| Berean Study Bible | English Standard Version |
| 1Do not envy wicked men or desire their company; | 1Be not envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them, |
| 2for their hearts devise violence, and their lips declare trouble. | 2for their hearts devise violence, and their lips talk of trouble. |
| 3By wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established; | 3By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; |
| 4through knowledge its rooms are filled with every precious and beautiful treasure. | 4by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. |
| 5A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge enhances his strength. | 5A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might, |
| 6Only with sound guidance should you wage war, and victory lies in a multitude of counselors. | 6for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory. |
| 7Wisdom is too high for a fool; he does not open his mouth in the meeting place. | 7Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the gate he does not open his mouth. |
| 8He who plots evil will be called a schemer. | 8Whoever plans to do evil will be called a schemer. |
| 9A foolish scheme is sin, and a mocker is detestable to men. | 9The devising of folly is sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to mankind. |
| 10If you faint in the day of distress, how small is your strength! | 10If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. |
| 11Rescue those being led away to death, and restrain those stumbling toward the slaughter. | 11Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. |
| 12If 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? | 12If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work? |
| 13Eat honey, my son, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to your taste. | 13My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. |
| 14Know 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. | 14Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off. |
| 15Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, near the dwelling of the righteous; do not destroy his resting place. | 15Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous; do no violence to his home; |
| 16For though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up; but the wicked stumble in bad times. | 16for the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity. |
| 17Do not gloat when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles, | 17Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, |
| 18or the LORD will see and disapprove, and turn His wrath away from him. | 18lest the LORD see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him. |
| 19Do not fret over evildoers, and do not be envious of the wicked. | 19Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not envious of the wicked, |
| 20For the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished. | 20for the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be put out. |
| 21My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not associate with the rebellious. | 21My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not join with those who do otherwise, |
| 22For they will bring sudden destruction. Who knows what ruin they can bring? | 22for disaster will arise suddenly from them, and who knows the ruin that will come from them both? |
| 23These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good. | 23These also are sayings of the wise. Partiality in judging is not good. |
| 24Whoever tells the guilty, “You are innocent”—peoples will curse him, and nations will denounce him; | 24Whoever says to the wicked, “You are in the right,” will be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations, |
| 25but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come upon them. | 25but those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, and a good blessing will come upon them. |
| 26An honest answer given is like a kiss on the lips. | 26Whoever gives an honest answer kisses the lips. |
| 27Complete your outdoor work and prepare your field; after that, you may build your house. | 27Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house. |
| 28Do not testify against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips. | 28Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips. |
| 29Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will repay the man according to his work.” | 29Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for what he has done.” |
| 30I went past the field of a slacker and by the vineyard of a man lacking judgment. | 30I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, |
| 31Thorns had grown up everywhere, thistles had covered the ground, and the stone wall was broken down. | 31and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. |
| 32I observed and took it to heart; I looked and received instruction: | 32Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction. |
| 33A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, | 33A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, |
| 34and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit. | 34and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man. |
| The Berean Bible (Berean Study Bible (BSB) © 2016, 2018 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. | ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. |
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