Orthodox Jewish Bible

Mishle 24:1-18 Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)

1. Be not thou envious of anshei ra'ah, neither desire to be with them.

2. For their lev plotteth violence, and their sfatayim (lips) talk of amal (trouble).

3. Through chochmah is a bais built, and by tevunah (understanding) it is established.

4. And by da'as shall the chadarim (chambers, rooms) be filled with all precious and pleasant hon (riches, wealth).

5. A gever chacham is strong; indeed, an ish da'as (man of knowledge) increaseth ko'ach.

6. For by tachbulot (guidance) thou shalt wage thy milchamah (war), and in a multitude of yo'etz (counselors) there is teshu'ah (victory, safety).

7. Chochmah is too lofty for a fool; he openeth not his peh (mouth) at the sha'ar.

8. He that plotteth to do evil shall be called a ba'al mezimmot (master of schemes).

9. The scheme of folly is chattat (sin), and the scoffer is a to'evah to adam (man).

10. If thou faint in the yom tzarah, thy strength is small.

11. Save those who are drawn away toward mavet, and hold back those stumbling toward slaughter.

12. If thou sayest, See, we knew it not, doth not He that weigheth the levavot consider it? And He that is guard over thy nefesh, doth not He know it? And shall not He render to every adam according to his works?

13. Beni (my son), eat thou devash, because it is tov; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste;

14. So shall the knowledge of chochmah be unto thy nefesh; when thou hast found it, then there shall be an acharit (latter end, future), and thy tikvah (hope) shall not be cut off.

15. Lay not in wait, O rasha, against the naveh (dwelling) of the tzaddik; assault not his resting place;

16. For a tzaddik falleth sheva (seven times), and riseth up again, but the resha'im are overthrown in ra'ah.

17. Gloat not when thine oyev falleth, and let not thine lev rejoice when he stumbleth,

18. Lest Hashem see it, and it is rah in His eyes, and He turn away His wrath from him.