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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

12If 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?

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

14So 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.

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

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

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

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

19Fret not thyself because of ra'im,
neither be thou envious of the resha'im,

20For there shall be no acharit (latter end, future) to the rah;
the ner (light) of the resha'im shall be put out.

21Beni (my son), fear thou Hashem and the Melech,
and do not associate with them that are otherwise disposed.

22For their calamity shall arise suddenly;
and who hath da'as of ruin those two ³⁵can bring?

23These things also belong to chachamim:
it is not tov to show partiality in mishpat.

24He that saith unto the rashah, Thou are tzaddik,
him shall the people curse, nations shall detest him;

25But to them that rebuke the wicked, it is well,
and birkat tov shall come upon them.

26He that giveth an answer that is nakhon (right, correct),
giveth a kiss on the sfatayim.

27Set in order thy outside work,
and make ready for thyself in the sadeh;
then afterwards build thine bais.

28Be not an ed (witness) against thy re'a without cause,
and deceive not with thy sfatayim (lips).

29Say not,
I will do so to him as he hath done to me,
I will render to the ish according to his work.

30I went by the sadeh of the ish atzel (sluggard, lazy one),
and went past the kerem (vineyard) of the adam chasar lev (the man void of lev ), ³⁶

31And, hinei, it was all grown over with thorns,
and charullim (nettles) had covered the surface thereof,
and the stone wall thereof was broken down.

32Then I saw, and considered it well in my lev;
I looked upon it, and received musar.

33Yet a little shenot (slumber), a little sleep,
a little folding of the yadayim to rest;

34So shall thy poverty come like a prowler;
and thy want like an ish mogen (armed warrior).