Do Not Envy Saying 20 1 DBY Be not thou envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them; BSB BSB: Do not envy wicked men or desire their company;
2 DBY for their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief. BSB BSB: for their hearts devise violence, and their lips declare trouble.
Saying 21 3 DBY Through wisdom is a house built, and by understanding it is established; BSB BSB: By wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established;
4 DBY and by knowledge are the chambers filled with all precious and pleasant substance. BSB BSB: through knowledge its rooms are filled with every precious and beautiful treasure.
Saying 22 5 DBY A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge increaseth strength. BSB BSB: A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge enhances his strength.
6 DBY For with good advice shalt thou make thy war; and in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. BSB BSB: Only with sound guidance should you wage war, and victory lies in a multitude of counselors.
Saying 23 7 DBY Wisdom is too high for a fool: he will not open his mouth in the gate. BSB BSB: Wisdom is too high for a fool; he does not open his mouth in the meeting place.
Saying 24 8 DBY He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a master of intrigues. BSB BSB: He who plots evil will be called a schemer.
9 DBY The purpose of folly is sin, and the scorner is an abomination to men. BSB BSB: A foolish scheme is sin, and a mocker is detestable to men.
Saying 25 10 DBY If thou losest courage in the day of trouble, thy strength is small.BSB BSB: If you faint in the day of distress, how small is your strength!
11 DBY Deliver them that are taken forth unto death, and withdraw not from them that stagger to slaughter. BSB BSB: Rescue those being led away to death, and restrain those stumbling toward the slaughter.
12 DBY If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not, will not he that weigheth the hearts consider it? And he that preserveth thy soul, he knoweth it; and he rendereth to man according to his work. BSB BSB: If you say, “Behold, we did not know about this,” does not He who weighs hearts consider it? Does not the One who guards your life know? Will He not repay a man according to his deeds?
Saying 26 13 DBY Eat honey, my son, for it is good; and a honeycomb is sweet to thy taste: BSB BSB: Eat honey, my son, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to your taste.
14 DBY so consider wisdom for thy soul; if thou hast found it, there shall be a result, and thine expectation shall not be cut off. BSB BSB: Know therefore that wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, there is a future for you, and your hope will never be cut off.
Saying 27 15 DBY Lay not wait, O wicked man , against the dwelling of the righteous; lay not waste his resting-place. BSB BSB: Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, near the dwelling of the righteous; do not destroy his resting place.
16 DBY For the righteous falleth seven times, and riseth up again; but the wicked stumble into disaster. BSB BSB: For though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up; but the wicked stumble in bad times.
Saying 28 17 DBY Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth; BSB BSB: Do not gloat when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles,
18 DBY lest Jehovah see it, and it be evil in his sight, and he turn away his anger from him. BSB BSB: or the LORD will see and disapprove, and turn His wrath away from him.
Saying 29 19 DBY Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, and be not envious of the wicked: BSB BSB: Do not fret over evildoers, and do not be envious of the wicked.
20 DBY for there shall be no future to the evil man ; the lamp of the wicked shall be put out. BSB BSB: For the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.
Saying 30 21 DBY My son, fear Jehovah and the king: meddle not with them that are given to change. BSB BSB: My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not associate with the rebellious.
22 DBY For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both? BSB BSB: For they will bring sudden destruction. Who knows what ruin they can bring?
Further Sayings of the Wise 23 DBY These things also come from the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment. BSB BSB: These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.
24 DBY He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous, peoples shall curse him, nations shall abhor him; BSB BSB: Whoever tells the guilty, “You are innocent”—peoples will curse him, and nations will denounce him;
25 DBY but to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing cometh upon them. BSB BSB: but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come upon them.
26 DBY He kisseth the lips who giveth a right answer. BSB BSB: An honest answer given is like a kiss on the lips.
27 DBY Prepare thy work without, and put thy field in order, and afterwards build thy house. BSB BSB: Complete your outdoor work and prepare your field; after that, you may build your house.
28 DBY Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and wouldest thou deceive with thy lips? BSB BSB: Do not testify against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips.
29 DBY Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me, I will render to the man according to his work. BSB BSB: Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will repay the man according to his work.”
30 DBY I went by the field of a sluggard, and by the vineyard of a man void of understanding; BSB BSB: I went past the field of a slacker and by the vineyard of a man lacking judgment.
31 DBY and lo, it was all grown over with thistles, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and its stone wall was broken down. BSB BSB: Thorns had grown up everywhere, thistles had covered the ground, and the stone wall was broken down.
32 DBY Then I looked, I took it to heart; I saw, I received instruction: BSB BSB: I observed and took it to heart; I looked and received instruction:
33 DBY — A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest! BSB BSB: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,
34 DBY So shall thy poverty come as a roving plunderer, and thy penury as an armed man. BSB BSB: and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.