13 Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.
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My child, eat honey because it is good. Honey from the honeycomb tastes sweet.
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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In the same way, wisdom is pleasing to you. If you find it, you have hope for the future, and your wishes will come true.
15 Do not lurk like a thief near the house of the righteous, do not plunder their dwelling place;
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Don't be wicked and attack a good family's house; don't rob the place where they live.
16 for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.
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Even though good people may be bothered by trouble seven times, they are never defeated, but the wicked are overwhelmed by trouble.
17 Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice,
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Don't be happy when your enemy is defeated; don't be glad when he is overwhelmed.
18 or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from them.
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The Lord will notice and be displeased. He may not be angry with them anymore.
19 Do not fret because of evildoers or be envious of the wicked,
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Don't envy evil people, and don't be jealous of the wicked.
20 for the evildoer has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
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An evil person has nothing to hope for; the wicked will die like a flame that is put out.
21 Fear the LORD and the king, my son, and do not join with rebellious officials,
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My child, respect the Lord and the king. Don't join those people who refuse to obey them.
22 for those two will send sudden destruction on them, and who knows what calamities they can bring?
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The Lord and the king will quickly destroy such people. Those two can cause great disaster!
23 These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judging is not good:
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These are also sayings of the wise: It is not good to take sides when you are the judge.
24 Whoever says to the guilty, “You are innocent,” will be cursed by peoples and denounced by nations.
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Don't tell the wicked that they are innocent; people will curse you, and nations will hate you.
25 But it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come on them.
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But things will go well if you punish the guilty, and you will receive rich blessings.
26 An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.
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An honest answer is as pleasing as a kiss on the lips.
27 Put your outdoor work in order and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.
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First, finish your outside work and prepare your fields. After that, you can build your house.
28 Do not testify against your neighbor without cause— would you use your lips to mislead?
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Don't testify against your neighbor for no good reason. Don't say things that are 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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Don't say, "I'll get even; I'll do to him what he did to me."
30 I went past the field of a sluggard, past the vineyard of someone who has no sense;
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I passed by a lazy person's field and by the vineyard of someone with no sense.
31 thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins.
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Thorns had grown up everywhere. The ground was covered with weeds, and the stone walls had fallen down.
32 I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw:
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I thought about what I had seen; I learned this lesson from what I saw.
33 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—
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You sleep a little; you take a nap. You fold your hands and lie down to rest.
34 and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.
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Soon you will be as poor as if you had been robbed; you will have as little as if you had been held up.
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.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.